Skip Most Flavored Creamers
Theyre one-third sugar. With 4 or 5 grams of added sugars, they reach 30 to 40 calories per tablespoon. Coffeemate Artisan Café Creamerits largely cream and sugarhits 50 calories. At least the companys Natural Bliss Made with Real Honey Creamer drops down to 3 grams of sugars and 25 calories. Just dont expect much real honey.
We dont recommend sugar-free flavored creamers from Coffee-mate and International Delight, since both add sucralose and acesulfame potassium, which get our Avoid rating.
What Is Coffee Creamer
Coffee creamers are often referred to as non-dairy or dairy-free coffee creamers, which makes one thing clear about these milk-and-cream substitutes: most of them dont contain cream. No milk, either.
Coffee creamers were developed in the mid-20th century. The first product was made from soybeans, but the first commercially successful creamers Rich Products CoffeeRich, Carnations Coffee-Mate , and Bordens Cremora replaced milk fat with vegetable oil and/or corn syrup, in order to replicate the creaminess of milk.
The major brands are still around today, along with another big player which came along a couple of decades later, International Delight. That company added a whole new element to coffee creamers: flavorings like French vanilla, Irish cream and cinnamon hazelnut. Other producers quickly followed suit. The dairy-free creamer market is a mature one, but it remains huge sales of non-dairy creamers still total $3 billion dollars annually.
Fun fact: coffee creamers are big in Hollywood, because theyre cheap, theyre non-toxic and igniting large quantities of creamer can create the huge fireballs that action films are known for.
Youve probably guessed that those ingredients make the majority of commercial non-dairy creamers even more unhealthy than milk or cream. Youd be right. A small sampling:
To put it simply, that aint great and artificial ingredients make things even worse.
Thankfully, there are much healthier coffee creamer alternatives.
Why I Love Keto
Even though counting calories has its place in losing weight, the success of the Ketogenic diet proves that weight loss is not only a matter of calories in vs. calories out.
The types of food we eat have a huge impact on our bodys ability or inability to store and burn fat. Im no Keto nut, I know that different lifestyle choice is going to work better for different people.
However, the lessons we learn from the Keto diet can be applied to choosing the best coffee creamer for weight loss.
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Coffee Booster: High Fat Coffee Creamer
Its organic and keto-friendly. Its made with coconut oil and grass-fed ghee, but this one may not be for everyone. Yes, its healthy, its free of GMO ingredients, and all that nasty stuff. But the flavor depends on your coffee style and preferences.
You can choose between 4 flavors , and itll boost your coffee with healthy fats. Keep in mind that its not eligible for returns, no matter how much you dislike it.
Three Coffee Creamers To Avoid
There are many creamers available on the market that are very unhealthy. But the main things you want to avoid are thickeners like carrageenan, artificial ingredients and flavors, preservatives , partially hydrogenated oils, and sugar and artificial sweeteners.
And the prize for some of the worst coffee creamers goes to
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If Youre Shopping For The Healthiest Coffee Creamer
If youve got an eye out for the healthiest coffee creamer in stores, DAlessandro 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.
Thats especially true if you dont stop at the or have a heavy caffeine addiction and drink a lot of coffee, she notes.
Califa Mushroom Oat Barista Blend
Who would think to put mushrooms and oats together to create a milk? Who knows but still, it’s a match made in health heaven. “This blend uses oat milk and sunflower oil, which is a polyunsaturated fat,” Amidor says. “Both the saturated fat and added sugar are zero grams, which is one of the lowest for both these nutrients.”
The mushroom comes into play in the form of Cordyceps Extract and Lion’s Mane Extract, which Amidor wonders what that does to the taste, but you can be the judge of that.
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Measure Your Milk Or Creamer Before You Pour It In
A common mistake that can make coffee less healthy? Adding too much milk or creamer. “If you prefer the taste of real cream or half and half, you can still enjoy them in your coffee, but keep in mind that we often overdo it when we add these items in,” says Maryann Walsh, RD, CDE. “I always recommend measuring out what a serving of cream, half and half, or your favorite creamer is to get a visual you may find that you are using anywhere from two-to-five times more than 1 serving.”
For more on healthy coffee, here are the 10 Coffee Hacks for Weight Loss, According to Registered Dietitians.
Measure How Much Sugar You’re Adding Too
This applies to any kind of sugar or sweetener you may like in your coffee. “Real sugar can be fine in moderation, but I always recommend measuring the sugar you are adding or using pre-portioned packets,” Walsh says. Typically, one packet is about one teaspoon.
“Many plant-based creamers made with coconut or almond milk are formulated in a way that makes them lower in calories and fat, and there are often numerous fun flavors to choose from,” Walsh says.
Our favorites include this non-dairy pumpkin spice creamer. And if adding more plants to your diet is a goal for this year, here are 15 Easy Ways to Transition to a More Plant-Based Diet.
