7 Beverages to Replace That Starbucks Coffee in the Morning

"Good morning! I'll have a venti caramel frappucino with whipped cream and an extra drizzle of caramel please." Does this sound like the start to your morning? For those of us that love our Starbucks in the morning often hate the $4.00-$6.00 price tag that comes with the morning routine. Perhaps you're trying to save money, or just resort to a healthier alternative for your morning beverage, or meal, for that matter. Let's explore the following beverage alternatives:

1. Chai Tea or Green Tea.

Green tea in particular has many health benefits. In particular, it lowers the risk of cancer, lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, prevents tooth decay, and inhibits viruses. Green tea is good with a bit of honey or perhaps lemon. You can buy green tea in bags and make it yourself at work or at home.

I recommend chai tea because of its spicy flavor. If you're daring enough, add a bit of half and half or straight milk to give it a creamier flavor; not too much as you'll lose the actual chai flavor. You can buy chai as a concentrate or get the tea bags and steep it yourself. As far as teas overall, brands I recommend are Tazo or Honest Tea; I've found both of them to have great options as far as tea flavorings and ease of accessibility.

2. Pomegranate Juice.

According to POM's website, pomegranates promote heart health, prostate health, proper erectile function, and has antioxidant superpowers. POM's pomegranate juice has 160 calories per serving, no fat, no cholesterol, and negligible sodium. It's a good source of potassium, certified kosher, and is gluten-free. You should be able to find this in your local grocer, probably in the 16oz size at least. For more information about POM products, go to: http://www.pomwonderful.com/products.html.

3. Fruit Juice (not from concentrate).

I'd recommend a fruit juice made not-from-concentrate. The typical bottle of fruit juice is about 160 calories for an 8oz bottle of juice and will cost about $1.75 if bought at a typical retailer. There is nothing particularly wrong with drinking fruit juice that's from concentrate, it's just a preference of mine to drink it not-from-concentrate. If you do drink juice from concentrate I do recommend that it at least be all-natural and without artificial or extra sweeteners.

If you're really ambitious, make your own juice with a juicer. You have so many more options with a fruit juicer. You can use anything except banana pretty much. I'd recommend juicing watermelon, apples, and carrots. There's nothing like a good carrot-apple juice to start your morning, with a touch of sugar or honey included. It's best to freeze any remaining juice leftover or store it in the refrigerator and drink within a couple of days. With fruit juice made yourself, you will need to give yourself a half-hour or more to make the juice, but if you do a big batch you'll have enough for a few days... plus you'll be drinking your fruits and vegetables fresh instead of pre-packaged. Cost involved here would be the cost of the fruit or vegetables. The best place to get those would be a produce market if you have one near you, otherwise your local grocer will suffice.

4. Energy Drink of your choice.

If you need something with the same amount or more of caffeine to get you started in the morning, consider an energy drink. Popular brands include Monster, Venom, Red Bull, Steaz, Rockstar, NOS, Full Throttle, and AMP. You can usually find these at your local grocer, drugstore, or even food mart at a gas station for around $1.75-$2.50, perhaps a little more depending on the size.

A word of warning, usually you're informed not to drink more than three of these a day, so I'd almost recommend not even making this a daily habit. Perhaps this would be something you incorporate every once in a while if you really felt it would be helpful. You don't want to use the money you saved from not buying Starbucks coffee by paying for a stay in the emergency room. So drink these wisely.

5. Milk (Regular or Chocolate).

According to the National Dairy Council drinking milk can reduce the risk of osteoporosis, hypertension, and colon cancer. It can also reduce the risk of tooth decay and remineralize tooth enamel. For children, chocolate milk can improve nutrient intake.

If you do choose milk as your alternative, if possible go with an organic milk or even goats milk, which is said to be better for you. There is a notable price increase by drinking organic, but you can buy them in packs instead of buying a whole gallon. The packs like Organic Valley has are great for carrying around and don't make a mess through transportation. If you want a little more flavor in your beverage then I suggest chocolate milk, or if you have a favorite syrup you like to use, take some whole milk (or one of the others if you're counting calories and fat content) and add about a tablespoon (or two if you like it really sweet) of your favorite syrup for a good sweet treat.

6. Naked Juice.

You may actually not save money by getting a Naked Juice beverage in comparison to Starbucks. Even if you get the regular coffee, you may only spend $2.00. If you get a Naked Juice beverage on sale, you may spend anywhere from $2.50-$3.50 depending on the store. Is the Naked Juice healthier, of course it is! Just be aware you may pay for the difference in price.

I remember my first experience with Naked Juice. I'd gotten the Superfood flavor and fell in love with the brand. It includes apples, bananas, kiwi, mango, and a little bit of pineapple, not to mention some vegetables for a boost. If you drink a whole 15.2oz beverage you are consuming about 280 calories, which for some may constitute more of a meal replacement than just a beverage replacement. Although I do recommend making breakfast your biggest and healthiest meal of the day to get you jumpstarted right!

For more information about Naked Juice beverages, go to: http://www.nakedjuice.com.

7. Bolthouse Farms Juices.

Bolthouse Farm Juices can be found in your local grocer. As far as pricing, it's comparable to your local Starbucks' beverage prices. The only difference is that there are more options for this brand than there are for Starbucks options; there are probably more Starbucks locations than Bolthouse Farms juice options though. With Bolthouse Farms, you also have lemonades, smoothies, and protein drinks. My protein drink of choice is called Perfectly Protein Vanilla Chai. I've had a couple of the other juice blends and they are very tasty. If you do purchase one, I'd recommend getting the 16oz as it's only about $1.00 more in price than it's smaller counterpart. In some stores I've seen larger versions, but generally I see the 8oz and the 16oz bottles. Juice options include Carrot, Clementine, Passion Fruit, Wedge, and Purple Carrot. Smoothies include Blue Goodness, Green Goodness, Strawberry Banana, Amazing Mango, Berry Boost, and C-Boost.

For more information about Bolthouse Farm's juice products, go to: http://www.bolthouse.com/juice_main.html.

Absolute worst-case scenario if you MUST have Starbucks in the morning, buy Starbucks from the grocery store instead of the café. At least this way you'll possibly save yourself some cash. You can usually find the bottle coffee for about $1.50-$2.00 per bottle, less if you buy the 4-pack. There's also the cans of Starbucks coffee which may run closer to $2.00-$2.50 per can of coffee, but it's equivalent to the 16-oz "tall" that you would get in the café. Granted you won't have as many flavor options, but if you know what you like, you may be able to find something similar to it at the store.

Sources:

Green Tea Benefits
http://www.teabenefits.com/green-tea-benefits.html

POM Wonderful - Health Benefits Home
http://www.pomwonderful.com/health_benefits.html

National Dairy Council - Newer Knowledge of Dairy Foods: Milk
http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/NationalDairyCouncil/Nutrition/Products/milkPage3.htm