Chai, but make it balanced

Let's be honest: nobody is giving up chai. And you don't need to. But three or four cups a day, each with two teaspoons of sugar and a couple of biscuits, can quietly add several hundred calories.

Where the calories hide

• Sugar: a teaspoon is about 4 g of sugar. Two teaspoons in each of four cups is around 32 g a day, before the biscuits.
• Biscuits and rusks: often made with refined flour, sugar and fat. Two or three per cup adds up quickly.
• Full-cream milk and cream: fine in moderation, but they add up across several cups.

Simple swaps

1. Cut sugar gradually. Reduce by half a teaspoon each week. Your taste buds adjust in two to three weeks.
2. Try spices for flavour. Elaichi, cinnamon, ginger and saunf add sweetness and aroma without sugar.
3. Use toned or low-fat milk for your second and third cups.
4. Pair it smarter. Instead of biscuits, try a handful of roasted chana, a few almonds and walnuts, or makhana.
5. Watch the timing. Chai contains caffeine. If sleep is a struggle, keep your last cup before about 4 pm.

Keep the ritual. Change the details.

Your evening chai break is about rest and connection as much as the drink itself. Protect that, and let the details do the work.