Coffee is definitely not high on the list of daily indulgences that do you any good. We all know we should limit our caffeine intake and cut back on those teaspoons of sugar we load into our cups.
But do we? No, we do not. Because, for a large portion of us, starting the day without an enormous caffeine kick is like starting the car on a cold morning. Tail between our legs we slink into the office clutching a life-saving pint of the black stuff, morning after morning...
What if there was an alternative? What if someone made healthy coffee? Too good to be true? Well Nescafé have given it a go and we've tasted the results...
Nescafé's recently launched Nescafé Green Blend claims to be rich in health supporting antioxidants. They're referring to high levels of naturally occuring polyphenol antioxidants (the stuff found in green tea and cocoa) - said to have health supporting properties such as protecting cells from daily damage.
Their new instant coffee is made from a blend of unroasted green coffee beans and roasted beans. Their experts were briefed to create something "great tasting, rich in flavour and aroma, with health benefits".
"Polyphenols are a complex class of naturally occurring components of fruits, vegetables, and beverages made from plants." said Gary Williamson, Professor of Functional Food, School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds and a world leading expert in polyphenol science,
"Many polyphenols are well absorbed by the body and help maintain the body's defences against ageing processes such as free radical damage."
So coffee that keeps us young-looking? Hmmm. Sounds good so far. But what does it taste like? Some soFeminine staffers and soFeminine readers tested a cup to find out...
TRIED & TASTED
Valerie, 34, the self-confessed coffee-snob:
"I don't normally drink instant coffee, so am somewhat of a coffee snob. It smells nice when you open it up, but to me it tastes very young, like you can tell some of the beans are not yet ripe. It's like opening a young bottle of wine. Not rich, not chocolatey. It's not too bad for an instant but not really to my liking...
Anna-Belle, 29, the tea-lover:
"I adore tea but I rarely have a coffee and when I do it's with a ton of sugar. I'm not so great with all that caffeine. It tasted pretty smooth to me though and it wasn't too bitter which I shy away from. I drank it without my normal three tsps of sugar and it was actually fine. I'd have this every now and again but as usual the caffeine hit me pretty hard."
Louise, 22, the coffee-addict:
"I drink buckets of coffee. I get a Starbucks or a Pret every morning without fail and then resort to the crappy office coffee to get me through the day. This is way better than crappy office coffee. It's not too harsh and I like that it tastes kind of fresh. Plus it's not bad for me which is a bonus. I can't get on with green tea at all. I'm keeping the jar on my desk."
Sangita, 44, the sunday-sipper
"I like to have a nice cup of coffee when I'm reading the sunday papers. I usually use a percolator and some ground coffee but I'm not fussy really. I don't usually have an instant but I like to have a pot in the cupboard for when people stop by or I just want a quick cup. Not sure I believe that this stuff is good for me but it's certainly not bad flavour-wise."
SoFeminine verdict:
Give it a go... unless you are a coffee connoisseur!
