How to orient yourself during purchases + alternative and nutritious coffees
Shopping in supermarkets with a focus on local food means fasting. Only in a Carrefour I found local pastry / honey products. In the larger chains there aren’t any local product and this is a sign of not becoming aware of this movement that is not yet considered interesting for commercial purposes even if nowadays we are talking a lot about it. Indeed, now more and more exotic products are being offered and that follow unsustainable trends. In the last few decades more and more products are available on supermarket shelves. Satisfying customers means giving them the possibility of having as many choices as possible for their needs, but also offering something that people do not really need but buy anyway. The possibility of being able to choose from a multitude of products is defined as the disease of the West of the world. The cause of the dissatisfaction of the western man is that he has too many products to choose from and the not-well-chosen indication among the many turns into a personal dissatisfaction with the selected choice, since things not chosen are questioned.
The everyday products that I use less sustainable according to the 0 km approach of which there are no local alternatives in supermarkets are coffee and sugar. My breakfast consists of coffee and milk biscuits. I replaced the biscuits with homemade products like cake / biscuits / pancakes / bread and homemade jam. The milk is no longer that oneof the supermarket with hd+ long conservation+high digestibility+without lactose, but the one freshly squeezed.
There aren’t alternative local products for coffee and sugar at the supermarket, so I investigated looking for similar products less known but that in most cases have better nutritional characteristics. Coffee is one of the most popular beverage in Italy and is the engine of our days. Changing habits about it is not easy but converting even a small part of all consumers means making a significant change.
These alternatives are hypothetically reproducible in my territory, following the climatic conditions of northern Italy. The healthy and beneficial alternatives are many, but it is good to find the one that most fits with your own tastes in order not to identify the substitution as a form of lack.
The alternatives I tried:
1. Chicory coffee: it’s obtained from dried chicory roots. It helps digestion, regulates the heart rate, detoxifies the liver and balances the intestinal flora, also slowing aging. Available in moka or soluble version. In milk it melts well and the taste does not differ much from the common instant coffee.
2. Barley coffee: it’s obtained from the drying and roasting of barley and is a diuretic drink that favors digestion. The drink obtained is dark and bitter but the taste differs from that of coffee. I take it with honey to soften the taste.
Other possible local alternatives:
3. Barley grass: Barley grass juice is obtained from the first green shoot of the plant. It is a real superfood. It is a vegetable very rich of vitamins,minerals and magnesium. It has antibacterial, detoxifying, helps circulation.
4. Wheat grass juice: it is produced with a mix of wheat, barley and barley sprouts just sprouted. It gives energy and fights fatigue while also guaranteeing high physical resistance. It purifies the body, is digestive and rich in mineral salts.
5. Acorn coffee: used during times of poverty, it is a caffeine-free drink that everyone can drink. It is easy to make at home.
6. Yannoh: it is a drink obtained by roasting various cereals like barley with chicory, rye and acorns. Improves digestion and gives energy without causing insomnia.
7. Dandelion coffee: very common in North America, it is made by roasting the dandelion root. It does not contain caffeine but has a taste very similar to coffee, although less acidic and bitter. It is rich in mineral salts and cleanses the liver and blood.
8. Ginseng coffee: made from the root of a plant that usually grows in Asia. However, the plant does not require particular temperatures and it’s easy to cultivate. Cultivation in Italy would be feasible, but before being used the plant must reach an age of 4/5 years. It is an energizing drink and stimulates the immune system.
