I am not going to lie to you. The first thing I think of in the morning is coffee, coffee, and more coffee. After that, I am ready to start my day on the right leg as some would say.
But, as we know, coffee can cause high blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and other problems on a regular day-to-day basis. What I mean to say is that drinking caffeine can be seriously like an addictive drug and it’s not the healthiest thing in the world.
Of course, a cup of coffee a day is totally fine and can boost your energy levels but if you have the strength to substitute your craving for caffeine you should definitely do that.
If you’re a strong character and feel like you can pick a coffee alternative that’s much healthier, we have some ideas for you.
The most popular alternatives to coffee are
- Golden Milk
- Matcha Tea
- Green Tea
- Hot Water With Lemon
- Fresh, Pressed Juice
- Smoothie
- Turmeric Tea
- Hot Chocolate
- Energy Drinks
- Chocolate Milk
- Lemon Juice
- Barley Coffee
- Hot, Raw Cacao
- Chicory Coffee
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Chai Tea
- Kombucha
- Coconut Water
- Salep
To find out more about these coffee substitutes, keep on reading the article.
Alternatives To Coffee
Golden Milk
Golden milk is a great alternative to coffee with lots of health benefits. It is very easy to make and you can totally invent your own version, depending on your taste buds. So, what makes the milk golden? The answer is Turmeric.
Turmeric is a spice that originated in India. This is by far the healthiest spices of them all. It has anti-inflammatory properties due to the chemical called curcumin.
How To Make Golden Milk?
This awesome drink is pretty easy to make and it doesn’t take much of your time in the morning. All you need to make this beverage is milk(it can be coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk, or plain, regular milk),
a teaspoon of turmeric powder, ground cinnamon, a teaspoon of sugar if you prefer your beverage to be sweet, a little bit of nutmeg, and coconut oil(optional).
Now, I’ll let you in on a little secret ingredient that I always make sure to put in the mix with Turmeric. The secret ingredient is black pepper. Yes, you read that right, it’s black pepper, preferably the Ceylon type.
Pepper and Turmeric are a powerful couple because pepper helps turmeric release the chemical called curcumin. Not to mention that both of them have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, so you do the math here.
Preparation
- Put one cup of milk(coconut milk, or almond milk)in a pot and bring it to a boil, or just warm it up if you don’t want it piping hot. Stir the milk so it doesn’t burn.
- After the milk starts to warm up a little bit, take your chosen ingredients and add them to the warm milk. Stir them all together and let the milk warm up even more.
- Put the milk in a coffee mug and enjoy your beverage.
See? It’s so easy to make and yet, so healthy.
Matcha Tea
Matcha is a type of powdered green tea made from the Camellia Sinesis plant. You probably have heard of it except if you don’t live under a rock. Matcha seems to be everywhere, especially these few years.
Although is technically a caffeine drink, Matcha is actually full of nutrients and high in antioxidants. It also helps your brain perform its best during stressful tasks, and it’s great for cleansing your body from toxins.
I mean, what more can you look for in a drink?
Green Tea
For all of you coffee lovers out there, here is something that might satisfy your caffeine cravings. Technically, green tea contains caffeine and can wake your brain up in a jiffy.
Green tea is just a simple mix of hot water a baggie of tea. You can always add some sweetener like honey or sugar to make it tastier. Just like Matcha tea, green tea also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help fight cancer.
Hot Water With Lemon
This beverage is great to drink in the morning, especially if you want to lose some extra weight and start your morning with a healthy dose of vitamin C.
Simply just warm up some water, put it in a coffee mug, and squeeze out some lemon in it. I admit, it can hardly wake you up like your morning cup of joe, but it is a very healthy habit to do.
Fresh, Pressed Juice
Nothing freshens me up during summertime like a cold, fresh-pressed juice. I prefer it so much more than store-bought, sugar-filled, juices. You can make juice out of almost any fruit you’d like, and you can mix multiple fruits and make a nice non-alcoholic fruit cocktail.
I personally love my morning OJ and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I do it pretty simple with just a little bit of a twist. I add some freshly grated ginger for some extra antioxidants, so, for all of you smokers out there, this is the drink for you.
It can seriously clear up your lungs and get rid of all the toxins, also it is amazing for your heart health.
