Coffee!!!

KombuchaCat

Coffee...I love the smell, the taste, the ritual...but lately it is not loving me back. And caffiene doesn't really give me a kick, it just aggitates me and makes my heart race (apparently this is a genetic thing..some people feel great and some people feel lousey). Plus I drank black coffee, LOTS of it all through my teens and twenties so black just makes my stomach acid boil over. This doesn't necessarily give you the answer you want but I would recomend adding raw whole cream. It's not lower in calories but your body will process the unpastuerized dairy differently and you'll actually get some good nutrition with your coffee. I would steer clear of non-diary creamers with thier nasty artificial flavors, preservatives and transfats.

eseeton

I used to have to have coffee or I would have a throbbing headache by noon. I started drinking black tea, and then green tea, slowly reducing my caffeine addiction. It's worked great so far and I'm not reliable on it anymore. I still have my cappucinos as a treat a few times per week.

jbgibso3

There are awesome Starbucks drinks that don't contain a lot of calories and/or sugar. Try doing iced coffee with less pumps of the syrup (I like one pump of mocha), and then add your own creamer so you can control how much. Baristas can get a little heavy handed with the half and half; or ask for non-fat or 2% milk instead. If you're craving something hot, and you usually get flavored latte's, go with a nonfat caffe misto. It's half coffee, half steamed milk and add a pump or two of your favorite flavored syrup. Both of these drinks will give you the caffeine boost you're looking for without all of the "crap".

webrat_jen

if you grind your coffee beans, you can add cocoa nibs to the grinder and get a smooth, less bitter drink from the resulting grounds. its no-where near as sweet as hot chocolate, but it has some of the rich elements of cocoa beans, which might be a suitable low cal, low fat, low sugar substitute for you to try?

jbgibso3

LoupGarouTFTs wrote: »

I reserve about a half cup of milk for coffee every day--when the milk is gone, the coffee is done. I generally use about two tablespoons of milk in a cup of coffee, plus sweetener. I'm not European, but I don't "get" the whole high-calorie dessert-type coffee, either.

Where does one find a battery-operated milk frother? It sounds interesting for days that I have extra calories--I do miss having the odd cafe au lait.

http://www.amazon.com/Frother-Electric-Coffee-Handheld-Lightweight/dp/B00QG1IJ8W/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1427918242&sr=1-8&keywords=best+milk+frother

cdn_beaver

Whenever I go to SB I get an Americano with sugar free hazelnut and add cream or an iced sugar free mocha made with whole milk which is only 150ish calories.

2muchfnsugar

I MUST have coffee, but just can't bring myself to drink it black. I just count the additional calories and go on. It's a necessary evil, although Splenda is making it's way in. Just try to stay away from Starbucks and Micky D's frappes and caramel mochas. It's not that hard.

lauries8888

I will often put a little cinnamon in the basket before I brew. Flavored coffee at a fraction of the price.

nuttynanners

HOLD UP.

Girl, I have the solution to your problems.

Cold brewed coffee. Not iced coffee from Starbucks, that is just hot coffee cooled down by shocking it with ice.

Cold brewed coffee is made from freshly ground beans steeped in cold water for 12-16 hours and yields a less acidic, smooth, rich, final product. It's also...more caffeinated...haha. It's way easier on the stomach than hot coffee, too.

No sweetener needed. Tastes great black. But you could add a little cream to make the flavor more mild.

Find a local cafe that makes cold brew the right way, or look into how to make it yourself. It's easy. All you need is a large mason jar/container and a way to filter the coffee after it's steeped overnight or whatever.

I will never ever ever ever go back to crappy starbucks sugar-loaded drinks on the regular, because cold brew is sooo much better.

Oh, and it has next to zero calories...... naturally.

nuttynanners

ALSO see if you can find black cold brew bottled anywhere near you. Look for Stumptown Coffee, perhaps. We have a local brand called Uel Zing where I live

MoiAussi93

LoupGarouTFTs wrote: »

Where does one find a battery-operated milk frother? It sounds interesting for days that I have extra calories--I do miss having the odd cafe au lait.

