A lot of people have different vices. While consuming caffeine isn’t the worst habit, there are negative side affects to ingesting too much of it. Side effects of excess caffeine consumption can include increased belly fat, anxiety, or even insomnia. If you continue to pass off these symptoms, your health will only worsen over time.
For most people, coffee is the primary source of caffeine. A lot of others drink black/green tea, energy drinks, or soda. Energy drinks and sodas are not only full of caffeine, but they are also loaded with sugar; and if it isn’t sugar, it is a horrible sweetener like aspartame.
If you are trying to cut back on your caffeine consumption, eliminating the sodas and energy drinks is a good place to start. There are, however, other foods that contain caffeine. The USDA doesn’t require manufacturers to list the caffeine content on nutrition labels, so be on the lookout for the following foods if you are trying to avoid caffeine.
Chocolate
Cocoa beans contain caffeine, which means most chocolate has a certain caffeine percentage. Generally speaking, darker chocolate contains more caffeine. A Milky Way Midnight bar contains 14 grams of caffeine, whereas a Hershey’s Special Dark bar only contains 31 milligrams.
Hot Cocoa
The nights are getting colder and kids are starting to yearn for hot cocoa. Regular hot chocolate powder mix is not only loaded with chemicals and sugar, but it can also contain about 10 milligrams of caffeine. Things to think about if you are trying to wind your children down at night.
Breakfast Cereals
We all know that many breakfast cereals contain tons of sugar. Some of these chocolaty, marshmallow filled cereals can pack up to 11 milligrams of caffeine per serving. It isn’t just a sugar rush that you are getting.
Decaf Coffee
Surprised? Despite the name, decaf coffee does not necessarily mean that it is caffeine-free. The FDA requires 97% of caffeine to be extracted from coffee beans if they are being labeled as decaffeinated. That remaining 3% can pack a little umph, if you’re picking up what we’re laying down. Some decaf coffees can contain 28-32 milligrams per cup.
Headache Medications
Caffeine can comprise up to 40% of headache medications. The reason for this is because caffeine helps the medication release into your system more quickly. This is why certain brands will use terms like “fast-acting.” Be careful that you don’t take one or two tablets before bed because you may get a jolt of energy.
