My Vegan Pantry – A Delicious Coffee Alternative

I began drinking coffee in my twenties and I was instantly smitten with its rich, sharp and dark notes. I prefer my coffee black with a little bit of sugar or straight black with a decadent dessert – perfection! My mouth is watering now thinking about that perfect up of java 😉 Of course, I also enjoy a blended, frothy mix, too. The only wrinkle in this beautiful beverage relationship is that I am caffeine sensitive. So while I’d love to be able to drink a bunch of cups a day, that would be my demise. The safe bet for me is consuming a ½ cup to one cup before 10:00 AM. No exaggeration. If I have a caffeine-spiked beverage at 10:01 in the morning, you’ll find me wide-eyed at 1:00 AM ☹

As soon as I found out I was pregnant with Shalom, I immediately gave up all major caffeine sources, i.e. I still eat chocolate 😊 I breastfed Shalom right into my pregnancy with Zara so I haven’t had caffeine since December 2014. Now, I am a Registered Dietitian so I know that the caffeine equivalent of one cup of coffee a day is medically approved. I don’t subscribe to that school of thought. Caffeine is not a food group and it’s a stimulant that passes through to the baby in utero and then through breast milk. BUT please believe, once I’m done breastfeeding Zara, I will return to my coffee!

To help me pass the years until coffee and I meet again, I returned to a childhood favorite – Roma!

Roma is made from roasted malt barley with chicory and rye. Its taste and aroma are reminiscent of coffee more than other alternatives I’ve tried. Sometimes I'll have it with plain almond milk but for a fun treat, I am so enjoying all the flavored almond milk creamers on the market right now! I was in heaven over the holidays with all of the seasonal vegan options. Right now, I’m enjoying the So Delicious brand in caramel ~ mmmmmm!

I’m not vegan but I am dairy-free and eat plant-based 95% of the time. The other 5% accounts for my egg intake. There are so many fun vegan alternatives that I’m enjoying so I’ll be blogging my faves.

Are you a coffee lover? If not either, what is your favorite non-alcoholic comfort beverage?

Kareen