You’ve probably tried several times switching to green tea and cutting down on caffeine, but a life without coffee seems plain horrendous.
One of the main reasons to get out of bed in the morning is the promise of freshly made coffee. Without this, we’re all unproductive monsters who find agony in the chilling sound of incoming emails.
This is coffee addiction.
But rather than torturing ourselves with giving up our sanity-saver, we decided to seek out ways to ‘pimp’ that morning cuppa with nutrition instead. Our sister site, Recipes+ conducted the experiment. And they found that not only was it a success, but they discovered ways to make coffee tastier than ever! Here’s how.
Say goodbye to refined sugar
You knew this would be at the top of the list. White refined sugar has been linked to all sorts of health risks.
Our favourite substitutes:
Agave Nectar
Honey
Maple Syrup
Cinnamon
Go dairy-free
Another way to add some oomph to your coffee is by ditching dairy. Sure, cow’s milk makes everything richer, but does it really add flavour? Switch out your regular milk for almond milk, coconut milk or vanilla-flavoured soy milk. These options are healthier and make your coffee even more delicious.
Moderation is key
Reserve your coffees for the morning and try to switch to tea after 2pm. For the first few days it may feel like you’re climbing the mountain of doom on no energy, but that feeling will clear up in no time. Like most things, coffee only becomes unhealthy when we have too much of it.
There’s no need to ditch coffee completely.
Combine your coffee and protein shakes
You are about to read the secret to actually being excited for your 7am sweat session: add a cup of coffee to your protein shake. That’s right!
Go for organic
Start paying attention to where your coffee comes from. Like most foods, the quality and taste of coffee is heavily influenced by how it was produced and where it was grown. A coffee bean that was sprayed with an ocean of pesticides won’t taste as spectacular as the one that was grown in a seaside Colombian village, protected by a flock of parrots and nurtured by the sound of waves. Try to go for organic coffee brands.
This article originally appeared on Food To Love.