Instant tea powder is concentrated — 385 kcal per 100 g of dry mix. A cup uses only 1–2 g of powder, about 5.8 kcal. The dry-powder values overstate the real intake by ~50 times. Log the prepared cup, not the canister.
How should I track Tea, instant, lemon, with added ascorbic acid?
Liquid calories from Tea, instant, lemon, with added ascorbic acid are easy to overlook because drinks do not trigger the same fullness signals as solid food. A meta-analysis (Wehling & Lusher, Am J Clin Nutr 2021) confirmed that people underreport beverage intake more than solid food. Most people pour 30–50% more than the label serving size without realizing it. Use a kitchen scale to weigh your glass or bottle once — you will know your exact pour going forward. This one calibration step can save you from hundreds of untracked calories per week.