Cuddle up with these Nourishing Drinks to Keep You Warm this Winter
It’s finally cold here in Los Angeles! Personally, I’m stoked. Probably because I grew up in LA where it’s always sunny (and a little too warm for my taste), so I live for those perfect not-too-cold falls and winters of Southern California. Maybe we’ll even get some rain! As we all should be, I’ve been staying Safer-At-Home since March and I don’t know about you, but it finally feels right to be stuck in the house, rather than when it’s sunny and you want to be out and about enjoying the LA sun.
I just finished my morning pour-over, and all I want is another cup. Not because I need the caffeine, but because who doesn’t love a warm beverage on a cold morning (and afternoon and evening)? I’m sensitive to caffeine, so even though coffee is my favorite thing in the world, I generally stick to one cup a day.
If you’re like me and you’re looking for that hygge feeling all day and season long, we’ve compiled a list of beverages to warm your body and soul these fall and winter months. Not only are they tasty and contain little to no caffeine, but they all have different kinds of health benefits, many being anti-inflammatory and even immune-supporting - which we all need.
*Disclaimer: Several of these products have warnings saying to speak to your doctor or holistic specialist before taking them. Even something as simple as plain peppermint tea may have this language. Similar to supplements or medication, different herbs/foods work differently in different people and with different things, so be mindful and use your best judgment before adding something to your routine.
Step one in making a better-for-you warm beverage:
Ditch the dairy - it’s inflammatory! Use your favorite plant-based milk instead, preferably an unsweetened one. Also, the fewer binding and other similar ingredients, the better. Some of our favorites right now are:
But our favorite is DIY! Here’s a DIY oat milk tutorial :)
Loose Leaf Herbal Tea
Herbal tea is an obvious one here, but did you know many conventional bagged teas contain plastic? No thank you to hot plastic steeping in your tea. Not only that, but bagged tea is often much lower quality than loose leaf.
Living in LA, I have access to a lot of great ethical and sustainable businesses, like bulk goods stores. For teas, herbs, spices, etc., my favorite spot is Wild Terra. Bulk is the way to go when possible, but we know that that isn’t an option for everyone, so be sure to check out bulk options in your area.
There are so many great packaged loose leaf options out there, a lot of which are in reusable or highly recyclable tins!
Luckily, there are also compostable, plastic-free tea bags. Maybe it’s just a placebo about the quality of the teabag, but I’ve found this brand of tea tastes much better than almost any other grocery store bagged tea I’ve had. You can likely find them online or at any grocery store that has organic goods like Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc.
Some of my personal favorite herbal teas right now are Rose, Chamomile, Peppermint, and Ginger.
Ginger is especially good for digestion and other stomach issues like nausea. You can also make ginger tea by brewing fresh ginger in boiling water.
Peppermint, while also good for nausea, can be beneficial for lung, throat, and general breathing health. When the West Coast wildfires were raging, it was common to see people suggesting peppermint to help ease our bodies from the smoke.
Chamomile is calming and great for an evening wind-down or to help ground yourself when stressed or anxious.
Rose (I’m talking rosebuds here, not rose hips which have different benefits) has antioxidants, and can even potentially ease menstrual pain. Plus, there’s just something so pleasing about drinking rosebuds. I love combining chamomile and rose with a splash of oat milk for a really earthy and floral treat.
Golden Milk/Turmeric Lattes
Turmeric has been used by East Asian cultures for centuries, with golden milk becoming a popular trend in the US the past few years. It’s important when making something like golden milk to understand how the ingredients work and compliment each other. For example, you want to add fat and black pepper to activate the turmeric and optimize the anti-inflammatory benefits.
It’s super easy to make at home, I personally use this recipe from Minimalist Baker as a baseline and adjust based on what I have on hand. For example, I often use fresh instead of ground ginger.
You can also buy pre-made turmeric latte kits! Just be mindful of what’s in it. We love this Turmeric Latte kit from Golde, a small BIPOC women-owned company with “a mission to make wellness easy, accessible and fun for all.”