Smoothie
A smoothie is an excellent way to start your day. It can double as a liquid breakfast, not just a healthy drink. As always, you can add whatever you want to your smoothie, fruits, vegetables, some protein like peanut butter, flaxseed, and of course, some cold water to make it more liquid.
[Related Article: 11 Substitute For Banana In Your Favorite Smoothie Recipes]
Turmeric Tea
As a loyal coffee drinker, I rarely want to substitute my coffee with anything else, so I drink this beverage at night. Turmeric tea is very healthy and it really is just hot water with turmeric powder in it.
You can even put a random tea bag and mix in 1/4 of a teaspoon of turmeric powder in it. Of course, don’t forget to release the curcumin chemical with the help of some black pepper.
Hot Chocolate
Is there anything better than chocolate? Yes, a liquid and warm form of chocolate on a cold, winter day. Even though some people speculate that eating/drinking chocolate is bad for your health, actually it’s not that bad for you.
Chocolate can reduce inflammation, protect your skin from the sun, and of course, make you happy and in a better mood. Of course, there are some negative effects if consumed in extreme doses but that is actually from the sugar part of the chocolate, so try not to have it in large doses.
Energy Drinks
While not the healthiest of choices, energy drinks can definitely keep you awake and alert for your tasks. These types of drinks contain large doses of caffeine that keep your body from falling asleep.
Honestly, I am a very anti-energy drink person so, just drink some coffee or green tea if you really crave some caffeine.
Chocolate Milk
If you want healthy bones and a sweet taste, chocolate milk is here to help. No, it is not the same thing as hot chocolate, you can drink this beverage cold if you want to.
Simply just pour a glass of milk, and add some powdered chocolate to it. Stir well so it doesn’t have any clumps and enjoy your chocolate goodness.
Lemon Juice
When life gives you lemons, you gotta make lemonade, right? Squeeze some lemons and add some water to it. If you can’t handle the strong acidic taste, you can totally add some honey or sugar to it.
Barley Coffee
Barley coffee is exactly what you would imagine it would be, a coffee made from the ancient cereal named Barley. Don’t worry, Barley coffee is totally caffeine-free so it won’t have the negative side-effects that coffee can sometimes have.
Raw Cacao
Cacao really knows how to resemble and imitate coffee in aesthetics. Cacao powder is made from the solids of the cacao bean which is then ground into a powder.
Don’t be fooled, even though the cacao bean is what chocolate is made of, it can actually be quite bitter if you don’t put some sugar in it. Cacao is a great coffee substitute with just a little bit of caffeine in it to wake you up.
Chicory Coffee
This type of coffee is made out of the Chicory root and it substitutes coffee almost exclusively. The Chicory root is roasted, ground, and then brewed to make a coffee alternative.
The Chicory root resembles the taste of coffee and is an excellent ”fake coffee”. You can also find a blend of Chicory and coffee in the market, so if you don’t want a caffeinated drink, please look closely at the labels and make sure it’s Chicory coffee only.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar increases your potassium intake, promotes a healthy PH balance in your system, and can help you lose weight. It’s also used during a detox process to get rid of most of the negative toxins in your body.
Take a glass of water and add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and some honey. Drink this on an empty stomach in the morning.
Chai Tea
Chai tea is made from a mixture of black tea and different types of herbs and spices. A word of caution, black tea does contain a high dose of caffeine in it so if you try to avoid drinking caffeine then this beverage is not for you.
Kombucha
Kombucha is technically a tea made from fermented mushrooms. It has many health benefits and it is regularly used in detox programs and diets.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is the water that is extracted from the interior from the coconuts. It contains electrolytes and natural sugars which are very healthy for you.
Salep
Salep is a famous Turkish hot beverage made from milk, cinnamon, and sugar. It is thickened by using flour made out of wild orchids. It is a great drink to warm you up during the wintertime.
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Conclusion
Coffee seems to be one of the most important drinks in our society. It keeps you awake, alert, and able to do your tasks early in the morning. But, caffeine isn’t the healthiest thing in the world for a person to consume and it can actually be pretty addictive.
If you want to substitute your morning cup of joe with something much healthier here are some suggestions. Substitutes for coffee are golden milk, Matcha tea, green tea, coconut water, Salep, Kombucha, Chai tea, apple cider vinegar, Chicory coffee, Barley coffee, raw cacao, hot chocolate, chocolate milk, an energy drink, smoothie, fresh-squeezed juice, hot water with lemon, lemon with water, and Turmeric tea.