If you have an Ikea near you, they sell a $2 version that people love.

I bought mine on amazon...it was similar to this one: http://www.amazon.com/World-Pride-Electric-Frother-Cappuccino/dp/B007GK33KQ/ref=sr_1_26?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1427928202&sr=1-26&keywords=milk+frother

Some cost much more...$20-$30...but seem to do exactly the same thing, so I went with the cheap version and it works perfectly.

LoupGarouTFTs

MoiAussi93 wrote: »

LoupGarouTFTs wrote: »

Where does one find a battery-operated milk frother? It sounds interesting for days that I have extra calories--I do miss having the odd cafe au lait.

If you have an Ikea near you, they sell a $2 version that people love.

I bought mine on amazon...it was similar to this one: http://www.amazon.com/World-Pride-Electric-Frother-Cappuccino/dp/B007GK33KQ/ref=sr_1_26?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1427928202&sr=1-26&keywords=milk+frother

Some cost much more...$20-$30...but seem to do exactly the same thing, so I went with the cheap version and it works perfectly.

I live in Mudville, so we have no Ikea nearby. I can probably get the one off Amazon, though.

scon13

I used to drink coffee with cream, milk, or half n half. I slowly just put less and less in it. Then I started getting much better coffee ground for french press and started making it that way. Lost 10 lbs in 3 months just changing that last year.

You'll be amazed at how much better it tastes black. You'll notice different flavor profiles in different coffees. Some are really fruity, some have a creamy flavor to them already. I'm guessing whatever you're drinking now is really bitter and that's why you're adding all the stuff to it. Now I'm back to auto drip with just really mild blend coffee if I'm in a hurry. no fuss.

spoonyspork

nuttynanners wrote: »

HOLD UP.

Girl, I have the solution to your problems.

Cold brewed coffee. Not iced coffee from Starbucks, that is just hot coffee cooled down by shocking it with ice.

Cold brewed coffee is made from freshly ground beans steeped in cold water for 12-16 hours and yields a less acidic, smooth, rich, final product. It's also...more caffeinated...haha. It's way easier on the stomach than hot coffee, too.

No sweetener needed. Tastes great black. But you could add a little cream to make the flavor more mild.

Find a local cafe that makes cold brew the right way, or look into how to make it yourself. It's easy. All you need is a large mason jar/container and a way to filter the coffee after it's steeped overnight or whatever.

I will never ever ever ever go back to crappy starbucks sugar-loaded drinks on the regular, because cold brew is sooo much better.

Oh, and it has next to zero calories...... naturally.

+1

Trader Joe's has their own brand of cold brew that's nice too!

When I don't have cold brew around (which I drink black!), I like my coffee with a whole cup of unsweetened cashew milk (I eat tons of things with dairy fat so no need for full fat milk in my coffee) for a 30 calorie cafe au lait. Cashew milk is *really* creamy and the slight taste of cashews goes nicely with the coffee. Almond milk is nice too for only 35 calories. Not quite as creamy but it's often vanilla flavored which also goes great with coffee!

ciarajordan13

Wow! Thank you everyone awesome suggestions and advice!!!

determined_14

Apparently we take our coffee seriously around here! Coffee preferences are a personal choice, but I see no reason to "learn to love it black" unless you just can't fit some cream in anywhere.
I love a couple tablespoons of whipping cream myself, though I've been trying to use half n half more often while on my deficit. I just make room for the calories-- inferior coffee is NOT worth it!
I do second the recommendations to find a coffee you love: may I recommend the Eight O'clock Colombian, Hills Bros. Dark roast, Starbucks French roast, or if you want to go a bit pricier, Starbucks Guatamalan roast. Quality coffee needs far less and is so much more satisfying. Good luck!
(Can someone link to some studies about the health benefits of coffee? I don't know the sources off the top of my head, but I do know that the voice of science is growing louder on coffee's side. )