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What Is Bad In Coffee Mate
« A vast majority of coffee creamers contain water, sugar, and hydrogenated oil we know as a trans fat, » says Djordjevic. In addition to trans fats, flavored coffee creamers are often high in added sugar, with around five grams of sugar per tablespoon. This can really add up if you dont stick to the serving size.
More About The Ingredients
Some of our suggestions may be unfamiliar and may lead you on a scavenger hunt through the grocery store to find them. To avoid that confusion, here are tips on where to find them and more information that may surprise you.
Cheers! One more thing before we go, if youre consuming coffee all day because youre feeling sluggish, take a look at this post sharing The Answers to Your Sleep Questions, Revealed or listen in to this Dishing Up Nutrition answering Why Am I Tired All the Time?
Learn more about why we recommend cutting out sugar and natural ways to get a boost of energy, beyond coffee.
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Healthy Coffee Creamer Alternatives
June 27, 2018
If you love coffee, like many of our staff, we have good news! Weve compiled some of our favorite ways to make your coffee creamier, a little sweeter, and add flavor without using the little pink and blue packets or the non-fat dairy creamers or the sugar-laden creamers youll find in the dairy aisle.
Experiment with different combinations and report back with your favorite flavors! Here are some combos that we enjoy:
- 1-2 Tbsp. cream + 1 or 2 drops of stevia + a dash of cinnamon
- 2 tsp-1 Tbsp. unsalted butter + drizzle of maple syrup
- 1-2 Tbsp. coconut milk + drizzle of honey + a dash of nutmeg or pumpkin spice
Want A Healthy Coffee Creamer Avoid These At All Costs
Have you looked at the nutrition label on the back of your favorite coffee creamer recently? If not, thats a great place to start in your quest for a healthy coffee creamer.
While its important to know what healthy ingredients to look for, its also essential to know which ingredients arent doing your body any good.
Here are the top four toxic ingredients to avoid:
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The Healthiest And Unhealthiest Creamers For Your Coffee
If you dont like to drink your coffee black, you might add a splash of milk, half-and-half or heavy cream and a spoonful of sugar or sweetener. With creamer, you kill two birds with one stone because its creamy and, most of the time, its sweetened, so you dont need to add extra sugar. Some basic flavors include hazelnut, French vanilla and caramel, but you can find exotic varieties like Funfetti and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, too.
Because of convenience and customizability, creamer is a popular addition to Americas cup of joe. However, its not always especially healthy. If you use store-bought creamer regularly, its smart to know which ones are best and worst for your health. Some are higher in fat, calories and sugar. Some are made with just a few ingredients while others sound more like chemistry experiments. Theyve been listed here in order from generally unhealthy to healthy.
Looking For The Healthiest Coffee Creamer Here Are 15 To Try
Unless you take your coffee black, youll need a splash of something light and creamy to make your morning brew magical. As delightful as silky caramel macchiato or triple-mocha-flavored concoctions are, they tend to be packed with sugar. But not to fear, fellow java lover: There are plenty of better-for-you options to turn to. Here are 15 of the healthiest coffee creamers out there, plus a dieticians advice for making a more nutritious cup of joe.
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Other Ways To Make My Coffee Healthier
And lastly, amazing coffee starts with using high-quality and clean coffee beans! Now that you know which add-on is healthier, I recommend pairing it with coffee thats 100% organic.
Im proud to recommend my very own Better Than Yesterday Blend. Its a smooth and absolutely delicious blend of lightly roasted, naturally processed beans. Plus, theyre fair-trade.
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Best Tasting Stevia For Coffee
People know stevia as a sugar substitute. It comes in powdered form, thats why many people think that sweetleaf natural stevia sweetener is one of the best artificial sweeteners for coffee. Actually, its not like that. Stevia is actually a plant extracted from South American Stevia rebaudiana plant. There have four types of stevia as follows:
- Green Leaf Stevia
- Altered Stevia Blends
- Stevia Powder
Best green leaf stevia plant has zero calories and it is like 300 times sweeter than sugar. 100 percent pure Green stevia powder extract doesnt affect the blood sugar level, so it is not a threat for diabetics. Add only half a teaspoon in your coffee and adjust your desired taste. Make sure the level of the box before buying.
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Banana Bread Coffee Creamer
But why bananas? Well, because you surely have a black banana lying in your fridge. And no one wants to eat it because its just soo overripe. Well, if you have overripe bananas lying around and have no clue how to use them, this may be the solution: banana bread creamer! Youll need coconut milk as well, and a few other things. But bananas are the star here! Dont forget about a dash of cinnamon if youre feeling particularly frisky!
How Long Does Homemade Creamer Last
Homemade coffee creamers can last up to a week in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. I store mine in reusable milk bottles and mason jars and always make sure theyre properly tightened. Then, I just grab them, give them a shake to mix all the flavors together, and then pour a little into my coffee. Perfect, right?
So, lets get to the homemade coffee creamer recipes, shall we?
