Avocado bubble tea has become an increasingly popular drink in recent years, combining the creamy richness of avocado with chewy tapioca pearls. But is this drink actually good for you, or is it just an unhealthy fad? Here we’ll take a closer look at the nutritional value of avocado bubble tea and weigh out the pros and cons.
What is Avocado Bubble Tea?
Avocado bubble tea is a variation of classic bubble tea (also known as boba tea) that uses avocado instead of milk or creamer as the base ingredient. It starts with a blended avocado purée, which provides the rich, creamy texture. Sweeteners like honey or agave nectar are added for flavor. The tea component varies, with options like green, black, oolong, or Thai iced tea. As with regular bubble tea, chewy tapioca pearls are added to provide an interesting contrasting texture. Some avocado bubble teas also include toppings like fruit jelly, pudding, or aloe vera chunks.
Nutritional Profile of Avocados
To understand if avocado bubble tea is healthy, we first need to look at the nutritional benefits and drawbacks of avocados themselves:
Benefits
– High in monounsaturated fats – These heart-healthy fats can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure when eaten in moderation.
– Fiber – One avocado provides about 10 grams of fiber, or up to 40% of the recommended daily intake. Fiber promotes healthy digestion and cholesterol levels.
– Potassium – Avocados offer more potassium than bananas, which helps control blood pressure.
– Vitamins & minerals – Avocados contain vitamins K, C, B5, B6, E, potassium, and folate.
– Antioxidants – Compounds like lutein and zeaxanthin found in avocados help fight inflammation and oxidative damage.
Drawbacks
– High in calories and fat – One avocado has around 230 calories and 25 grams of fat, so portion sizes need to be monitored.
– Sugar content – Although avocados have natural sugars, added sweeteners in avocado bubble tea can drive up the sugar content.
– Additives – Non-avocado ingredients like tapioca pearls and certain toppings add calories, sugar, and artificial additives.
Nutritional Value of Avocado Bubble Tea
Now let’s take a look at the typical nutritional value in a 16 oz avocado bubble tea:
Calories
– Avocado purée: 150 calories
– Sweetened milk tea: 90 calories
– 1/4 cup tapioca pearls: 100 calories
– Total: Around 340 calories
So in terms of calories, avocado bubble tea lands around the same as a meal like a turkey sandwich with avocado. The calorie count isn’t too high, but it can add up if you drink multiple per day.
Fat
– Avocado purée: 15g fat
– Sweetened milk tea: 2g fat
– Tapioca pearls: 0g fat
– Total: Approximately 17g fat
The majority of the fat content comes directly from the avocado. This isn’t necessarily bad since avocados contain that heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. But the fat can quickly stack up if you consume more than one avocado bubble tea per day. Moderation is key.
Sugar
– Avocado: 0g sugar
– Sweetened milk tea: 24g sugar (based on common sweeteners like honey or agave nectar)
– Tapioca pearls: 0g sugar
– Total: Approximately 24g sugar
The amount of added sugar is quite high. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar to no more than 25g per day for women and 36g for men. So with the 24g from a single avocado bubble tea, you’re nearly hitting the max recommended amount.
Fiber
– Avocado: 5g fiber
– Milk tea: 0g fiber
– Tapioca: 0g fiber
– Total: 5g fiber
The fiber content provides a decent boost, thanks to the avocado. This aids digestion and cholesterol levels.
Sodium
– Avocado: 10mg sodium
– Milk tea: 115mg sodium
– Tapioca: 20mg sodium
– Total: Approximately 145mg sodium
The sodium content is relatively low compared to many beverages and fast food options. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to 1500mg per day, so this drink only provides about 10% of that amount.
Key Takeaways on Nutrition
– Relatively high in calories and fat – Moderation recommended
– Provides heart-healthy fats from the avocado
– Sugary sweeteners drive up sugar content
– Decent fiber content from the avocado
– Low in sodium
Overall, while avocado bubble tea has some nutritional benefits from the avocado, the high sugar content is concerning, especially if consumed daily.
Health Benefits of Avocado Bubble Tea
There are a few potential health benefits associated with avocado bubble tea:
Heart Health
The monounsaturated fats from the avocado can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure, benefiting heart health. However, the high sugar content counteracts this benefit somewhat.
Reduced Inflammation
Compounds like lutein and zeaxanthin found in avocados have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This may help reduce systemic inflammation.
Satiety
The fat, fiber, and protein in avocados promote satiety or feelings of fullness. This means avocado bubble tea may curb appetite and cravings temporarily.
Digestion
The fiber in avocados can stimulate digestion and improve gut health by supporting the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestines.
Potential Downsides of Avocado Bubble Tea
There are also some potential negative impacts of drinking avocado bubble tea regularly:
Blood Sugar Spikes
The considerable amount of added sugar can lead to quick spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, especially for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Weight Gain
At over 300 calories each, frequent avocado bubble tea drinks could easily lead to weight gain over time, particularly with the high sugar content.
Nutritional Deficits
People filling up on avocado bubble tea may be missing out on other more nutrient-dense foods and drinks like whole fruits and vegetables.
Artificial Additives
The tapioca pearls and some topping mix-ins may contain artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners that are unhealthy with over-consumption.
Caffeine Intolerance
Caffeinated tea options may cause jitteriness, insomnia, irritability, and other symptoms in people with caffeine sensitivity.
Healthier Avocado Bubble Tea Options
If you want to make avocado bubble tea somewhat healthier, here are a few modifications you can request:
– Use unsweetened tea – Skip the sweeteners and flavor it yourself with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a squeeze of lemon instead.
– Choose non-dairy milk – Opt for a nut milk like almond or coconut to reduce calories and saturated fat.
– Limit tapioca pearls – Cut the tapioca amount in half to reduce calories and carbohydrates.
– Request less sugar – Ask for half or quarter the usual amount of sweetener.
– Skip toppings – Extra toppings like fruit jelly or pudding add more sugar. Request your drink without them.
– Substitute the tea – Go for an herbal tea if you want to avoid caffeine.
– Smaller size – Opt for 12 oz instead of 16 oz to cut calories and sugar.
– Boost nutrition – Ask to add chia seeds, wheatgrass powder, or a scoop of protein powder.
The Verdict
To wrap it up, here’s the final word on whether avocado bubble tea is healthy:
It can be, in moderation. The nutritional benefits from the avocado itself including heart-healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals are pluses. It also provides more sustenance than pure sugar-sweetened beverages. However, the high sugar content from added sweeteners is concerning, especially with regular consumption. The calorie and fat content are also quite high for a single drink.
Occasionally enjoying avocado bubble tea with modifications to reduce sugar, calories, and additives is fine for most healthy adults. But daily indulgence is not recommended, as the negatives likely outweigh the positives with over-consumption. Avocado bubble tea should be seen as an infrequent treat, not a daily drink staple. The best option is to make your own healthier version at home by blending up fresh avocado with unsweetened tea.
Overall, avocado bubble tea can be a tasty indulgence, but it shouldn’t replace more nutritious choices like homemade smoothies, whole fruit, vegetables, nuts, yogurt, and water. Moderation and substitutions are key if you want to reap the benefits of avocado bubble tea without going overboard on calories, fat, and sugar.
