The Do's and Don'ts for Healthier Coffee
Now in the age of Starbucks at every corner, or at least some kind of coffee within walking distance, we have to be conscious about our coffee consumption.
Pour in a little non-dairy creamer every day, multiple sugar packs here and there, and you may be picking up an unhealthy habit.
Just two sugar packets a day adds up to 10,950 extra Calories a Year!
But, as usual, there are always exceptions to the rules.
Here are my choices for healthy and unhealthy coffee condiments:
Healthy Coffee Condiments
- Soy milk: My number one choice although it could be considered controversial. It adds a depth of flavor and touch of sweetness. You could even try a soy creamer.
- Almond milk: A pure and clean option.
- Skim milk: Always a great choice instead of creamers for those watching their waistline. Also boasts a hefty serving of calcium and vitamin D.
- Stevia: An all natural no calorie sweetener. The flavor in coffee is a little off, but some people like it just fine as their coffee sweetener of choice.
Unhealthy Coffee Condiments
- Sugar: More than one teaspoon of any sugar source is considered to be "too much" in my books. This includes excessive honey, agave, brown sugar, and other natural sugars.
- Sweet'N Low/Equal/Artificial Sweeteners: Used sparingly this could be OK, but why "dirty" up a clean antioxidant source with chemicals? As an alternative I would encourage you to use one pack of Splenda with one pack of real sugar to try to reduce how sweet you like your coffee.
- Non-dairy creamer: Any powdered creamer or mystery creamer packets that aren't refrigerated. These contain trans fat which we want to avoid to keep our hearts healthy and happy.
- Liquid flavored creamers: Some contain trans fat, while others contain a long list of ingredients. It would be best to stick with one or two tablespoons of half and half as to avoid the lengthy list of artificial ingredients.
What do you put in your coffee, if anything?
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29 Comments
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Created / Updated: January 17, 2012
I mostly stick to soy milk in my coffee now since I've become more lactose intolerant. I'll put in non-dairy creamer if there is nothing else. I'm having trouble dealing with artificial sweeteners because it tastes kind of awful to me in coffee. I know I should break the habit of putting sugar in coffee but the way how coffee tastes these days, I need the sugar to kill alot of the bitterness. If anyone has any idea on how to wean off putting sugar in coffee, please advise.
ReplyTry a lighter roast or start drinking espresso. A good shot off espresso is stopped before the bitter tones are pushed through. :-)
ReplyCoffee is a bitter drink. However too bitter is a sign of overextraction, and of course different blends and roasts will all offer different amounts of acidity.
ReplyThanks for the awesome alternatives! I love the flavored coffee creamers, what can I say, it's a weakness! In the world of "low fat" everything, it is pitched as a great alternative to actual milk products, but really, what the heck is in those things? Strange chemicals! I have mostly switched to skim milk, but like gazebo, I need some sweetness. I haven't loved stevia when I've tried it, but will give another try.
ReplyCOffee creamer is my biggest weakness! Love them! I started making my own flavored creamer. Still have the same amount of calories but it is not filled with all the artifical ingredients so I don't feel as gulty :)
ReplyVery Vanilla Silk is a MUST in my coffee every day. I know that non-flavored soy milk would be better for me, but the purple carton has got to be much better than flavored liquid creamers! It also lasts quite a while.
ReplyHi; I get concerned with a recommendation for Almond Milk as something that is "pure and clean". It processed beverage with added chemicals to put nutrients in it. They do put sugar in it to sweeten it even if they call it evaporated cane juice. It also has almost no protein in it. We need to help people see what is in these "milks" being advertised as "natural". I like your other thoughts and give many of the same ideas to clients.
ReplyThanks for the insights. Where I am, Almond milk is simply too expensive to be an option (although there is also oat milk). You are correct in saying that all these alternative "milks" do have some kind of sweetening added - however there are many options of brands and it is worth comparing.
ReplyNot necessarily Pam, all milk alternatives have a no sugar added option and you can easily make almond milk yourself.
Reply1. Starbucks does not have an apostrophe...it's just Starbucks. :)
2. There's nothing wrong with a little half and half. I'm on Weight Watchers and it's 1 point. Used sparingly, it's a far better option in coffee than any of the other "creamers" you have listed (yuck) which do nothing to offset the bitterness of coffee...the point of having creamer.
ReplySorry, just saw you included half and half right at the end of the part with the liquid flavoured creamers. IMO it should be at the top with the healthy options. :)
ReplyI'm guilty of using Equal and fat free non dairy vanilla creamer in my coffee. However, I only drink one cup a day and it's my little treat. I haven't thought to look for soy milk/soy creamer to use in my coffee, but that might be an option. I will try it and see if I can get used to it. And I don't mind Stevia, but it's more expensive than Equal, so that's why I use the Equal.
