Shutterstock/Sean Wandzilak
When you’re up late studying, it’s tempting to reach for an energy drink, a bag of chips, or some sugary candy. Consuming large amounts of caffeine and sugar late at night is a surefire way to throw off your sleep routine and derail any healthy eating attempts.
Next time you need an energy boost, try one of these five healthy caffeinated options.
Green tea.
This tea has a higher caffeine content than other types of tea, but significantly less caffeine than coffee. Green tea is also a great source of antioxidants and it doesn’t contain any sugar or calories. Try sweetening it up with something natural, like a spoonful of honey.
Dark chocolate.
Yep, here’s one type of candy we encourage eating! Try eating an ounce or two of chocolate that’s more than 70% cocoa for a sweet treat and a caffeine boost.
Diet soda.
Soda definitely isn’t a super healthy option, but choosing a caffeinated diet soda over a sugary energy drink will help cut calories.
Coconut water.
Thanks to coconut water’s high potassium content, this drink can help stimulate your brain in those late-night cramming sessions. Try a packaged version with espresso for an instant boost.
Kombucha.
If you’ve strolled through a natural foods store recently, you’ve probably seen tons of bottles of this stuff. Kombucha is a fizzy fermented tea and it comes in tons of flavor, it’s also loaded with probiotics so it can help settle your stomach after a night of junk-food bingeing.
