By Lexi Foster, Staff Writer
Waking up 15 minutes past your morning alarm, pit-stopping at Front Porch without time to spare, frantically searching for loose change in the cracks of your car, realizing the last five dollars in your savings account will do and finally splurging on a large hot coffee that will satisfy your missing hours of sleep and deadly caffeine craving.
As a stage four caffeine addict, Pumpkin Spice Lattes with almond milk never fail to save the day. But, due to the rise in popularity of chai, it has become a game-changer for those who strive for a healthier alternative.
With black tea being the source of caffeine in chai, it has appealing health benefits from the blend of spices and herbs containing heart-healthy antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties as well as improving digestion. What caffeine drinkers might not realize is how much sugar and steamed milk can alter the health benefits.
According to the Starbucks menu, a grande (16 ounce) chai latte almost doubles the amount of sugar in a Snickers bar. Instead of buying high calorie and artificially sweetened chai on the go, it can be made easily at home. Making your caffeinated beverages at home can help with sparing water, adding your choice of eco-friendly sweetener, dairy-free milk and saving money.
To be even more cost-efficient, an alternative caffeine option is kombucha, which can be purchased on-tap at Front Porch, store bought or brewed at home. Kombucha is sourced from fermented tea, meaning, it has all the same health benefits as chai, but also it’s rich in probiotics along with antioxidants that can kill harmful bacteria and help prevent diseases.
Chai products may not live up to their overhyped health standards, but they are proven to be more friendly on the environment. One cup of coffee uses about 1,120 cups of water from the start of growing the beans to packaging the product, while chai uses only around 120.
Coffee is also a large cash crop in Central American and African countries, where the humid conditions are perfect for growing, and where coffee can be linked to the cause of deforestation and soil erosion.
Chai and coffee have their ups and downs for health and environmental factors, however, kombucha is eco-friendly, health-improving and less costly while still being a caffeinated alternative.
Junior Lexi Foster can be reached at 21fosterle79@daretolearn.org.
