Indulge in the perfect blend of sweetness and health with our refreshing pineapple orange green tea recipe. Packed with nutrients and flavor!

Being from the south, my family and I love tea. Particularly some good ole' sweet tea packed full of added sugar. I'm always looking for ways to cut added sugar from our diets and sneak in nutrients wherever I can. My husband is not a fan of green tea, he claims it has a bitter taste, and his philosophy when it comes to tea is the sweeter the better. There are so many health benefits to green tea that I was determined to find a way to change his mind. I started out switching to a natural sweetener in black tea, then making half black and half green tea, then all green tea. Adding flavor to our green tea made the biggest difference in the taste of it. This orange pineapple tea is my favorite. It's so refreshing and packed full of good for you nutrients.

Pineapple peel contains high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A and various B vitamins such as thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and folate (B9). It is also a good source of potassium and manganese. The pineapple core is full of vitamin C, fiber and bromelain, an enzyme that aids in digestion and has anti-inflammatory properties. Orange peel is rich in fiber, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6 and calcium. It also contains a good amount of polyphenols and limonene which protects against several diseases as well as cancer.

So much good stuff that we usually just throw right into the trash. By boiling the peel you create a wonderful flavored water chocked full of nutrients. Mix that with some antioxidant green tea and you've got a refreshing drink you can feel good about drinking. Add a sweetener of your choice, we use honey or Stevia, and make it 'extra' by adding a sprig of fresh mint or make your own mint ice cubes by adding pieces of fresh mint and water to an ice cube tray and freezing. I love to make up a big batch of mint ice cubes at the end of summer when I need to use up my surplus of mint leaves. Store them in a freezer bag and you have fresh mint flavor all year long, especially great in the winter when I'm dreaming of warmer days. This tea is also delicious hot and gives you an extra boost of vitamins in the winter when all the germs are floating around. Anything to help prevent my family from getting sick, am I right?

Pineapple Orange Green Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pineapple, peel and core reserved

• 1 orange, peel reserved

• 12 cups water, divided

• 6 green tea bags (or tea of your choice)

• honey or sweetener of choice to taste (optional)

• Fresh mint for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Wash your whole pineapple and orange thoroughly.

2. Remove skin and core from pineapple and peel orange.

3. To a large pot, add 8 cups of water, pineapple peel, core and orange peel.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 min to 1 hour.

5. While fruit peel is simmering, boil 3 cups of water.

6. Add tea bags to a large pitcher and pour boiling water over tea bags. Allow to steep for 10 minutes or longer if you prefer a stronger tea.

7. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain pineapple/orange water into pitcher with tea.

8. Add honey or sweetener of choice and stir.

This is great hot or cold. Add a sprig of fresh mint or mint ice cubes to make it extra tasty. Enjoy!