Bubble Tea

I was talking to Ben about drinking bubble tea. Bubble tea is actually a very unhealthy drink but it's super addictive. The pearls are super, super high in calories. I have some findings from other people...

"Given that the tapioca pearls are straight starch and usually there are well over 200 calories in a serving of any starch (most places use around 1/4 cup of tapioca, I'd say) then add the fact that the milk is usually not low fat milk, and they put quite a bit of sugar in the drinks and I'd say that for a serving of boba or bubble tea you're probably looking at anywhere from 400 - 900+ calories depending on the size and ingredients. And because of the milk the fat content can get rather high. (There are *24 g.* of fat in the serving that is posted in the link below)."

"There was an article in the newspaper about a year ago (in Taiwan). It said that everyone should go easy on the bubble tea because the average 600ml serving has about 400 caloiries, and the average Taiwanese person is clusless about this.They are usually made with very little tea, lots of sugar, and full-fat milk powder.If you enjoy them, do so in moderation. Or try making them at home. There are tons of recipes on the internet, and you can buy the taopica pearls at most stores. You can make them healthier by adding more tea, less sugar, and fat-free milk powder."

"TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Drinking "bubble tea" frequently can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cause weight gain, the Consumers' Foundation warned yesterday.
The foundation released the results of an ingredient analysis of the popular beverage to mark World Consumers Day, which focuses this year on the theme "Junk Food Generation."
For the purpose of the analysis, a total of 20 samples were collected from beverage retailers in the greater Taipei area in early March. Also known as "pearl milk tea," the beverage is usually a mixture of tea, sugar, tapioca balls and non-dairy creamer, rather than fresh milk.
The analysis revealed that one 500cc glass of "bubble tea" with normal sugar and ice has 250-550 calories, which means that drinking one glass a day can result in weight gain of at least one kilogram over 14 days, if the consumer does not exercise, according to foundation chairman Cheng Jen-hung.
Also, the saturated fat and trans fat content of the non-dairy creamer can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, if the drink is consumed excessively, Cheng said."

So for those of you who drink a lot of bubble tea like me... sounds scary? fattening? super... I shall resist the temptation...

Love, Becky