ReplyIMO Soy milk in coffee is a matter of taste. Different brands can taste quite different, and - too many people - taste horrible! Which is probably why I eventually started drinking only black coffee.
ReplyI usually drink one or two cups of coffee each day. I do use the flavored creamers- about two tablespoons, which add up to about 70 calories. That does seem like a lot fewer than many other treats would have. I used to use 3 tablespoons, but I did cut it down to 2. I always budget for these calories. I also do think soymilk is excellent in coffee. Often, when I make an espresso, either on the stove top, or in my machine, I always include soymilk, as well as the flavored creamers. I am on board with Pam about Almond Milk in the sense that I am not impressed with how much protein it contains. One cup of soymilk usually contains 6 or 7 grams, whereas Almond Milk contains a lot less. One thing to be pointed out however, is that both Almonds and Soybeans are good sources of calcium, even though their milks still have to be fortified with calcium.
ReplyI know I consume calories in my coffee, but they are some of my most favorite calories of the day! I've switched over to Coffee-Mate's new Natural Bliss creamer. I've had a serious Coffee-mate addiction for quite some time, and I was feeling seriously torn about if I could give up my coffeemate and all of its delicious chemicals :o). The Natural Bliss showed up and I had to try it with 4 ingredients listed - NONFAT MILK, HEAVY CREAM, SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVOR. One TBSP is 35 cal and 1.5g fat. I'm feeling much better about things now. I'm in no way affiliated with Coffee-mate, I'm just terrified they will discontinue it or something.
ReplyDue to necessity (moved to VA when the only milk choice was non-dairy creamer) I started drinking my coffee black. I never get indigestion or heartburn from coffee anymore and enjoy the pure taste of the coffee itself.
ReplyI like my coffee with skimmed or low fat milk , i dont like soy milk at alll
ReplyBut my problem is the sugar i put 2 spoon of sugar everyday and i hate the artificial sweetners
In Germany, full-fat evaporated milk is the conventional whitener for a cup of coffee. I've made the switch here in Canada, and I'll never go back to anything else. I find that evaporated milk smooths the coffee in a way that no cream or whitener can do. One tablespoon is 20 cal/1 g fat/1 g protein, and for my cup, a half tablespoon is sufficient. Finding decent coffee to brew is a real challenge in North America (and I detest coffeebar coffees -- too dark roasted). I've finally discovered that coffee that comes from Italy is my preferred brew. If you live in the Edmonton area of Canada, seek out the Italian Centre. They sell a huge variety of coffees, and they aren't outrageously expensive either. My favourite is Lavazza Crema Dolce. (No, I don't work there!) Enjoy your coffees!!!
ReplyInteresting point: That of "mouth-feel". Creamers and whiteners do nothing for this, but steamed milk creates a completely different texture to white coffee.
ReplyI too love evaporated milk in my coffee. It's what I grew up with. My family is half Latin and that's what they used. I drink soy milk but it isn't any good in coffee unless I want more of a Latte. Evaporated milk can be found cheaply at most dollars stores. My Finnish husband has been totally converted to using it since we met. He's a real coffee snob to boot!
ReplyI ask for a single shot in my 'skinny latte', I still enjoy the taste with less of the caffeine hit. I don't have sweetner or sugar but would absolutely go for sugar over sweetner any day - I think the closer we can get to whole foods, and the less to processed/manufactured the better.
ReplyBTW love the quote at the bottom of the page - so true! "We're fatter than ever while popular media is saturated with skinny. How did it get to be so complicated?"
I used to be a low fat addict, but low fat doesn't mean healthy, usually means heavily processed, calorific and stuffed with artificial sweetners. Certain fats are good for your body, your skin and general well being! (Hurrah!) esp. delicious fats found in avocados, olive oil etc.
Great site! Thanks for the content.
ReplyYou are so right about processed 'low-fat' foods. Many have been tweaked in order to make them more palatable. Perhaps it's better to eat smaller amounts of the (so-called) 'bad' stuff, rather than resorting to highly processed diet foods.
Thanks for the compliments.
Jim (Diet Blog)
ReplyI used to be addicted to caffeine, so this is a good post for how to make coffee a bit better for you. Still have to be careful, though, as coffee technically is a drug.
Reply"coffee technically is a drug"... hmmm. Not sure about this one. Does that mean tea is a drug also?
Reply