Most of us need that morning cup of coffee to kick start our day. Some of us even need the mid-day cup to make it over the hump. While there are some health benefits to drinking coffee in moderation, it might be beneficial to be aware of other forms of caffeine that you can reach for when you need an extra boost.

Green and Black Tea

A cup of green tea has anywhere from 24-40 mg of caffeine.  A cup of black tea has about 47 mg of caffeine.  While this is only about half as much as you get from a cup of coffee, it provides you with a more even and mellow “caffeine high”, rather than just the caffeine spike you get from coffee. Even though you may not notice it, coffee in the afternoon does make for a more restless night of sleep, so you’ll eliminate this by choosing tea, too.

Dark Chocolate

As if you needed an excuse to eat chocolate?  Put down that cup of coffee, and grab some dark chocolate. A regular sized dark chocolate bar only has about 18 grams of caffeine, so don’t expect a huge spike in energy.  But, dark chocolate is rich in healthy antioxidants, so at least it’s good for you, in—cue our favorite word—moderation.    

Fortified Coconut Water

Coconut water is already stimulating in itself because potassium helps your body convert carbs into fuel.  But, if that’s not enough for you, now you can also get coconut water with espresso, which has as much as 125 mg of caffeine.  That’s as much caffeine as you would get in two shots of espresso.  Making it another great alternative for coffee.

Guarana Supplements

Guarana is a plant typically used in energy drinks.  And while you can’t find it at your local grocery store, you can find Guarana supplements.  Guarana seeds actually have double the caffeine that java beans have, making it the most potent alternative.  Guarana is in most multivitamins, so starting a regular vitamin regimen can help you replace coffee almost all together, if you so desire.

If you want to give your body a little break from coffee, but still need some caffeine, give these alternatives a try.  You might find that you enjoy them even more than that usual “cup of joe.”