Move Over Coffee, Hello Grain Beverages

MOVE OVER

COFFEE, Hello

Grain Beverages

Words and Images by Char Nolan

Coffee lovers, listen up. Grain beverages are claiming a place in the world–especially if you are looking for a warm, toasty, caffeine-free beverage to drink in the winter months—no jolt, but in some cases, the same delicious flavor. I love coffee, but this was a one-sided relationship–coffee didn’t love me back. I never had the “jitters,” as some explain, or cardiac issues, but one cup of coffee in the morning was starting to wreak havoc with my sleep. Even with one cup of coffee per day, and never after noon, I needed to work on my sleep hygiene. It happens as we age, simple as that. It was keeping me up and giving me a restless, almost sleepless night. I developed a list of “what ifs,” and it was the coffee for sure. In her book Body On Fire (Healthy Living Publications, 2020), Monica Aggarwal, MD, explains that adults (and older adults) require about 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Those seemed like very unreachable goals to me. While I cleaned up my sleep hygiene with many of Aggarwal’s recommendations (pp 127-138), in the end, I was getting less than six hours of sleep per night (six very restless hours). I even started to wear a fitness tracker to monitor my sleep, and if this was college, I was earning a C- in sleep. I almost needed to write a love letter to coffee, explaining why we needed to break up. I knew that coffee was the culprit in preventing a good night’s sleep. With my sleep record in the

minus column, perhaps I needed to make another lifestyle change that would impact me positively. Hello, grain beverages. My earliest memory of grain beverages was a product called Postum. It was made by the C.W.Post company–the makers of Grapenuts, one of my favorite cereals. Things have evolved since that first sip of Postum a halfcentury ago. With a base of chicory, I think that I appreciated the “licorice-like” flavor the most. Today, the evolution of grain beverages has made it to the forefront of specialty, non-coffee beverages and has a presence in many grocery stores and websites. Most brands are naturally caffeine-free and acidfree. Some may be nut-based. While they are not gluten-free, the ingredients can support good nutrition and benefit the immune system. Here is a review of my favorite coffee alternatives, or grain beverages, whichever you choose to call them. Several even involve the same rituals as coffee making, and that can make the transition easier. Trust me; you will NOT miss the caffeine.

FigBrew

FigBrew is made of 100% figs, which alone are considered a super-food. FigBrew is a story that involves family and friends working together. Former techies and coffee lovers Andy Whitehead and Kevin Deasy are the co-founders–Whitehead did his homework and discovered that figs were added to coffee when beans were difficult to access during the second world war. That was his lightbulb moment. And, as they say, the rest is history. Claim to Fame: According to the FigBrew website, FigBrew is a fig-based super drink that helps break the caffeine cycle. They also list a “good night’s sleep” as another benefit of ditching the caffeine. They see themselves as “The Coffee Alternative for Coffee Lovers.” Your morning ritual stays the same. Flavor: Quite frankly, it is delicious. It has a rich and robust flavor with a full-bodied taste. It brews a deeply brown beverage whose color resembles coffee. Prep Method: Much like your favorite coffee, you can use a pour-over, Aero-Press, French press, or coffee maker. It brews in the same amount of time as coffee. Add your favorite plant milk, and you are good to go. If you love the aroma of coffee, brewing FigBrew creates the same olfactory reaction.

Teeccino

I first started drinking Teeccino more than a dozen years ago when they were on a national tour doing Teeccino demos in grocery stores. Founder Caroline McDougall sent her son, Gavin, on the tour, and he proudly shared Teeccino beverages with great pride. Today, he is a vice president of the company

Claim to Fame: Mother Caroline was a product developer for a well-known tea company and decided she wanted to create a delicious beverage that could mirror a cappuccino, and that’s how Teeccino was created. Made from a blend of carob, barley, chicory root, dates, almonds, and figs, it may be safe to consume for those with digestive conditions unless a known adverse reaction to any ingredient is present. Their package does list a disclaimer about gluten, head to the website for details. Referred to as “Herbal Coffee,” Teeccino is available in a plethora of flavors. Flavor: Robust and smooth. It truly tastes like coffee. It is best brewed in a French pot, to me. Prep Method: Like your favorite coffee, you can use a pour-over, Aero-Press, French press, or coffee maker. It brews in the same amount of time as coffee.

In an Instant

If time is not on your side, “instant” grain beverages are suitable and deliver the flavor you might be looking for. Here are three beverages to consider in the instant category. If you are dining out, ask for a hot cup of water, and add your own crystals to your cup for a postdinner hot beverage. They’re caffeine-free and work if you are looking for a quick coffee substitute. Roma: Delivers a robust taste, looks and sounds like instant coffee–you know, that muffled stirring sound on the side of your mug. It resembles a good quality instant coffee. Pero: It is an instant and all-natural beverage that was created in 1954. While popular in Europe, it has made its way to grocery stores worldwide. Pero is a beverage with a true coffeelike taste. This coffee substitute is also naturally caffeine-free and blended from malted barley, barley, chicory, and rye. Dandy Blend: Another instant beverage. Created by botanist Peter Gail, Ph.D., Dandy Blend’s founder is to have combined his knowledge and appreciation for edible plants. He knew that the dandelion root, combined with extracts of barley, rye, and chicory, was the ideal formula. It makes a gentle brew and has quite an enjoyable, fullflavored taste.

Try them all, and find which one suits you best. As for the pocket value, each product is about 30 cents per cup.

And in the End

Switching to grain beverages is how I handled my sleep dilemma–and for me, it worked. But I had to taste many before finding beverage royalty. When I am cooking, and a recipe asks for ground coffee as an ingredient, I use one of these delicious coffee stand-ins. And they work! Today my sleep scores range in the A- category, and I am just fine with that.

Closing Note on Sleep

Sleep is so important. Read as much as you can. Investigate the stressors in your life. Identify stress triggers. If necessary, discuss your overall health with a professional. And, if you are like me and identify coffee as the culprit, enjoy a warm cup of a grain beverage!