Coffee is very acidic, and if you’ve ever been a regular coffee drinker, you know how the high caffeine content can give you the jitters then make you crash. It’s altogether hard on your system…not to mention, coffee makes your teeth yellow, and gives you bad breath. Gross! That said, drinking coffee can be a tough habit to break, and who doesn’t enjoy sitting down with a hot, flavorful beverage? Luckily, there are lots of yum alternatives to traditional coffee. These won’t taste like coffee, but they are hot and soothing and nice to sip on. 

Any of these coffee alternatives can go in a mug or in your to-go cup while you’re running errands or heading to work. And if you must drink coffee, I have heard that straight espresso is a better choice than coffee. Sounds a bit suspicious, but I do enjoy a sip of espresso about two times a year. And I mean a single sip – I couldn’t order one and drink the whole thing myself. I just bum a sip off of whoever is drinking that delicious-smelling after-meal beverage.

Coffee Alternatives

1. Kukicha Tea
This one is very healthy. Try it alone, or sweetened with a little brown rice syrup. You can also make it medicinal by using it in my Cure-All Tea (p. 90 in The Kind Diet).
Try Eden’s Kukicha tea.

2. Mugicha (Barley) Tea
Roasted barley has a delicious flavor in tea. When I drink it, I put a barley tea bag in my mug and simply refill it with hot water all day. You can add brown rice syrup for a sweet, superhero treat.
Ito En sells roasted barley tea.

3. Genmaicha (Brown Rice) Green Tea
Genmaicha is quite delicious. It is roasted brown rice tea. But beware, all green teas have caffeine. I have on a rare occasion sipped on some green tea, but I am not a caffeine fan at all. If you love green tea, though, this is a good one.
Try Eden’s Genmaicha.

4. Yerba Mate
Yerba Mate is an antioxidant-rich tea grown in South America. It’s super yummy. I used to drink this with Woody Harrelson and his wife Laura all the time. Laura makes a mean Yerba Mate latte! You can have it cold or hot with soy or rice milk and maple syrup. Yerba Mate gets me super spazzy from the caffeine, so I don’t drink it anymore, but boy I used to enjoy some sips of that with my pals. It’s not superhero, but if you’re looking for a healthier caffeine fix, this is a better option than coffee!
Try organic Yerba Mate by Guayaki.

5. Choffy, Teechino, or Pero
All three of these brands are natural coffee substitutes made with chicory, cinnamon, and a variety of other spices. If you really miss the flavor of coffee, give one of these a try. If you’re looking to go superhero, one of these could be a good first step toward weening yourself off of caffeine. Real Food Daily serves Teechino with steamed soy, rice, or hemp milk (you get to pick). It’s so nice with a big piece of chocolate cake. When you feel rebellious! Although the chocolate cake will be almost the same as the caffeine because of the cane sugar and caffeine in the chocolate. But heck, it’s more fun than coffee!
Try Choffy, Teeccino, or Pero.