Southern Charm Nutrition has a big menu and a bigger heart

Acting on a tip from a friend, I visited the cutest little place this week. At 1326 Main St. in Scott City, tucked into an old brick building with the door diagonal to the corner of two streets, is a little shop, Southern Charm Nutrition.

My friend told me there was a tea place in Scott City. I know I wrote about tea the last time, too, but I promise this is different. She said they had all of these new flavors for spooky season, such as Zombie, Freddy Kruegar and Scarecrow, and she thought it was a cool place. I should have asked more questions, because I was expecting hot tea with some flavorings, maybe some toppings, but that is not what Southern Charm Nutrition is. What it is, for me as a diabetic with an intolerance to the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, is an absolute godsend. Let me try to explain.

You will pick a flavor, and if you want to know the profile, you can ask the person working the counter. When I went in, there was the nicest gentleman in the store, and he understood that what they offer is new and a little different. If you're stuck, he could also suggest a drink you may like, based on if you're after a sweet drink or sour, or a little of both. I picked a Candy Corn, because fall, and he asked me what level I wanted. The caffeine added to the drinks comes in four levels, with Level 1 being equivalent to a cup of coffee, and Level 4 being like the world's most packed energy drink. It was afternoon, so I said Level 1, and he got to work mixing my drink. So you see, the caffeine is added in, and I suppose that is why it is called a tea.

The menu is large, but the heart is larger at Southern Charm Nutrition.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

In no time, I had a ginormous cup of orange liquid on a little bit of ice, just enough to keep it cold and not enough to melt down and dilute the flavor, in hand. For $4, it was an incredible amount of hand-mixed, specially prepared drink.

My Candy Corn drink reminded me of a peachy punch, uncarbonated, with some smokier undertones of sugar, perhaps dark maple or brown sugar? My husband tried a Freddy Kruegar, and it was definitely fruit-punchy, tropical, red, and sinister. Okay, not really sinister, but I saw where the store was going with that one.

And, this is the godsend part: None of their drinks have sugar in them. They are all sugar-free. Every. Single. Drink. Everything on the menu is safe for me. I don't have to count carbs or balance numbers or worry about saving enough carbs to eat supper. I can have a treat completely guilt-free. I didn't ask what sweetener they used, but I didn't get the headache I usually get after a diet soda, so these drinks win on that battleground.

You can determine how energy-packed you want your teas to be at Southern Charm.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

There is a literal wall of flavors offered, and the artwork weaving gracefully through the words is absolutely adorable. Pastel colors, beautiful whorls, flowers, indications of apples and even fireworks explosions subtly dress up the menu. I enjoyed just looking at it and appreciated the creative eye of the person who penned it.

The fun doesn't stop at the teas, because Southern Charm also offers coffees, which I didn't try this time around. Perhaps I will be brave and order one next time. I did ask about the shakes on the menu and found out they are protein shakes. Like a protein shake, they are not super sweet like an ice cream-based shake, but would make an enjoyable, nutritious, light meal in a pinch. Don't be scared to ask questions. A place this unique is worth the visit, and I am just tickled it is in Scott City on my way to see my friends. I cannot stress enough how friendly my tea artist was and how comfortable he made me feel, even when I obviously didn't know what I was doing. Established in March 2021, opened with guts and enthusiasm in the midst of a pandemic, Southern Charm lives up to its name quite admirably.