I just tried this instant tea from a coworker and it is delicious. However, I am weary of buying instant tea because the powder doesn't look trustworthy to me! There are no leaves, no natural ingredient there. It is a white, fine powder. I was wondering if someone knows how good for our health instant teas are.
Good OP. I drink tea daily but use tea bags or brew tea leaves. I had thought that all tea was healthy but the instant teas proved me wrong. I just read an article online that states because instant teas are processed to make a powder that the tea actually loses some of its antioxidants as well as adding harmful additives. So, no instant teas are not as healthy as tea bags or tea leaves. I also would tend to believe that because instant teas are processed that they would cost a little more.
I've never thought of having instant tea, unless you count ice tea mix as instant tea. I definitely don't consider it tea like a steeped tea. I wouldn't think it would have all the benefits of loose leaf or bagged tea. For me to call it tea I need to see the tea leaves. I grew up drinking black Chinese tea and loose leaf tea makes a great cup of tea.
I have occasionally used iced tea powder over the years, but have never used it for hot tea. I much prefer tea made from leaves or tea bags, and of the tea bags, I prefer the better quality ones, although I can't always afford them. If you do use tea bags, try to buy the ones that are unbleached. I'm noticing that more manufacturers are using very cheap bags that tend to tear. I don't mind some tea leaves loose in my cup, but I don't like when the tea bags tear and I'm left with small tea particles. In answer, no, instant teas aren't as good for you as leaf teas, because they have chemicals and additives.
Other than the kind of tea powders that come in a can to make see tea, I don't use powder tea. The more processed the tea is the more it will lose its healthy benefits. I'm not surprised if companies add chemicals to their powder teas. I'm sure they have to to keep the powder from caking together in the package. Just be careful when using cheap powder teas.
I use instant tea mixes. I am not sure about any health benefits, but I drink it because it is cheap. It is one of the options that I drink the summer time because it is affordable. It may not be as good for you as regular tea but I think it is one of the options that you can use.
Was the tea mix sweetened or unsweetened? Did it contain any flavor additives such as lemon? If so, both of those could have contributed to it's white powdery look. Obviously the sugar would be white, but also something such as a powdered lemon juice or some form of powdered citric acid. I believe powdered ice tea also contains dextrose or something similar. Personally I don't like powdered iced tea at all - it has a chalky taste and it tastes "flat" compared to brewing your own iced tea. Fresh brewed tea has a more complex flavor, a mixture of bitter and citrus-y notes. Also, it can be much cheaper to brew your own vs. buying it in powdered form. A box of Lousianne Iced Tea Bags costs only about $2.25 at Wal-Mart and makes about 6 gallons of tea. I started brewing my own iced tea several years ago, when I decided to cut sodas out of my diet. Initially we were buying the iced tea already brewed in gallon size jugs, but at $3.99 or so for each one, that was starting to add up real quick. So I just invested in a $30 iced tea maker and a box of large tea bags for another couple bucks, and have been making my own ever since.