I stopped drinking coffee recently because I want to cut caffeine out of my diet. I've read that there are a ton of chemicals used in the process of removing caffeine from decaf coffee and it is still not 100% caffeine free so that isn't an option for me. I was not a huge coffee drinker to begin with but I still enjoyed it.
I won't get into the good and bad of coffee because there are plenty of articles out there on that topic. You can find articles promoting the benefits of coffee and articles which list all of the risks involved with drinking it.
I think I drank it more for the flavor than for the caffeine boost. Not all people give up their coffee when choosing to eat healthy. However, if you are looking for coffee alternatives, here are some options below.
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Coffee Substitutes
To be honest, I miss the smell and taste of coffee. To me, there is nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning. Many people feel this way which is why it makes it more difficult to give it up if that is your goal. There are other beverages that can be your new coffee substitute but just realize they won't necessarily replace coffee. You may just have to learn to like something else just as much.
Tea - An obvious coffee replacement. You have to look for ones that are caffeine free such as herbal teas. One of my favorite herbal teas that I can recommend from Adagio is Lemon Grass.
Rooibos tea - This tea originates form South Africa. I love this tea and Adagio carries several flavors of it. It is naturally caffeine free. One of my favorites is Honeybush Vanilla.
Yerba maté - This is another type of tea that is said to be caffeine free but still has a stimulating effect. I would highly recommend doing your own research because I have read articles that say there is a very low amount of caffeine while others say there is no caffeine present.
Teeccino - This is an herbal coffee made from roasted grains and comes in several flavors.
Have you replaced coffee? Do you have any suggestions for good coffee alternatives?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, I’ve weaned myself from caffeine the last month and have switched over to Teeccino. I really like it! Still gives that “morning brew” ritual since you brew it like regular coffee!
Marisa – that is great. I want to try Teeccino, so good to know it’s not bad tasting.
There are a few decaf coffees out there that use a water-processing technique to extract the caffeine, but you are correct in saying that a small amount a caffeine is still present in the coffee. However, the amount is so small I don’t really think it would make much of a difference.
I’m with Meredith on this one – the amount of caffeine in decafe coffee is pretty low. It would take around 5 cups of decaf to hit the same amount of caffeine as one regular cup of coffee (at least from the sources I’ve read).
Organic coffees are generally done with a water decaffeination process, avoiding the chemicals. Plus, I find they taste better. So if you want to try that as an option if you’re missing the flavor of coffee, give that a shot. My favourite is a local organic fairtrade decaf mexican coffee that’s roasted fresh everyday – I brew it using an Aeropress and it’s the best coffee I’ve ever tasted (decaff or otherwise)
I agree with the author that it wasn’t the caffeine I missed when giving up coffee as much as the taste & the smell. Sometimes you can ind me wandering up and down the coffee aisle at Whole Foods just taking in the coffee aromas. Will look into the organic decafs.