Are you wondering what may happen if you drink taro milk tea while pregnant? Are you concerned if it’s healthy for you and your growing baby? Well, this post will help clarify your doubts.
Taro is one of cafes and shops’ most popular boba tea flavors. Many boba tea fans are drawn to its purple color, creamy and starchy texture, and sweet vanilla flavor.
It is usually one of the cafes’ best-sellers, along with classic Thai and black milk tea. Nonetheless, despite its popularity, many people are unaware of it.
If you enjoy bubble tea, the question of whether you can drink taro milk tea while pregnant may arise. It is critical to determine whether the tea is safe to consume during pregnancy. Read On…
What is Taro?
Taro is native to South India and Asia’s tropical regions. It is grown in various parts of the world, including Venezuela, Brazil, and Hawaii. Taro is the root vegetable of the Araceae plant family.
This plant’s leaves have a heart shape and are edible. Taro roots can be white, purple, or pink, depending on where they are grown. It usually has white flesh covered by brown skin.
Inside, there are a few purple spots. Because of its starchiness, its texture is similar to that of a potato. Taro is also eaten in the same way that potatoes are. It can be fried, boiled, mashed, baked, or roasted.
Alternatively, they can use the taro roots to make desserts and drinks, such as a cocktail or taro smoothies.
Is Taro Root Healthy?
There are a lot of health benefits that come with taro root.
- Firstly, it is high in fiber, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin B6, and other nutrients.
- Its fiber and resistant starch aid in blood sugar control and reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Taro also plays a huge role in weight loss cases; it keeps the consumer fuller for longer.
- It can be a good substitute for potatoes or other high-calorie carbohydrates.
- Taro can also help with digestion. Taro desserts, on the other hand, can be high in sugar.
As a result, when purchasing taro bubble tea, it is best to ensure that it contains as little sugar as possible if you have a sugar-related health problem.
Can I Drink Taro Milk Tea While Pregnant?
The answer is Yes and No! And here’s why. Most tea safety research is limited, and while there is little evidence of extreme or negative side effects, this does not prove that the tea is safe during pregnancy.
Pregnant women should avoid drinking any tea that may harm their health. While being cautious, it should be noted that making taro milk tea at home is much safer.
This is because you can choose the number of ingredients that go into the tea. Tea can help with morning sickness and has many other benefits, including stress relief. Bubble tea, on the other hand, should be avoided by pregnant women.
Although the caffeine content in tea may not be high, this will vary depending on factors such as origin and brewing method.
While drinking tea may have advantages, not all teas are safe, especially during pregnancy.
So, while tea, particularly herbal tea, can be considered healthy, bubble tea cannot. Although drinking bubble tea once or twice a month is recommended, other teas can help satisfy your craving.
Choose safe teas such as nettle tea, ginger tea, chamomile, rooibos, dandelion leaf tea, and peppermint and spearmint teas if you are pregnant. Choose the best tea for you based on your mood and needs.
Is There Too Much Caffeine In Taro Milk Tea?
The guidelines suggest you continue limiting your caffeine intake to a moderate amount, less than 200mg daily. It is recommended you limit yourself as much as possible.
Since caffeine passes through the placenta barrier to the baby, your baby growing in your tummy cannot metabolize caffeine.
This is why it’s advised to keep your caffeine intake at a minimum while pregnant. However, the amount in a 16-ounce bubble tea, the average size someone might buy, is 130 mg.
If that’s the only caffeine you’re taking, that’s fine as long as you watch other caffeinated foods and beverages.
Read: Can I drink Tropicana Juice during pregnancy?
How To Make Taro Bubble Tea?
Usually, tea shops make taro bubble milk tea from taro powder. If you’re a taro lover and buy this powder, you can make the taro bubble tea in the comfort of your home.
- First, you need to boil half a cup of water. Once the water starts to bubble, lower the heat to a medium-high level.
- Add any type of tea leaves, depending on your preference, to create a different taro bubble tea mix. Green tea leaves can be the best mix with taro.
- Then boil the water and the leaves for another three to five minutes, and the taro bubble tea mix is ready. While the tea is still hot, add two tablespoons of taro powder. Make sure you mix it very well so that the powder is dissolved.
- This mixture serves as the base for the taro bubble milk tea.
You can add honey, sugar, or condensed milk to make the taro bubble tea sweeter.
Alternatively, a half-cup of milk can be added to enhance the flavor. Any milk, including cow, almond, or oatmeal, works well.
Finally, adding ice cubes and tapioca pearls will create excitement to the drink. Voila! Your taro bubble milk tea is ready.
Pros and cons of drinking bubble tea?
Although tea is healthy in and of itself, providing antioxidants and other nutrients that may help lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases, bubble tea is not.
Tapioca pearls serve as the ‘bubbles’ in these teas. Tapioca balls are a product derived from tapioca, a starch extracted from the cassava root. In bubble tea, they are also known as boba (a transliteration of the word “bubble”) or “pearls.”
Some boba is five to ten-millimeter starch balls filled with sweet potato powder, potato powder, or jelly. The tea is frequently sweetened with sugar and, occasionally, condensed milk.
These additional ingredients raise the calorie and sugar content, making it more difficult to incorporate into a healthy diet.
To summarize, while tea is healthy within certain limits, bubble tea isn’t. There may be some tea benefits, but certainly not all of them.
Related Posts:
- Drinking Black Jack Tea During Pregnancy (Explained)
- Olipop while pregnant: Can I Drink & How Safe is it?
- Can I Eat Sago Pearls During Pregnancy? Find Out
- Drinking Thai Iced Tea During Pregnancy
- When To Start Drinking Mothers Milk Tea
Other FAQ’s
What Does Taro Bubble Tea Taste Like?
Some people are reluctant to order taro bubble tea because they are unfamiliar with the taste. Interestingly, the taro milk tea flavor tastes sweet and nutty.
Taro has a flavor that is similar to sweet potatoes when cooked. It has a similar texture and structure to potatoes and can be used in similar dishes.
This root plant’s flavor is heavily influenced by how it is consumed. Taro ice cream, for example, can taste like vanilla, but it will leave a starchy aftertaste on the tongue.
While taro tastes like a potato when fried, it has a distinct flavor in creamy drinks such as taro bubble tea. It has a vanilla flavor instead of a potato flavor.
A trial will convince you if you’re still curious about its flavor!
Can Lactose Intolerant People Drink Bubble Tea?
When milk is added to taro tea, it tastes really good. However, it is not necessary to use cow’s milk.
Other non-dairy milk, such as almond, soy, or oatmeal, can also be used to enhance the flavor of this beverage.
However, the final decision will depend based on the client’s preferences. You can still enjoy this mind-blowing drink if you are lactose intolerant.
Take-Home
We hope this article has given in-depth knowledge to answer your question about drinking taro milk tea while pregnant.
When consumed in moderation, tea is one of the healthiest beverages a pregnant woman can consume.
If taro milk tea has been your favorite, it’s best advised to reduce your intake to the barest minimum during pregnancy.
Alternatively, you can go for safer tea options that do not affect you, such as nettle tea, ginger tea, chamomile, dandelion leaf tea, and peppermint and spearmint teas while pregnant.
Always remember to choose the best tea for your mood and needs.
