Switching from coffee to tea

jimmyhstewart · March 2020

I'm switching from coffee to tea as my morning beverage, aside from water. My 7 year old has learned coffee has caffeine and can be addictive. While I love coffee, I'm trying to switch to tea. I drink coffee and tea without creams or sweeteners. Anyone have suggestions on tea brands, flavors, or methods of brew that can help fill the void I have for coffee?

amtyrell · March 2020

Tea also has caffeine and can be addictive

harper16 · March 2020

Herbal teas don't have caffeine, or consider switching to decaf coffee.

MikePfirrman · March 2020

I drank a LOT of coffee. Done it in spurts over the years but this last period was really bad. I've had years I also drank mostly tea. I got the flu recently (regular flu), which hit me hard, and I just wanted tea. So I went from 8 cups or so a day of coffee to cold turkey mostly herbal tea. That was like 3 weeks ago. I haven't had any coffee since.

My wife has been a tea drinker for a long time. She only drinks coffee occasionally. We have a hot tea brewer, using loose leaf tea. I think that helped her (she also uses stevia and non-dairy creamer) to keep the same ritual in the morning. We've bought many different varieties of tea (English Breakfast, Chai, Ceylon OP) and we drink it instead of coffee in the AM. We also drink Organic Tea, which seems smoother. We have a generic version of the Breville hot tea maker (I think around 70 bucks or so).

I feel so much better, have had less headaches and sleep better. Though it has caffeine, not as much. I also drink less. Good for you, BTW, wanting to help you kids and be a good influence. I gave up smoking years and years ago for the same reason. My son, like 5 at the time, told me "I'll smoke too when I'm older, like you...". I was done smoking after that. He's now 27 and never smoked.

angelexperiment · March 2020

A great tea that has a coffee like flavor is lap song su Chong ( totally probably spelling wrong) it’s yummy. However there are un coffees that taste like coffe but contain no coffee. For people who can’t have the acidity. Made from some herbs. However why not just use half caf coffee or cut back? Teas can contain same amounts or more of caffeine. Except herbals. Or switch to different roasts with less caffeine

RoseyandReady · March 2020

I bought a Celestial Herbal fruit tea sampler pack from Walmart to try before buying a large package of one flavour. 4 different kinds in one box. 3/4 were really good. I'm not a blueberry fan....probably why the 4th tea didn't make my good list.

kshama2001 · March 2020

jimmyhstewart wrote: »

I'm switching from coffee to tea as my morning beverage, aside from water. My 7 year old has learned coffee has caffeine and can be addictive. While I love coffee, I'm trying to switch to tea. I drink coffee and tea without creams or sweeteners. Anyone have suggestions on tea brands, flavors, or methods of brew that can help fill the void I have for coffee?

I think the simplest solution would be to switch to decaf.

I brew half caffeinated coffee and half Teeccino, which is naturally caffeine-free, but the real advantage for me is I love many of the flavors.

Their sampler packs usually have free shipping: https://teeccino.com/product-category/samplers/

I'm also a Twinning Earl Grey drinker but they changed their formula last year and I cannot recommend it now. I bought several, well 10, cases when the old formula was still available on Amazon, so I'm all set for a while.

I tried several other brands of Earl Grey but did not like them as much.

sgt1372 · March 2020

I drink both.

Coffee in the morning and tea in the evening.

Caffeine has no noticeable physical effect on me and does not prevent me from napping during the day or sleeping at night.

I also do not feel compelled to drink either beyond my normal habit, so I don't think I'm addicted to the caffine and could stop drinking either at any time.

However, I use both as an appetite suppressant in order to control my cal intake and to facilitate fasting as needed.

So, I have no plans to stop drinking coffee or tea as long as it's necessary to watch my weight, which for me is a task w/no end in sight

MaltedTea · March 2020

It's so curious to me that someone could read a story like Mike's above and then click "Disagree." Like what are you disagreeing about? His tea choices, parenting choices, or what?!

Ridiculous, really.

As for the coffee vs tea. It needn't always be either or. Explore the world of hot beverages: caffeinated or otherwise and see if you can find a happy, healthy balance for you @jimmyhstewart

puffbrat · March 2020

You're switching to tea because your 7 year old just learned about caffeine?

I would think a strong black tea would best fill the void of coffee for you, but that's partly because those are the teas with the most caffeine.

