Last Updated on January 9, 2024 by Michelle

I used to think THIS was the secret to weight loss (and boy was I wrong!) …

I used to think anyone could loose weight if they simply stopped drinking their calories.

But I’ve changed my mind. In fact, I’m a firm believer that there are many healthy drinks that offer healthy calories.

They’re some of my favorite drinks, and today I’m going to share with you 5 healthy drinks that everyone should be drinking.

We covered this topic, in depth, over on my podcast, season 4, episode 11.

Listen in here:

Or watch here:

Top 5 Healthy Drinks Everyone Should Try

Today we’re talking about 5 specific healthy drinks that you might not be drinking–Yet! And we’re sharing a few recipes, as well as 4 tips for making healthy drinks, conveniently.

Once we realize that calories aren’t the bad guy (just like healthy fats in our cooking aren’t bad–more about my favorite healthy fat right here), we can discover many nutritious drinks with calories that, ironically, can even help us loose weight.

Yes, it’s not an idea my 10-year-younger self would have accepted, but some healthy drinks that add calories to our day also help us LOOSE weight. (Skip down to the third drink on this list if you can’t stand the suspence.)

Chicory Tea, a Healthy Drink

Snag my detailed recipe and lots more information here about chicory tea that tastes like coffee.

I was excited to read that chicory root contains inulin. I learned a lot about inulin when I wrote my book. Inulin is a complex carbohydrate, or a natural fiber, that’s a sort of prebiotic. Amazingly enough, inulin works to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in our guts, which can help with digestion, inflammation, and lowering blood sugar. And chicory root makes a delicious tea? Score. (btw, dandelion root has inulin too… read here about chicory tea for details on dandelion root and lots more.)

Purchase my favorite chicory tea blend here and save 10% with code SOULYRESTED.

Hot Chocolate, yes, it can be a Healthy Drink

Make your own mix and you can add in any and all adaptogens that are perfect for you and your body’s current needs.

Need more fiber, vitamins, and/or minerals in your day? (I mean, who doesn’t?) Add one butterscotch-tasting adaptogen to your homemade hot chocolate and it’s a win-win. Read my recipe (and find out what adaptogen tastes like nutty butterscotch) in this article all about How to Make Your Own Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix.

Kombucha is my Favorite Healthy Drink

The list goes on and on of reasons we should ingest all-natural probiotics to improve our health.

To name a few, natural probiotic drinks can:

• reduce anxiety and depression.
• enhance our immunity to disease.
• brighten our skin and improve acne.
• improve digestion.
• boost energy.
• help with weight loss.

Get everything you need to make perfect kombucha, every time, and full details on making kombucha the super-easy way (with my continuous brew concentrate) if you dive into my Simple DIY Kombucha masterclass.

Want to know how to flavor your DIY kombucha?

Dive into a free e-course and instructional e-book with great downloadable recipes right here: FREE Kombucha e-course.

See some of our family’s favorite kombucha recipes here.

Or use these amazing organic teas to flavor your kombucha. Use code SOULYRESTED and save!

Does kombucha help with weight loss?

Because kombucha is a fermented drink, yes, it actually helps aid in weight loss. You see, the fermentation process creates short-chain fatty acids (or SCFAs). These SCFAs–propionate, Acetate, and butyrate–play roles in metabolism and appetite control.

These SCFAs interact with the gut’s fatty acid reactors, where they send signals telling your brain you’re full and satisfied. Needless to say, this plays a huge role in weight loss. And time and again research shows (see this study) that these SCFAs in our guts lead to weight loss. 

And this 2018 report found that the prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics found in fermented food and drink lead to significant weight loss and lower BMI. 

Switchel & Other Natural Energy Drinks are Healthy Drinks

I try to avoid the unknown & unpronounceable ingredients in the most famous energy drink (gatorade) and choose healthy energy drinks instead.

1. “Sapinade” is what I’ve coined my favorite refreshment during sugar season… ice cold sap, collected right from the trees, and a splash of lemon juice. This drink has polyphenols & compounds that are found no where else in nature, now how cool is that?
2. ReLyte is a natural, delicious option. All in all, if you’re working out and sweating, a scoop of Re-Lyte Pre-Workout provides the support you need to crush your workout. If you need a boost to get you through a day full of work meetings, soccer games, dinner plans, and laundry, Re-Lyte Boost is the energizer for you. Use code SWEETSALT for 15% off your entire order, anytime.
3. Switchel is an easy option for an all-natural substitute for gatorade. See my recipe here: Switchel Recipe

Switchel, also known as “haymaker’s punch” or “ginger water,” was a homemade electrolyte-filled drink long before Gatorade was ever concocted in a lab. Because it is a  fermented drink that contains apple cider vinegar (along with water, a natural sweetener, and a flavoring like ginger root), some feel it’s a bit of an acquired taste.

