Foods That Contain Caffeine

In today's high-energy world of non-stop work and play, people are relying more and more on caffeine to not just start their day but to keep them going through it.
Caffeine is the only drug that is added to foods and drinks. Its effects include heightened awareness and alertness, but too much caffeine can make individuals irritable and increase susceptibility to headaches. It's also addictive, creating symptoms of withdrawal in individuals who consume caffeine on a regular basis and suddenly stop their intake.
While the debate is still going on as to whether or not caffeine is dangerous, many people are trying to limit their caffeine intake by cutting back on their cups of coffee. But there are other, not so obvious sources of caffeine that may be surprising to those trying to cut back.

Raw Sources

Check the ingredient labels of foods to see if they include any of the naturally occurring sources of caffeine. Caffeine occurs naturally in more than 60 plants, and many of these plants make their way into our daily diet, sometimes without us even thinking about it. Raw ingredients that add a caffeinated boost to foods include cocoa beans, coffee beans, kola nuts and tea leaves. If any of those are present in your unsuspecting snacks, there's caffeine there as well.

Coffee

Coffee is the most popular and most potent form of caffeine, and it's much more complicated than regular versus decaf. A single 16-oz. cup of standard home-brewed coffee contains about 266 mg of caffeine, while your potential intake increases if you spring for a more expensive cup from a coffee shop. A large Starbucks brewed coffee contains about 320 mg, and even a small 1-oz. Starbucks espresso packs a punch with 75 mg. That's in comparison to generic instant coffee, which contains about 180 mg for a full 16-oz. serving. If you're just craving the coffee taste--or trying to cut back-- generic instant decaf only contains about 10 mg per 16-oz. serving.

Tea

Don't forget to take a look at that cup of tea that you're drinking before bed. Tea leaves are one of the many plants that contain natural caffeine. And that tea doesn't just include the 8-oz., 40 to 120 mg cup before bed. It also includes sweetened and unsweetened iced teas that are both brewed and made from powdered mixes. Tea is often viewed as a healthy alternative to soft drinks because of the lower sugar content, but most people don't realize that the caffeine is still there. So even when you're grabbing a can of iced tea from the store, you're looking at a caffeinated drink.

Chocolate

Don't forget about dessert, either. Chocolate itself is high in caffeine, and it goes without saying that chocolate-covered coffee beans are one of the worst offenders. While it's not easy to forget that a chocolate bar has caffeine in every smooth, milky bite, it's easier to overlook the fact that chocolate chip cookies, brownies, chocolate cake and chocolate puddings are all sources of caffeine--not to mention chocolate milk.

Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks

Soft drink manufacturers have been accused of putting caffeine in their products because of the addictive nature of the substance, but the percentage of caffeine in a 12-oz. can of Pepsi (38 mg) is minute compared to a cup of coffee. The FDA has set a legal limit of 71 mg of caffeine per a 12-oz. soft drink, so when comparing that to some Starbucks espresso, it doesn't seem nearly so bad. (The same 12-oz. quantity of espresso packs an astounding 900 mg of caffeine.)
Energy drinks are generally much higher in caffeine content, and are usually marketed because of their caffeine. They're designed to keep people awake and functioning, although most of them have caffeine amounts that are very similar to coffee, along with being very high in sugar and sweeteners.

Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

Be aware that a dish of ice cream before bedtime can also pack a caffeinated punch, especially if it contains chocolate and coffee. Coffee-flavored ice creams are gaining in popularity, and adding some chocolate syrup to that only increases the caffeine content.