There’s a new hot drink in town!

Well actually, there’s three. They’re not that new either, but they may be new to you, so if you haven’t tried them before, then I suggest you start right now. If you’re someone who always loves a hot drink in your hand but wants to avoid your 20th cup of coffee or tea for the day, then this could be the perfect post. I’m going to give you three alternatives to your regular cup of joe or cup of Rosey Lee (no I’m not talking about your favourite Aunt & Uncle….I’m talking about coffee and tea).

There are lots of Variations on all of these hot drinks, so it really is worth playing around and testing how you like yours. But the recipes on this page will give you a great platform of where to start.

First up

First up, in the Red corner, weighing in at just 8oz, with a record of 22 wins, 0 losses, wins all by way of knockout……”The Beet that can’t be Beat”, “The real BeetelJuice”,  ‘The Red Maniac”……yes all the way from the ground, it is The Beetroot Latte!

Recent health claims suggest that Beetroot can help lower blood pressure, boost exercise performance and prevent dementia. What we do know about this amazingly earthy root vegetable, is that it contains high levels of Vitamin C, Fiber, Folate (great for helping with reducing the risk of birth defects), Potassium and many more nutrients.

The glorious Beetroot Latte

Beetroot Latte ingredients

These amounts are for 1 cup.

• 1 x teaspoon Beetroot Powder
• 1 x cup Milk of your choice, Almond, Rice, Soya, Cows
• Vanilla essence (optional)
• Honey (sweetener of your choice, Maple Syrup, Agave etc or none at all)
• Splash of boiling water

Method

1. Mix 1 teaspoon of Beetroot Powder with a splash of Vanilla essence, 1 x teaspoon of Honey (or your sweetener of choice) and a splash of Boiling water, just enough to form a loose paste.
2. Heat up (foam if you like) your cup of milk, pour onto your Beetroot mix whilst stirring and BOOM you have a delicious hot beverage full of nutritional benefits and a bucket load of flavour.

Next up

Next up, fighting out of the green corner ( yes I know green is random but go with it), all the way from Japan, with 34 wins, 0 losses, all wins by way of TKO…..”The Green Gorilla”, “The Jewel from Japan”….it is the Matcha Latte!

I understand that Matcha can be pretty darn expensive, but as you only use 1 teaspoon per drink and you’re not going to be chugging these back all day everyday, then I can assure you the bag will last you a good while. Furthermore, if you think how much a coffee shops will charge you for a Matcha Latte, then you will definitely be getting your monies worth.

Matcha powder is a ground Green Tea powder, rich in Polyphenol compounds (antioxidants), with much higher amounts than your usual Green tea to. These Antioxidants are linked with fighting Heart disease, Cancer and viruses in addition to many other things.

The health benefits alone of the Matcha Latte are reason enough to give this drink a go.

Matcha Latte ingredients

These amounts are for 1 cup.

• 1 x teaspoon Matcha Green Tea
• 1 x teaspoon Honey (optional, again have a play around to check for personal preference)
• 1 x cup Soya Milk

Method

1. Place 1 x teaspoon Matcha Green Tea in your desired mug.
2. Place your Milk and Honey in a pan and heat gently, continuously whisking.
3. Just before boiling, pour ¹⁄3 of the Milk mix into your mug making a smooth paste until all lumps of Matcha  have disappeared. Pour in the remaining Milk, continuously mixing until your mug is full.

Last but certainly not least

Fighting out of the yellow corner (yes I realise that there are usually only two competitors in a boxing fight…..I obviously didn’t think this through, so just go with it). All the way from Southeast Asia, 50 wins – 0 losses, “The Golden One”, “The warming Warrior”, “The Spicy Assassin”. This has got to be one of my true favourites, Golden Milk or Turmeric Latte is a great caffeine free drink. This has so many health benefits, including digestion and circulation improving qualities. Like the others, it is seriously easy to make and truly has a real “feel good” factor about it.

Golden Milk or Turmeric Latte

Turmeric Latte ingredients

Makes one cup of Turmeric Latte

• Cup of Milk of choice
• ½ x Teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 x teaspoon Honey or sweetener of Choice
• Pinch of Cinnamon
• Pinch of ground Ginger

Method

1. Place all ingredients in pan and heat gently for 10-15 minutes stirring continuously.
2. Serve and and feel warm and cosy.

A new day

With so many health benefits, there really is no time like the present to give one of these drinks a go. I’m not telling you to stop drinking your usual tea or coffee. What I am suggesting is to try and incorporate or substitute one of these delicious beverages into your weekly plan. They really do offer some great benefits, flavour and as they say “variety is the spice of life”.

Thank you for taking the time to come and take a look at this post. I hope you enjoyed it and it has inspired you to give something new a go. For more food inspiration take a look on our Instagram and Facebook pages (links on home page).