Matcha, a Healthy Drink

Matcha confused me for a while, but it’s just green tea leaves that are ground up into a fine powder, which can be easily dissolved into a warm or cold drink, using milk or water.

Because farmers grow matcha differently than other green teas, it has extra high amounts of chlorophyll & antioxidants–as much as 137x as much as typical green tea! (source)

Matcha may promote heart health, enhance brain function (source), and prevent cancer (source), while also helping with weight loss (source).

One study even showed that consuming 2 grams (1 tsp) of matcha daily for 2 months helped improve brain function in the elderly (source).

Amazingly, one component of matcha (L-theanine) alters the effects of caffeine, giving you the alertness but not the crash that comes with caffeine. Studies have also found that L-theanine may encourage relaxation and decrease stress. Pretty cool, right? A boost of caffeine and alertness with zero jitteriness or crash. Yes, please.

And bonus, the caffeine level in matcha is much less than most cups of coffee. On average, a cup of matcha contains about 70mg of caffeine, in comparison to 100-140mg in a cup of coffee. But matcha can keep you feeling alert much longer than coffee can.

There are different “grades” of matcha, so you want to be sure you’re getting the right one. This is my favorite matcha, and code SOULYRESTED saves 10% off your first order of any teas or coffees you find here.

You can add matcha to many different drinks, but here’s a recipe for Matcha Lemonade.

Matcha Lemonade

1 tsp matcha (this is my favorite matcha)

2 cups water

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp maple syrup or honey (optional)

Stir, add ice, and enjoy.

Use code SOULYRESTED and save 10% on your matcha

My favorite things that make healthy drinks convenient

Go here for all my full list of all my favorite things I have on hand to make real food convenient in my farmhouse kitchen.

And these 4 things will help you make healthy drinks, easily:

Juicer for Healthy Drinks

Why don’t all kitchens have this handy little appliance? It makes the healthiest drinks super conveniently. This is my juicer.

Strainer Bottle, for Healthy Drinks

Find my tea bottle with built-in strainer here: All my favorite TEA things

And there you’ll find recipes to use with this bottle as well.

Hot Water Dispenser, for Healthy Drinks

The best, healthiest drinks aren’t going to be the ones you reach for if they’re not convenient. This amazing instant hot water dispenser makes cups of organic, loose leaf, nutritious tea available at the touch of a button.

Go here for more of my favorite tea things

The Best Healthy Tea Blend

I thought it would be hard finding a way to get Bill to abandon his life-long favorite drink obsession… Sweet tea made with Lipton. But this organic, loose-leaf blend was the answer. He switched without hesitation and we’ve been making tall pitchers of ice tea every day since, for years, with this recipe.

Resources to Help you with Healthy Drinks & Simple Living

I mentioned in this podcast episode that the simplest, easiest way to decide the “next step” when it comes to making your life a little simpler is to just pick one thing and dive in.

My free resources are pretty extensive, but please don’t subscribe to all of them at once. Instead, choose one.

When you get to the end of your first ecourse, I will send you a note with these links included for you to consider all over again and choose a next step then.

Keep it simple, because, trust me, Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy… especially if you get yourself overwhelmed.

I offer free ecourses (sent via one email a day, feel free to work through them totally at your own pace):

Making your own kombucha

Milling fresh flour–why & how 

Sprouting–growing your own food year-round

Cooking pasture-raised pork–with a week’s worth of recipes

Dehydrating.. how & why it’s the best way to take charge of your food supply

Getting your pantry in order

Make your own Maple Sugar

Parenting an entrepreneurial mindset (not just for homeschoolers)

Succeed at Online Content Creation  

Other Articles & Resources You’ll Love:

Perfect kombucha flavors for your family

The Tools I Love the Most in my Farmhouse Kitchen

My 7-page Pantry Checklist

Everything Tea–recipes, tips & secrets

Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands. I Thessalonians 4:11

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below: