What Exactly Is Coffee Creamer Made With
That depends. Coffee creamers are mostly made up of water, oils, and sugar. Theyre typically free from cream or lactose products, but contain milk-derived proteins, so theyre not necessarily dairy-free.
One of the most popular coffee creamer brands, Coffee mate, is filled with partially hydrogenated oils , corn syrup, harmful preservatives, and other refined sugars. Coffee mate doesnt contain any vitamins, minerals, or antioxidants, so there are no real nutritional benefits to drinking it. And while it might seem like an innocent dollop of coffee creamer wont do any harm, over time, these chemicals added up are just plain unhealthy to be drinking on a daily basis.
Nutrition Q& a: Which Is Healthier Coffee
Q: Which is a better choice to use in my coffee? Coffee-mate® Fat Free Vanilla or Coffee-mate® Sugar Free Vanilla?A: We wouldnt call either a good choice. Per tablespoon, the fat-free version of Coffee-mate® contains 25 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 grams of saturated fat. While the sugar-free version has 15 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, and the artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
When choosing these creamers over milk and natural sweetener, youre opting to use a much more processed, artificial product in your coffee. But the number one downside to the fat-free and sugar-free Coffee-mate® products is the second ingredient that they both share partially hydrogenated oils which is code for trans fats. At first glance, youd think that the product doesnt contain any trans fats . But, heres the trick: If the amount of trans fats in a product is less than 0.5 grams per serving, its not required to be listed on the nutrition facts label.
Better option: In exploring the Coffee-mate® product offerings, we discovered that they now have a newer product line, called Natural Bliss, that contains nothing artificial just nonfat milk, cream, sugar, and carrageenan .
Best option: A quarter-cup 1% milk plus 1 teaspoon sugar. Youre getting calcium from the milk, without the fat or saturated fat you get with cream, and you get a little sweetness without too many calories
The Most Disappointing Pick
D’Alessandro says she thought thought Natural Bliss’ “functional” creamer sounded promising as a healthy option. However, after looking closely, she found that this “all-natural” Oat + Almond Milk with Prebiotic Fiber creamer doesn’t deliver on an important metric: User experience. “Many consumer reviews say . . . the formula is too ‘thick and goopy’ and doesn’t blend well with coffeethe one job a creamer should do,” she observes.
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Coffee Mate Original Liquid Creamer Singles
As America’s #1 creamer brand, Coffee mate coffee individual creamers blend quickly and completely into hot or cold beverages. These coffee creamer singles are available in popular flavors that are all cholesterol-free, lactose-free, and Kosher
- Available in a 4 x 50-count dispenser box, 180-count box, and 360-count box
- Velvety smooth finish to any cup
- No refrigeration necessary
- Longest industry shelf life at nine months
- Great for all food service needs
If You’re Shopping For The Healthiest Coffee Creamer
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If you’ve got an eye out for the healthiest coffee creamer in stores, D’Alessandro recommends Elmhurst Unsweetened Oat Creamer. With 10 calories and zero saturated fat or sugar, she says this non-dairy option could be worth checking out.
That’s especially true “if you don’t stop at the or have a heavy caffeine addiction” and drink a lot of coffee, she notes.
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Coffee Mate Original Flavor Liquid Creamer Singles
Original Flavor – 0.38 fl oz – 180/Carton – 180 Serving
- Rich and creamy
- Nondairy liquid in convenient, single-serve tubs great for home or to-go
- Use in the office and foodservice establishments for a simple, coffee creamer solution
- Lactose-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free and kosher dairy
- No refrigeration necessary
Non-Returnable
Natural Bliss Is Proof:
There are truly more coffee creamers available than ever, as you’ve probably noticed. These days, you may even find this section of the supermarket to be growing a little overwhelming.
Dina R. D’Alessandro, MS, RDN, CDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist and lecturer at the City University of New York’s Herbert H. Lehman College. D’Alessandro noted that one particular brand, Natural Bliss, offers three types of creamersdairy, non-dairy, and “functional” .
This shows how Natural Bliss allows you to choose according to your specific dietary needs, our expert says but shortly, she’ll weigh in on why Natural Bliss’s choices aren’t always so blissful.
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The #1 Worst Coffee Creamer On Shelves Says Dietitian
Your favorite coffeecreamer is a little touch of comfort that also makes mornings a little more bearableand it’s just a drop, right? If you’ve secretly been wondering whether your favorite coffee creamer is actually as harmless as you hope, a dietitian has analyzed the nutrition facts of over a dozen brands to help you determine. Now, she reveals a few of the most noteworthy, including the one well-known creamer that you might need a wakeup call about along with suggestions for some healthier, while also appealing, selections .
Keep reading to learn which coffee creamer brand a dietitian says you may want to avoid. Also check out the 10 decaf coffee brands that contain a harmful chemical, according to a recent analysis.
Why Are Coffee Creamers Bad For You
Youve heard it before: its always best to avoid super processed chemicals, oils, and artificial syrups and sweeteners. And, unfortunately, thats whats in most coffee creamers on the market. If you turn your coffee creamer around and check out the label, be sure you can pronounce everything thats listed. Otherwise, put it back on the grocery shelf. Nutritionists always recommend checking the ingredient list on the coffee creamer you use to make sure they dont contain these harmful ingredients.
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What Is A Healthier Alternative To Coffee Creamer
Real full-fat cream from grass-fed cows raised on pasture is a better option when it comes to using dairy in your coffee, but, again, I wouldnt suggest using it daily due to the general inflammatory nature of cows milk, explains Dr. Hyman. And what about non-dairy creamers, like ones made from oat or almond milks? Non-dairy creamers are not necessarily better, though, and you still have to be very careful about reading labels. Maybe its time to adjust your palette and try skipping coffee creamers altogether. Especially if youre one of the coffee addicts averaging multiple cups a day.
But The #1 Worst Coffee Creamer Is:
Coffee mate calls itself “America’s #1 Coffee Creamer,” as you can spot on this labelbut if you’re a regular buyer of this classic brand’s powdered or refrigerated formulas, D’Alessandro says any of the original Coffee mate products stand out for a different reason. “The ingredients listed in most of the flavors contain carrageenan and/or corn syrup, which might cause bloating, inflammation and digestive problems in some people,” D’Alessandro says.
Some good news, no matter what coffee creamer brand you hold dear: “Literally all of the brands and flavors had negligible differences in nutrients and near identical ingredients,” D’Alessandro says. And, especially if you pay attention to the serving size, that little drop might not be the worst diet decision you make all day.
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