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Can I Use Coffee Creamer Instead Of Heavy Cream
Coffee Creamer. You can also use unflavored coffee creamer as a dairy-free milk substitute in soup or mashed-potato recipes. Summary Heavy cream can be made into whipped cream and used to add thickness to many recipes. To make this substitution, replace the heavy cream with an equal amount of half and half.
Does Coffee With Milk Or Creamer Provide The Same Benefits
es, it does but with two big asterisks.
Asterisk 1: The more milk, creamer you add to a cup of coffee, the less room there is for the coffee. Less coffee, of course, means fewer health and wellness benefits.
Asterisk 2: Milk or creamer doesnt cancel out the benefits that coffee provides, but it can add some unhealthy properties to the mix. Just as one example, a cup of black coffee contains about two calories. Add a few teaspoons of a traditional creamer, and all of a sudden youre consuming about 40-50 calories. At four cups a day, those calories can really add up fast and you can certainly imagine how many calories you consume if you enjoy mochas or pumpkin spice lattes on a regular basis.
Theres one obvious conclusion. If you dont like it black, using a healthy coffee creamer will maximize the benefits of your morning brew.
So lets find some healthy coffee creamers.
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Using Milk As A Substitute
Of course, the most popular thing to add to coffee is standard milk. Whether its steamed for a latte or added in cold, milk has a more subtle texture than cream, but the full flavor benefits.
Depending on the fat content of your milk, it has varying nutritional value. Adding whole milk will definitely be closer to coffee creamer, but will have more calories and fat. If you want more information about steamed milk for your coffee, read our article about steamed milk. Nonfat is the healthiest option, but may not taste as good to you as skim or whole milk. Its up to you to decide whether or not you want to put nutrition or flavor first.
Standard Creamer Vs Heavy Cream Vs Half And Half
There are a few options when it comes to getting the creamiest cup. Standard creamer is a great way to get that full texture out of your coffee. Plus, you get the delicious, sweet balance for your coffee.
Heavy cream is the creamiest option, being a subtle counter to the flavor of the coffee. You only need a splash of heavy cream in your cup, and it isnt sweetened. If you want a more subdued, low sugar option, go for heavy cream.
Half and half or regular milk will add some creaminess to your cup, but not as much as coffee creamer or heavy cream. Theyre much healthier, and may offer the creaminess you want. Youll have to determine how important that creamy texture is to you.
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How To Make Different Flavors Of Coffee Creamer
In this post, I share a base homemade coffee creamer and 5 other variations for homemade coffee creamers. If you wanted to make your own homemade coffee creamer with your fave flavors, you could replace the vanilla extract with any of the following for more flavor options:
- Hazelnut extract
- Coconut extract
- Almond extract
I think you get the idea add any flavor you like or even combine flavors, like almond and chocolate or chocolate and peppermint. You can also not add any extract for a plain flavor, if youd prefer. Check out below for some great options to get you started!
The 7 Best Coffee Creamers For Weight Loss
Now that weve reviewed what you should be avoiding in coffee creamers, were going to pour out our picks for the seven best coffee creamers for weight loss.
Since health and weight management go hand in hand, weve based this list off of a mix of lower-calorie creamers and the ones that are more natural.
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Milkadamia Unsweetened Latte Da Barista Blend
Per one-cup serving: 45 calories, 4g fat, 1g carbs, 1g protein, 0g sugar
Ingredients: filtered macadamia milk, pea protein, calcium phosphate, potassium citrate, potassium phosphate, natural flavor, locust bean gum, salt, sunflower lecithin, gellan gum
If almond milk just doesnt excite you anymore, its time to branch out. Macadamia nuts make for a richer, silkier, less chalky product than almonds. If you prefer flavored creamers, try Milkadamias Unsweetened Vanilla variety.
For Vanilla & Sweetened
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked at least two hours and up to 12
- 1.5 cups purified water for blending, more for soaking
- 1 tablespoon raw honey OR real maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- small pinch of sea salt
Method: Drain your soaked cashews and discard the soaking liquid. Rinse well. Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Turn the blender to the lowest setting and turn on, then slowly work your way up to a higher setting. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.
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International Delight Cinnabon Creamer
Well, you can feel a little better about putting a tablespoon of this creamer into your coffee, since the numbers are slightly better than Starbucks: 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and five grams of carbs, and its cholesterol-free. Those arent the selling points, of course this creamer is based on the flavor of Cinnabons cinnamon rolls, complete with a hint of the cream cheese frosting.
Its dairy- and lactose-free since its made primarily from palm oil and cane sugar, but it does contain carrageenan and the milk-derivative sodium caseinate, so its not a non-dairy product. It is delicious, though. There are many other tasty flavor choices from International Delight, including Irish Crème, amaretto, caramel macchiato and French vanilla, and crazy options like Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream, Almond Joy, Hersheys chocolate caramel and Fruity Pebbles.
Honorable Mention: Nestlé Coffee-Mates Natural Bliss products.