Healthy Boba Tea Options

Here I will give many great options on making a healthy bubble tea from various flavors, along with how many calories to expect from each. If you regularly order bubble tea from a local shop, then there will be a helpful guide on how to order healthy bubble tea too. I’ll go over each component of the boba tea to help you create/order a boba drink for your diet.

It is also nice to have a reference if you own or work at a boba shop as a barista, so you can better serve your customers.

There are many different things related to the word healthy that is interpreted differently by many people. For instance, there is the keto diet that focuses on lower carbs. There are diets that focus on reducing sugar intake. And of course, there is the common weight loss diets that focus on reducing calories.

Hopefully you will be able to find the information needed here to know how to get just what you need when creating or ordering a boba tea drink. The information can help you manage your daily calories, and keep track of them. Vegans will hopefully be able to gain some tips as well. First let’s start with this..

Can Boba Be Healthy?

Yes, boba can be healthy. A typical bubble tea includes tapioca pearls, whole milk, and tea. All three of these are great natural substances to add to your health, especially the milk and the tea.

Tea is great for its many health benefits of reducing the risk of diseases, cholesterol, and heart problems, to managing weight loss.

Milk is filled with many nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, proteins, and healthy fats. There are many types of milk that can be used to create vegan, low calorie, and low sugar bubble teas.

Bubble Tea Milk Options

• Whole Milk – (Full of Calcium & Proteins)
• Almond Milk – (Vegan)(Keto)(Low Calories)
• Oat Milk – (Vegan)(High Carbs)
• Soy Milk – (Vegan)(Similar to Whole Milk)
• Coconut Milk – (Keto)(Low Calories)
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Low Fat – (Good for weight-loss)
• Skim Milk – (Good for weight-loss)
• Non Dairy Creamer – (Good for the lactose intolerant)

Calories per cup:

• Whole Milk – 150 Calories
• Almond Milk – 60 Calories
• Oat Milk – 130 Calories
• Soy Milk – 130 Calories
• Coconut Milk – 80 Calories
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – 980 Calories
• Low Fat – 102 Calories
• Skim Milk – 83 Calories
• Non Dairy Creamer Powder – 90 Calories (30 calories per tablespoon used)

As you can see, there are many choices for using milk in bubble tea drinks that can be added to your boba shop if you’re not using creamers. It is important to know what to recommend to your customers if you run a boba shop to better serve them.

This also lets you see which bubble tea milk options are best for you if you struggle with gaining weight. For vegans the soy milk is the best option for this, and for hardgainers, it is whole milk.

Note: The sweetened condensed milk is normally used in lesser amounts due to its sweetness.

Are Tapioca Pearls Healthy?

Tapioca pearls are vegan and gluten-free, making it one less item to worry about within vegan and gluten-free diets. They have high amounts of carbohydrates, which help to fuel your body with needed energy. They also contain iron and calcium.

Iron helps with the regulation of oxygen in the body that is carried in the blood cells, while calcium helps with bone strength.

However, to individuals that are lactose intolerant or vegan, it is understandable that they may see whole milk as an unhealthy choice. Also, it is understandable for an individual on a keto diet to avoid lots of tapioca pearls or certain types of milk.

The tapioca pearls found in boba tea drinks can easily pack the most calories and carbs. The pearls typically will have 183 calories and 45 grams of carbs per 1/3 of a cup, which is the usual amount in a 16 ounce bubble tea.

The reason why tapioca pearls appear black in color after they are cooked is due to the brown sugar that it is often soaked in during or after it is cooked, food coloring, and other thing. Check black tapioca pearls for more information. Otherwise, they can appear brown.

We also offer free teaching on how to create the healthiest boba tea options for tapioca pearls that you probably have never tried. These options include creating tasty superfood tapioca pearls that have no sugar too. The options available include:

• Cardamom Tapioca Pearls
• Cinnamon Tapioca Pearls
• Coffee Tapioca Pearls
• Ginger Tapioca Pearls
• Peppermint Tapioca Pearls
• Turmeric Tapioca Pearls

The answer to making healthy boba tea options isn’t to suggest taking out the boba pearls/toppings entirely; else the drink would no longer be a bubble tea. Instead, be creative and make your own flavorful and boba pearls with the guides we provide. They are made from natural herbs and spices and some of them taste as good as or even better than the original tapioca pearls that stores are offering in our recipes provided.

Can Tapioca Pearls Be Unhealthy?

Tapioca pearls are not unhealthy as they are, but do not provide any huge nutritional benefits. However, tapioca pearls can become unhealthy when large amounts of sugar are added to them, just like any food or dessert can become unhealthy.

This can turn a simple, slightly beneficial topping, into a health concern; especially when consumed in large quantities. If an individual prefers the original tapioca pearls with their bubble tea, then laying off of the sugars is a good idea.

Most boba shops dip their tapioca pearls into sugars after they are cooked. If you still want boba in your cup, then making and cooking your own tapioca pearls is a good option. Doing so will give you the option to exclude sugars in your boba.

Here are some tips to keep your tapioca pearls from becoming unhealthy:

1. Don’t have large amounts of boba in your cup. If your concern is the calories or carbs, then reduce the amount of boba in your cup.

2. Make your tapioca pearls with less sugars.

3. Remember that a bubble tea drink consists of more than just boba. It is a fun and tasty drink to have, but remember that it is a drink consumed with a straw, not a spoon.

(Yes, I intentionally made number 3 similar to number 1.)

A Healthy Alternative To Tapioca Pearls

There are white tapioca pearls that appear white in color before they are cooked and clear afterwards, often called “crystal boba”.