Coffee Alternatives
Matcha
As stated before, coffee is my drink of choice (over anything, really) but in the past few years I’ve started to really appreciate matcha, and in fact, will often reach for it over coffee at certain shops! If you’re in LA, I highly suggest a stop at Maru in the Arts District or Los Feliz and ordering a matcha latte with oat milk, unsweetened.
While matcha does contain caffeine, it contains less than the average cup of coffee and processes differently in the body. As someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder but also a caffeine addiction (yikes) there have been times in my life where I couldn’t handle coffee, and that’s when I found matcha. Matcha’s “clean” caffeine is enough to energize me (and avoid a headache) but also is chill enough to not make me shaky or potentially more anxious. I turn to matcha a lot on those days where I need a little more of a boost but don’t want to overdo it on caffeine like a 2nd cup of coffee. I also just really love the taste; I go hard for anything earthy. Plus, being green tea - and one that contains an abundance of chlorophyll - matcha has a whole host of other benefits beyond its lack of caffeine crash.
It can be a little tricky to master matcha at home, but with a bamboo whisk, hot water, and a little practice, you can have this great tea anytime!
Tastes like coffee, but isn’t!
Needing to ditch caffeine or the acid-content of coffee altogether? There are coffee alternatives that have super similar flavors, without the stuff your body doesn’t like. Many contain small amounts of caffeine from ingredients like cacao, but nothing compared to regular coffee. Make sure you check ingredients and do your research to find the alternative that works best for you!
Rad Roast is a “robust, nutrient-dense” coffee alternative made out of chickory, dandelion root, cinnamon, cacao, lion’s mane, and more. There is a very small amount of caffeine from the cacao. Rad Foods is a queer, woman-owned business!
Dandy Blend is a caffeine alternative made out of dandelion root and other herbs and plants like rye and beetroot. While it doesn’t contain caffeine, it does provide natural energy, and therefore has been suggested not to drink before bed or it could keep you up.
Ditch the Swiss Miss for your own hot cocoa mix
Personally, golden milk or herbal tea is my warm drink of choice before bed. However, if you’re anything like my partner, then your treat must include chocolate. Plus, who doesn’t love hot chocolate around the holidays?
An alternative to super sugary hot chocolate is cacao. Cacao is essentially the raw form of chocolate - pre-added sweeteners and such. It’s also commonly used in healing and spiritual ceremonies due to its properties and benefits. Cacao sound too intense? Find yourself some single-ingredient cocoa powder! Your cocoa powder should be unsweetened and contain one ingredient: cocoa!
While the taste is not identical, drinking cacao with your own sweeteners like dates or coconut sugar, is a great, healthier alternative to traditional hot chocolate, and it’s sure to give you those warm fuzzies you’re looking for. It’s easy to find recipes on making it yourself, just do a quick “easy healthy hot cocoa” google search for ratios and use your own natural sweeteners, plant-based milks, and additions of choice!
I made the one above using one tablespoon of Equal Exchange baking cocoa powder, approx 10oz of oat milk, 1/2 tablespoon of coconut sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, and a cinnamon stick.
You can even buy pre-made mixes like this Rad Cocoa from Rad Foods - it’s sweetened with coconut sugar and has adaptogenic mushrooms!
Unfortunately, it is still very common for chocolate to be farmed using oppressive labor systems. You can do your own research, contact companies, or even check out Food Empowerment Project’s Chocolate List to see if your favorite cacao/cocoa powder/chocolate product is ethically sourced and traded.
Got a favorite better-for-you beverage? Let us know!
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Bree Flory
Bree is a vegan, intersectional feminist and environmentalist who is particularly invested in public health and sustainability. She has a degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from CSULB, where she spent her time turning her passions for social and environmental justice into academic activism; she now carries out the same work as a content creator and educational program manager. When not busy spreading awareness on environmental toxins, health education and access, she’s most likely brewing pour over, analyzing her natal chart, cooking with arguably too much garlic, or crying about dogs.