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Over 65% of Americans start their day off with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. We plan the entire rest of our routine around it! If you ask practically any coffee drinker if they would give up their morning cup of joe the answer would be a hard no.
While coffee is seemingly harmless for you – given you don’t consume too much caffeine too quickly – that doesn’t mean the ingredients you’re adding to your drink couldn’t be ruining your diet. Very few people drink their coffee black. We usually doctor it up with common ingredients like milk, creamer, sugar, and other sweeteners.
The one thing that could be making your coffee really unhealthy is your coffee creamer. We’re not saying you have to turn to the dark side and enjoy your cup of joe black. We know that only a very select few enjoy drinking their coffee with no additives. What we are saying is that depending on what type of coffee creamer you use, you could be making your morning drink more fattening.
If you take a stroll down the aisles of your local supermarket, you’ll find a very wide variety of coffee creamers. From classic half-and-half to more extravagant flavors like french vanilla, gingerbread, and cinnamon bun. The problem with these yummy creamers is they’re loaded with unnatural ingredients and added sugars. Almost all of the special coffee creamers are flavored with artificial ingredients--AKA chemicals.
And then there’s the sugar. Flavored creamers are loaded with it! Brands like Dunkin’ and International Delight make some of the sugariest creams out there. Dunkin’ Donuts Extra Extra coffee creamer is made with 6 grams of sugar per tablespoon. To put that into perspective, you’re only supposed to consume 25 grams of sugar in an entire day. If you use just two tablespoons of this creamer, you’re already at half of your daily allowance. With those high amounts of sugar comes added calories that can ruin your diet. This same creamer offers 40 calories per tablespoon.
For a healthier, diet-approved alternative, add a splash of almond or coconut milk to your coffee to lighten it up. If you’re looking for more flavor, you can put some cinnamon in your cup.
