From Ben's Kitchen

Everything But the Sugar

Eight drinks for the rest of the day: two chais, a cooler, a lassi, and a few things that are barely more than water done properly. Nothing here needs sweetening to be worth drinking.

100% VegetarianNo EggsNo Added SugarLow-GI Focus

On the Menu

  1. Masala Chai, Unsweetened (hot)
  2. Spiced Buttermilk (Chaas) (cold)
  3. Mint Lime Cooler (Nimbu Pani) (cold)
  4. Berry Lassi (cold)
  5. Golden Turmeric Milk (hot)
  6. Cinnamon Cold Brew (make ahead)
  7. Ginger Lemon Green Tea (hot)
  8. Cucumber Mint Infused Water (make ahead)
Glass cup of masala chai with whole spices on a wooden table Indian · Hot

1. Masala Chai, Unsweetened

Spice-forward, so you stop noticing the sugar isn't there.

~40 kcalper cup
~2 gcarbs
Low GIsplash of milk
10 mintotal
2cups

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Bring the water to a boil with the crushed spices and ginger. Boil 3 to 4 minutes so the spices open up.
  2. Add the tea and boil 2 more minutes.
  3. Add the milk, bring back to a boil, then take it off the heat straight away.
  4. Strain and drink hot.
Tip: Crush the cardamom and ginger rather than slicing them. Whole pods just float; crushed ones give you the flavor that stands in for the sweetness.
Tall glass of spiced buttermilk with cumin and fresh coriander Indian · Cold

2. Spiced Buttermilk (Chaas)

Savory, cold, and gone in about three minutes on a hot day.

~60 kcalper glass
~8 gcarbs
Very low GIcultured dairy
5 mintotal
2glasses

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Whisk the yogurt smooth on its own first, then whisk in the cold water.
  2. Stir through the cumin, chili, ginger, herbs and black salt.
  3. Chill 20 minutes, or serve straight over ice.
Tip: Use black salt, not table salt. It is what makes chaas taste like chaas rather than thin yogurt.
Glass of lime water with mint leaves and ice Indian · Cold

3. Mint Lime Cooler (Nimbu Pani)

Lemonade with the sugar taken out and the salt put in.

~15 kcalper glass
~2 gcarbs
Very low GInegligible carbs
5 mintotal
2glasses

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Press the mint leaves against the glass with a spoon to bruise them. Don't shred them or it turns bitter.
  2. Add the lime juice, black salt and cumin.
  3. Top with cold water or soda water, stir, and add ice.
Tip: Salt is what makes this refreshing rather than sour. If it tastes flat, it needs salt, not sweetener.
Glass of pink berry lassi topped with a few whole raspberries Indian · Cold

4. Berry Lassi

Thick, cold, and closer to a dessert than a drink.

~120 kcalper glass
~13 gcarbs
GI ~30Low
5 mintotal
2glasses

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Blend everything until smooth, about 30 seconds.
  2. Thin with a little more water if it is too thick to drink.
  3. Pour over ice and top with a few whole berries.
Tip: Use frozen berries and skip the ice. Ice waters it down as it melts; frozen fruit keeps it thick to the last mouthful.
Mug of golden turmeric milk with a dusting of cinnamon Indian · Hot

5. Golden Turmeric Milk

The last drink of the day, the one that means the kitchen is closed.

~145 kcalper mug
~12 gcarbs
Low GImilk sugars only
10 mintotal
2mugs

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Warm the milk with the turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and pepper. Keep it below a boil.
  2. Whisk for a minute so the turmeric disperses instead of sinking.
  3. Stir in the ghee, pour, and dust with a little more cinnamon.
Tip: The pepper and the fat are both doing a job. Curcumin absorbs poorly on its own and both of them help, so don't leave them out to save a few calories.
Glass of iced cold brew coffee with a cinnamon stick Coffee · Make Ahead

6. Cinnamon Cold Brew

Smooth enough to drink black, which is the whole point.

~10 kcalper glass
~0 gcarbs
Very low GIblack coffee
5 min+ 12 hr steep
4glasses

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Stir the grounds, water and cinnamon stick together in a jar.
  2. Leave it on the counter or in the fridge for 12 to 16 hours.
  3. Strain through a fine sieve lined with a paper filter.
  4. Serve over ice, diluted with water or milk to taste.
Tip: Coarse grounds only. Fine grounds slip through the filter and turn a smooth cold brew gritty and bitter.
Clear cup of green tea with ginger slices and a lemon wedge Tea · Hot

7. Ginger Lemon Green Tea

Two minutes, and the ginger does the work.

~5 kcalper cup
~0 gcarbs
Very low GIno carbs
5 mintotal
1cup

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Steep the ginger in the hot water for 3 minutes first.
  2. Add the tea and steep 2 more minutes, no longer.
  3. Strain and finish with lemon off the heat.
Tip: Boiling water scorches green tea and makes it bitter. Boil it, then let it stand two minutes before it goes anywhere near the leaves.
Glass pitcher of water infused with cucumber ribbons, mint and lemon Water · Make Ahead

8. Cucumber Mint Infused Water

For the days when the honest answer is that you just aren't drinking enough water.

~5 kcalper glass
~1 gcarbs
Very low GIessentially water
5 min+ 2 hr chill
Makes 1 L4 glasses

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Slice the cucumber thin. More surface area means more flavor in less time.
  2. Add everything to a jug of cold water and press the mint lightly.
  3. Chill at least 2 hours. Strain it after 12 hours so the lemon pith doesn't turn it bitter.
Tip: Take the lemon out overnight and keep the cucumber and mint. The pith is the only part that goes bitter, and it does it by morning.
A quick note: Calorie counts and glycemic index (GI) values are estimates. Actual values vary with ingredients, portions, and preparation. GI under 55 is considered low, 56 to 69 medium. This page is for general guidance only and isn't medical advice; please follow your doctor's or dietitian's recommendations. Where a recipe offers a choice of milk, the calories and carbs assume whole milk; unsweetened almond milk is lower on both.
Why drinks matter here: liquid sugar arrives faster than the same sugar in food, because there is no fiber or chewing to slow it down. That is why a glass of juice moves blood sugar harder than the fruit it came from. Everything on this page leaves the sugar out rather than swapping it.
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