When you hear the word “caffeine” what comes to mind? For me, it’s coffee. For you, it may be the 5-Hour Energy that you take to get rid of “that 2:30 feeling”. Whatever comes to mind first, know that there are other sources of caffeine out there and I am here to tell you what they are (the 5 bolded ones may surprise you!). There is no longer a need to wake up and have that morning cup of caffeinated coffee. Why not have a cup of decaf?
Decaffeinated Coffee
Decaf coffee contains a significant amount of caffeine. Yes, it is significantly lower than the amount of caffeine in caffeinated coffee, but you may be surprised to hear that some brands of decaf coffee can contain over 20 milligrams of caffeine. That is as much caffeine as a Barq’s 20oz Root Beer!
Chocolate
The most commonly known food that contains caffeine is chocolate. Since the caffeine originates from the cocoa bean, the darker the chocolate the more caffeine it contains. So, if you are one of those people who just cant seem to fall asleep after a big bowl of chocolate ice cream, it may not just because of your “sugar high”. You may be feeling the effects of the caffeine that it contains!
Green Tea
It is a myth that black tea is the only kind of tea that contains caffeine – however it is true that green tea contains less caffeine. The average 8oz mug of black tea contains anywhere from 30-80 milligrams of caffeine. The average 8oz mug of green tea contains between 35-60 milligrams of caffeine. If you have been drinking green tea thinking that you were not ingesting caffeine, you were wrong!
If you still are unsure about how you are going to fuel that caffeine craving, here is a list of caffeinated foods and beverages, and their caffeine content in milligrams:
- Generic Brewed Coffee (8 oz): 102-200 mg
- Black Tea (8 oz): 25-110 mg
- Generic Espresso (1 oz): 30-90 mg
- Red Bull (8.3 oz): 80 mg
- Coffee Flavored Ice Cream (8 oz): 50-60 mg
- Mountain Dew (12 oz): 54 mg
- Green Tea (8 oz): 10-50 mg
- Pepsi (12 oz): 30 mg
- Chocolate Cake (2.8 oz): 36 mg
- Generic Decaffeinated Coffee (8 oz): 3-26 mg
- Coke (12 oz): 35 mg
- Dark Chocolate (1.45 oz bar): 31 mg
- Milk Chocolate (1.45 oz bar): 11mg
Whether you need a quick boost for the day, or want to find something that will just fuel you for the next 30 minutes, this list is a great resource. This information and more can be found on DrLisaWatson.com
