What to replace coffee with? 10 healthy (and delicious) alternatives

Coffee isn’t bad for you… But it does have the power to make you completely ACCRO! (Thanks caffeine). So what can you replace coffee with? We’ve come up with 10 delicious alternatives… and kicks, to gently wake up your body, stimulate your mind as the day goes on and free you from your coffee addiction.

What to replace coffee with?

1. Chicory

Chicory is the No. 1 alternative to coffee: similar smell, similar color, but… no caffeine. In terms of flavour, we’re halfway between coffee, caramel and hazelnut (depending on taste and perception, of course).

Chicory is a natural beverage made from the dried, roasted and crushed roots of the chicory plant. It is drunk infused in water, animal or vegetable milk. Its little plus? It’s rich in ^fiber1.

2. Chai

Chai is an alternative… to tea. In fact, it’s a black tea imported to India by the British, who adapted it to their culture by adding masala spices (cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and pepper). Chai is renowned in Indian medicine for its many benefits and intense flavor. It is drunk infused in boiling milk with sugar or honey.

3. Rooibos

The tea we call red tea actually comes from a South African bush, not the Camellia Sinensis tea plant. Its leaves are harvested, crushed and sun-dried. Rooibos contains no theine and very little tannin (the molecules responsible for the color, thickness and astringency of tea). It can therefore infuse for several minutes without becoming bitter and “thick” in the mouth like black tea. Its little plus? It contains antioxidants.

4. Yerba mate

Maté is the traditional Argentinian drink, also consumed in other Latin American countries to combat fatigue. It also contains a little caffeine!

Yerba maté is an herb derived from holly, dried and then placed in a calabash (a cup made of leather, bamboo or hollowed out of a gourd specially designed for this South American beverage). It is drunk as an infusion in water at 80°C through a metal filtering straw known as a bombilla.

It’s a nice ceremony… but it varies from country to country. In Brazil, for example, maté is drunk iced and lemony. It is refreshing, slightly sweet and bitter.

5. Matcha

It’s thought to be original and different, but matcha is nothing more than green tea powder… The young tea leaves are dried and then ground, so that they can be consumed infused in water. Matcha contains half as much caffeine as our Italian friend, but a little for a better transition (while reducing your addiction!). Its distinctive taste can be toned down with vegetable milk.

6. Kombucha

Kombucha is a tangy, fermented drink made by culturing yeast and bacteria in black tea mixed with sugar, fruit or honey.

This refreshing drink has been consumed for centuries in Central Asia and Eastern Europe for its many virtues. Its fermentation process makes it naturally rich in probiotics (good for the digestive system⁾². In terms of flavor, this naturally carbonated beverage (due to fermentation) resembles a slightly bitter iced tea.

7. Grapefruit pomelo juice

We often think of its cousin the orange, but in the citrus family, the grapefruit has a few surprises in store. For a start, it’s actually called pomelo. Grapefruit and pomelo look alike, but they’re quite different. But that’s not the point… Grapefruit is above all a vitamin C concentrate. It’s refreshing, invigorating and tasty (even bitter). You can drink it (preferably organic), squeeze it into fresh juice or eat it with a spoon.

8. Lemon water

Pure lemon is very acidic and can be difficult to ingest in the morning. But the bravest can dare! Like its cousin the pomelo, lemon juice is also rich in vitamin C, making it an ideal morning “drink “³. Drunk regularly, and as part of a balanced diet, lemon juice helps meet our needs for essential ^{micronutrients4}.

9. A Golden Milk

Golden Milk is a vegetable milk, almond or coconut, warmed with turmeric, ginger and other spices with a strong character. It’s an Ayurvedic drink that comes to us straight from India… And appreciated for the benefits of its spices, above all.

10. Coconut water

Natural and additive-free, it offers a concentrate of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. It is much appreciated on the beaches of Latin America for its refreshing and moisturizing properties.

Because sometimes we feel a little tired, a little sluggish, and we need a boost of energy… we instinctively seek out coffee. But sometimes we’re simply dehydrated. Rather than looking for a substitute for coffee, a large glass of water (normal or coconut) can be just the thing! You can also turn to other recipes for hydrating drinks, hot or cold.

¹Only the soluble range is rich in fiber.

²“studies have shown that the consumption of certain probiotics modulates oroanal or colonic transit in humans”. Effects of probiotics and prebiotics on adult human flora and immunityAFSSA, Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments. 01/02/2005.

³Aprifel data

⁴Interfel data