The Paleo List Answers:IS FLAVORED TEA PALEO?

There are plenty of debates about including coffee in your Paleo diet, but many people choose to opt for tea instead. If you’re not a natural lover of teas, you might get bored with your selection of English Breakfast and Green Tea at the grocery store, and being looking into the variety of flavored teas provided by Lipton and Celestial Seasonings. Are these flavored teas Paleo?

We know that basic, unmodified teas, such as chamomile, black, white, and green teas are very wholesome and natural additions to a Paleo lifestyle, so what’s the deal with these flavored teas? Are they more than just leaves from plants and trees? Well, yes, they’re a lot more, and more often than not, that “Lemon Lavender Tea” has no natural relation to lemon or lavender.

What is Tea Exactly and is it Paleo?

There is one plant species, camellia sinensis, which makes all tea, from white and green to black and oolong, it all comes from the same place. White tea is 100% untouched and unprocessed, and it’s got the highest levels of antioxidants. Each of these teas comes with their own unique flavor, but here’s the clincher, you can easily flavor these naked tea leaves with a wide variety of other natural flavors, from herbs and flowers (chamomile, lavender) to fruits and spices (dried apricot, cinnamon). You can flavor your loose-leaf teas at home, or purchase them flavored from your favorite tea purveyor. These all-natural flavored teas are Paleo, and as Mark’s Daily Apple will tell you, they’re delicious!

Unfortunately, when it comes to big-name boxes of tea bags, you’re going to face a few more hassles. Take a look at the back of a box of flavored Lipton Tea. It might contain that omnipresent soy lecithin, the emulsifier, or citric acid, to give it a nice tart finish, or even modified cornstarch or gluten. These ingredients are not our friends. Unfortunately, Celestial Seasonings and other big brands contain many of these same ingredients, so you’ll have to scrutinize every single label. If you’re looking for a little flavored tea variety in your Paleo diet, check out the following brands instead so you can avoid processed additives and chemicals and enjoy a nice cup of tea in peace.

Revolution Tea – Ingredients List

The Loose Leaf – 100% Natural, Organic, and Fair Trade

Guayaki – Organic Yerba Mate Teas

Yogi Teas – Organic Chai Rooibos (read Ingredients to verify Paleo-ness)

Are you struggling with which foods are Paleo?  Do you need help planning some Paleo meals?  Check out this great Paleo cookbook: