I’m a Wellness-Obsessed Editor Who Doesn’t Love Coffee—The Energy-Boosting Secret I Drink Instead

Just to clarify, I don’t actually hate coffee. In fact, I love the taste of it and the idea of having something delicious to drink every morning, but what I don’t love is how jittery and anxious it makes me or how it messes up my sleep. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still make myself a (very small) cold brew every now and then, but most days, I now opt for something a little more low-key in the caffeine department. If you have similar issues with coffee, I have a few solid ideas for you on what to try instead.

If you’ve never tried a superfood latte before, this is your official PSA to give it a go. Whether you’re looking for a coffee alternative that still has a similar taste or want to try something different, I’ve compiled a list of my favorites that I’ve found since quitting daily coffee. The world is really your oyster when it comes to creating a latte with various superfoods. You can combine different plant-based ingredients to create something totally new or you can snag a pre-mixed product to make your life easier. Either way, you’ll gain a nice energy boost without the jitters. For a bit of advice on what kinds of superfoods to include in your morning beverage, I asked clinical herbalist, herbal educator, and founder of Anima Mundi, Adriana Ayales. Anima Mundi is my all time favorite herbal apothecary and Ayales had a lot to share. For all her advice and our picks, keep scrolling.

Herbal Ingredients That Are Great Coffee Alternatives

While there are a ton of herbal ingredients out there that give you a nice energy boost, Ayales shared a few key ones that she swears by. “There are so many wonderful herbs that support our body and mind’s energy, sustainably!” she says. “I love using mucuna bean for added energy and dopamine. I also love adding ginkgo and other brain herbs when I need to fire up the mind (alongside mucuna) that powerfully energizes, while powerfully boosting cognition.”

So for starters, adaptogenic mushrooms work great. I usually put a couple scoops of Om’s Superfood Master Blend Protein Powder ($29) in my oats in the morning so I’m covered there, but there’s another particular superfood both Ayales and I love to sip on in the morning. “I adore ceremonial-grade matcha, as it energizes yet its a slow release caffeine,” Ayales says. “The jitters aren’t as front-facing as coffee and due to the high levels of naturally occurring L-theanine, it allows for sustained energy periods while also gently relaxing, easing anxiety and stress in the body.”

To make her morning superfood latte, Ayales loves mixing matcha with mucuna and lion’s mane for a brain-boosting morning elixir. If you do still want to have a coffee, though, Ayales has a hack she uses to take its effects down a notch. “Being born in the coffee lands of Costa Rica, I adore coffee, yet I always have it with adaptogens to help curb the side effects that aren’t so great for our nervous system. I often combine it with reishi or our 7 Mushrooms + Cacao Blend ($40).

For more recs, take a look below.