IF YOU’RE ready to detox your body from the boozy onslaught of the holidays, try my alcohol-free sangria, based on the popular Spanish fruit and wine punch. The sangria’s sweetness and hint of fruity flavors comes from two good-for-you teas. One is pomegranate tea. I’ve always liked pomegranates, but my love affair with them has been on and off at best. The whole getting-the-seeds-out-before-eating routine makes them tough to enjoy in their raw state. So when all these great pomegranate products came on the market—from juice to tea—I was elated. The tea is rich in health-building antioxidants, and thus very healing. I’ve also added hibiscus and rose hip tea. Flowering plants are famous for their medicinal properties, and hibiscus is a great example. Medical research indicates that hibiscus tea, in particular, may be helpful in fighting mild to moderately high blood pressure.
Yield 1 beverage
Prep time approximately 5 minutes
Processing time approximately 12 minutes
Calorie Burn 42
Calories 28.5
Net-Calories -13.5
| 1 | bag pomegranate tea (such as Yogi) |
| 1 | bag hibiscus and rose hip tea (such as Teekanne) |
| ¾ | cup water |
| 1½ | packets monk fruit extract (such as Monk Fruit in the Raw) |
| 6 | tablespoons no-sugar-added fresh fruit salad (citrus, grapes, apples, berries, melon, etc.—check the produce section or salad bar at your supermarket), chopped |
| ¼ | teaspoon nonalcoholic bitters (such as Angostura) |
| 1 | sprig fresh mint, to garnish (optional) |
1. Place the tea bags in a small saucepan and add the water. Cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Pour the tea through a strainer into a stainless-steel bowl while gently pushing on the tea bags to extract all of the liquid possible.
2. Place the bowl over another bowl filled with ice water and allow the tea to chill, about 3 minutes. Once cool, add the monk fruit, fruit salad, and bitters to the strained tea.
3. Fill a rocks glass one-third of the way with ice, pour the sangria into the glass, and garnish with a sprig of mint partly submerged in the drink.
Strain the fruit out of this sangria and place the liquid into a beverage carbonator (I like the Twist’n Sparkle by iSi) for added sparkle, to make the coolest sangria on the block!
28.5 calories, 0g fat (0g sat, 0g mono, 0g poly), 47mg cholesterol, 20.25mg sodium, 9.13g carbohydrate, .6g fiber, 1.9g protein
Hanson’s Natural Fruit Punch Stix
Fat: 0g / Calories: 5 cal