I personally hate coffee and drink a lot of tea. You will just have to find the flavors that work for you. I'm not terribly picky. I will happily drink a cup or two of Lipton black tea. I like the flavor and the caffeine. I also drink a couple brands of Earl Gray, a vanilla black tea from Hawaii, and mint and chamomile teas from Celestial Seasonings and Bigelow. I have learned that I love a predominantly spearmint flavor but not peppermint. Just try a bunch of different ones and find what works for you.

lemurcat2 · March 2020

If your issue is the caffeine, you will want herbal teas. I've limited my caffeine consumption to the morning, and cut off the coffee after that (I love coffee, so this was a sacrifice, but it does help my sleep) and consume lots of different types of teas. I'd recommend just trying some and figuring out what you like. I enjoy lemon ginger, among others.

NovusDies · March 2020

Wouldn't a better lesson for a 7 year old be to approach things in moderation? There are enough things to learn out there that pretty much restrict you from eating everything. Carbs would be gone, meat would be gone, and even vegetables with their heavy metals would be gone.

mydogisthebestdogever · March 2020

Give dandelion root tea a try. It's very tasty!!!

puffbrat · March 2020

NovusDies wrote: »

Wouldn't a better lesson for a 7 year old be to approach things in moderation? There are enough things to learn out there that pretty much restrict you from eating everything. Carbs would be gone, meat would be gone, and even vegetables with their heavy metals would be gone.

This is a really good point. It may not be that big of a deal in regards to coffee vs. tea but we see a lot of good vs. bad mentality with food on this site because that is what many of us grew up hearing and still see in the media all the time. One of the most important lessons that many people on this site who are here to lose or maintain weight seem to learn is the value of moderation.

OP - there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing to switch from coffee to tea or choosing to reduce or eliminate caffeine from your diet. But it also isn't necessary from a diet perspective unless it seems to be causing you actual harm or otherwise interfering with your life.

chelleedub · March 2020

Well, if he drinks small decaf coffees, the caffeine is extremely negligible. But yes, there are also many wonderful decaf teas. I am EXTREMELY sensitive to caffeine, so I have to be very careful, myself.

Adagio's Honeybush Hazelnut has a wonderful, coffee like quality, and it comes loose or in teabags. I can't recommend it enough.
Yogic Chai also makes a variety of chai blends with varying levels of caffeine, all the way down to caffeine free. While they aren't coffee-like, they are delicious.

You could also try matcha green tea, which has is a much different feeling than other caffeinated beverages--more positive and less jittery.

Tea can be made with tea bags, which is pretty simple with easy cleanup, but is less flavorful; or loose leaf style, which is more flavorful, with a bit more cleanup, and can be pricier.

Here are some links:

Honeybush Hazelnut
https://www.adagio.com/rooibos/honeybush_hazelnut.html

Quick brew hot water kettle
https://smile.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-40998-Electric-Kettle/dp/B00ZPN3O2I/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3IAV0831EHAN3&keywords=hot+water+kettle&qid=1583777983&sprefix=hot+water,aps,272&sr=8-7

Tea ball/tea infuser
https://smile.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-40998-Electric-Kettle/dp/B00ZPN3O2I/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3IAV0831EHAN3&keywords=hot+water+kettle&qid=1583777983&sprefix=hot+water,aps,272&sr=8-7

Tea brewer
https://smile.amazon.com/GROSCHE-Aberdeen-PERFECT-coaster-BPA-Free/dp/B07RQVRS31/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?ie=UTF8&aaxitk=Tmd72WpdbfrhXIYEVSAsQg&hsa_cr_id=4555276960801&ref_=sb_s_sparkle

If you have questions about any of this stuff or Google/YouTube is no help, feel free to message me!

seltzermint555 · March 2020

I think Celestial Seasonings "Roastaroma" is a great substitute for coffee.

angelexperiment · March 2020

Another idea to ponder when I feel I might be addicted to coffee I go do a coffee detox, just stop it for a month or so. ( I used to drink a ton a day) now if I feel I have to have it to get going I stop for awhile. But now I drink usually one cup a day. Sometimes none a few days. But I don’t have withdrawals like some do so I just try to keep it light but not something I must have.

jimmyhstewart · March 2020

I am going to try some of the tea suggestions people provided. I'm also gonna try some decaf coffee.

beulah81 · March 2020

jimmyhstewart wrote: »

I am going to try some of the tea suggestions people provided. I'm also gonna try some decaf coffee.

I drink decaf coffee. Dark roast Swiss Water Decaf has the least amount of caffeine, 99,9%. There are some really delicious blends out there. Amazon has a few and Costco in my area carries one as well.

Switching from coffee to tea

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