Coffee truly is the drink that makes the world go round. Whether it is to help wake up for a grueling day of work, energize yourself for a major cram session on that exam, or to help sober up (which doesn’t actually work, in case you were wondering), coffee is important in so many ways. While coffee may be one of the most important drinks for many people, and it is one of the most popular consumed beverages in the world, it might not be for everyone and you need to find an alternative that works, but is also enjoyable.

Thankfully there are plenty of options out there to help you find your perfect replacement for coffee. While it might seem hard to ditch the coffee, and many of the alternatives that people may suggest don’t seem like helpful substitutes, there are still a lot of options out there for you to choose from. The problem isn’t going to be finding one, it is going to be narrowing it down to the one you want. Nothing can truly replace the rich flavor of a good cup of brew, but there are definitely a lot of options out there that can serve you well. 

Check out these 6 healthy alternatives to coffee that you might find interesting.

1. Matcha Tea

1. Matcha Tea

Matcha tea is one of the best alternatives to coffee because this beverage is made from the ground up tea leaves. What makes matcha so good is the fact that it is great tasting, but it is also really useful for those that need it to stay awake. Many people drink coffee for this fact, but they hate that the caffeine and energy it produces make them jittery and anxious. Matcha is a type of tea, which is great for helping out with that need for energy but doesn’t leave you exhausted from battling any adverse problems associated with coffee. Matcha contains the amino acid L-theanine, which when combined with the small amounts of caffeine, helps make the cognitive benefits work well for your needs as a coffee substitute.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Admittedly, not many people can stomach the taste of apple cider vinegar. Some people absolutely loathe it, while others think it is a miracle addition to a beverage. Apple cider vinegar is not a drink by itself, so it is kind of unfair to include it on this list, but it can easily be added to teas or a simple glass of water so it counts on a technicality. Regardless of its status as a beverage or not, apple cider vinegar is a great healthy alternative coffee. The basis for apple cider vinegar’s health properties comes from the fact that it is derived from fermented apples and can benefit you by improving blood sugar levels and insulin. This is not the tastiest alternative, but it does work at least.

3. Green Tea

A crowd favorite for those that want to get a healthy and useful alternative to coffee is green tea. Green tea is really good because it contains small amounts of caffeine, but not enough to cause the jitters that can be a result of coffee consumption. There are significant amounts of research out there that help validate the claims of green tea benefits. Those benefits include the reduced rates of multiple types of cancers in regular consumers of it and it can even help make improvements to your health by reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Not only is it healthy, but it is also incredibly tasty which makes it a very palatable substitute for those coffee cravings.

4. Yerba Mate 

While not as common for some people, yerba mate is one of the best possible alternatives for coffee. This is a very popular drink in South America, where it originates, and possesses the benefits of coffee in the fact that it has about the same amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. The difference is that yerba mate contains theobromine, a naturally occurring stimulant also found in chocolate, which does not cause the same physiological reaction as caffeine. Yerba mate might be South America’s best-kept secret, but it can be a welcomed addition to your list of substitutes for coffee.

5. Kombucha

Just like matcha tea, kombucha is another popular drink that is more than a trendy choice instead of coffee. Kombucha can work as a natural and healthy alternative to coffee for a similar reason in that it also contains L-theanine, the amino acid that helps boost energy without the same pitfalls that coffee brings. Kombucha is an interesting drink because it has a fizziness to it, which can be useful to keep you awake because of that carbonated feeling, even if its caffeine levels are lower than a regular cup of coffee. It also has probiotic bacteria to help out your body, especially your gut microbiome. 

6. Lemon Water

The last alternative on this list isn’t going to blow you away with any special amino acids or fermentation process, but its simplicity is what makes it so viable. Lemon water is as simple as adding a slice of the delectable citrus fruit into a regular glass of water and allows you to enjoy a refreshing beverage. Lemon in water, preferably warm, helps promote digestive balance which can help center you out when you want a coffee instead. It does not contain caffeine, but the zest of lemon will let you enjoy it a lot more than a regular cup, and it works wonders for sore throats too. Something as simple as lemon water could be a good alternative to consider.

Finding alternatives to coffee seems to be a fool’s errand because nothing can conceivably replace coffee. While it might be hard to find something that can reasonably compare, there are plenty of healthy alternatives that do their darndest for you. The 6 alternatives listed here can help you narrow down your search and hopefully come away with a new drink that tastes great and keeps you energized.

If you’re someone who is not looking to entirely replace your coffee routine, consider checking out this article on the best coffee substitutes.

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