Crystal boba has lesser calories and carbs than the original tapioca pearls, sitting at 93 calories and 24 grams of carbs per 1/3 of a cup, which is the usual amount in a 16 ounce bubble tea.

Crystal boba is a healthy alternative to tapioca pearls if the goal is to reduce the carbs for a keto diet, or the calories for a weight-loss diet.

Healthy Substitutes For Tapioca Pearls

Some healthy substitutes for tapioca pearls besides crystal boba are boba jellies.

One of them that I like that fits many boba flavors is the aloe vera boba.
 

Aloe vera boba jelly contains 44 calories and 10 grams of carbs per 1/3 of a cup, which is the usual amount of a 16 ounce boba tea drink.

Aloe Vera contains many health benefits which includes, skin and hair health improvements, improved digestion, and antioxidants. 

Canned toppings are another healthy choice for boba toppings. There are oats, red beans, taro lumps, and green beans. They have very little of anything else added to them besides the veggies and oats themselves. Red beans with matcha is a very good combination.

For an entire list of all the toppings available, refer to the ‘different types of boba besides tapioca pearls‘ guide.

How To Order A Healthy Bubble Tea

Here are some tips for ordering a healthier bubble tea from a boba shop:

1. Order your bubble tea as tea flavors only.

There are many tea flavors to choose from that can be just as good as some of the other flavors. Ask for an Oolong, Butterfly Pea Flower, Green Tea, Jasmine Green Tea, or a Black tea flavor if they have it. This can drastically reduce calories and promote weight loss.

2. Ask for less boba.

Asking for less boba can cut down on the calories and carbs helping you stay in tune with your specific diet.

3. Ask for a different boba topping.

Asking for a different boba topping instead of the traditional tapioca pearls can help to provide more nutrients in your drink, and cut calories and carbs. Boba shops normally have popping pearls (bursting boba) flavors that are filled with real juice. Boba jellies are also popular with some shops too.

4. Ask for little or no milk. 

Milk is great, but if you’re managing calories, ask your boba shop to make your favorite flavor without milk. Milk contributes to a handful of calories in your boba drinks. Asking for less milk from now on can go a long ways.

5. Ask for a different milk.

If they have a different milk, like a low fat, coconut, or almond for example, then get this instead of whole milk. The boba shop you’re ordering from may use whole milk or a creamer as a base for better flavor.

6. Only get one topping.

Instead of getting multiple toppings to create your signature bubble tea, stick with one. Asking for a dash of each may seem a little weird to the barista making the drink, but that is an option too.

7. Keep it simple.

Those colorful rainbow looking bubble teas with multiple flavors may look good, but they may require more syrups and powders to make them. Keep it simple and order one flavor.

8. Order a matcha bubble tea.

If calories and such aren’t a concern, but you prefer something more nutritional, order a matcha bubble tea and call it a day.

9. Ask for less sugar.

This is a more obvious one, but it still needs to be noted. The boba shop you’re ordering from may put additional sugars, syrups, or powders to make their boba drinks sweeter. Ask for less of these in your beverage when you order.

10. Make your own bubble tea.

If for some reason the boba shop you are ordering from can’t meet your requests, then making your own bubble tea drinks could be the way to go. It will save you money, and you will have full control of what goes into your drinks and what doesn’t. 

This the best option from creating custom drinks to fit many diets.

Healthy Bubble Tea Drinks

Here are some healthy bubble tea drinks to try.

• Oolong Bubble Tea
• Pearl Milk Tea (Black Tea) with less sugar
• Butterfly Pea Flower Bubble Tea
• Matcha Bubble Tea
• Matcha with Red Beans
• Green Tea Boba
• Jasmine Green Tea 
• Osmanthus Bubble Tea

Applying some of the tips above can help to keep the calories and carbs down even further. 

Also, sticking with tea flavors can even reduce your drinks to almost zero calories without the boba. With the boba it can be 200 calories or less (only 10% of the 2,000 calorie daily intake). Using a substitute for tapioca pearls can reduce it to 100 calories or less.

All of the bubble tea drinks with tea become healthier choices due to the wide variety of health benefits that tea gives.

Bubble Tea With No Sugar Calories

Having a bubble tea with no sugar can reduce the calories of a typical boba tea by 135 calories to 270 calories for the larger drinks.

Finding alternatives for sugars can create healthier bubble teas. They can sweeten boba without adding extra calories.

Sugar free syrups are available for purchase to create your own healthy bubble tea drinks at home:

There are plenty of flavors to choose from in the store. Some of these can even be exchanged for the syrups you already use in your own boba shops, not just at home.

Bubble Tea Calories

From the guide here, you can get an estimate on how many calories you can expect a bubble tea drink to have.

A bubble tea with no sugar will have significantly less calories that will be around 90 calories for a 16 ounce drink.

If milk is added to it, the calories would increase by only 50 to 70 depending on how much milk is used in the creation of the bubble tea.

This of course would be for the standard whole milk, while other milks like coconut and almond can push the calories down to 20 to 40 additional calories.

If an entire cup of milk is added, then refer to the information on milk given earlier, as this is assuming that less is used in room for other ingredients.

A bubble tea with tea only will only have around 2 calories per cup without sugar. With sugar this would make it around 108 calories if 2 tablespoons of sugar is used.

The calories in a bubble tea with pearls is around 357. This would be based off of the pearl milk tea. A pearl milk tea with no sugar would have 245 calories on average for a 16 ounce drink. This is with whole milk, black tea, and original tapioca pearls.