Coffee Creamer alternatives to Half n Half?

Smaronoah

Apologies if this has already been discussed; I didn't find it during a quick search. I'm a nursing student / caffeine addict and MFP revealed to me that I'm taking in an obscene amount of calories by half n half creamer. Obscene.

My coffee is usually fairly light by the time I dump enough in................

Are there any good alternatives? Lower calorie but also not totally chemical? Also- milk just isn't gonna cut it. Grody. Thanks in advance!

peaceout_aly

Skim milk is my go-to. Protein and low calories.

fitoverfortymom

Try cutting in half what you use now and gradually scale back.

jaena4

Posting to see the comments - I have the same problem. I put so much junk in my coffee that it's just way too many calories. I've been forcing myself to drink it black during the week and then I make the doctored coffee a weekend treat. But it's hard for me to get excited about black coffee.

beccapax

Fat free evaporated milk.

Edit - 25 cals per 2T serving. Lightens coffee up nicely like half/half does.

HilTri

I realized that I was pouring nearly a cup of milk in my big Yeti coffee mug a couple times a day! That was about 300 calories! Begrudgingly I switched to liquid Coffee Mate, much fewer calories. Took a while to get used to but it is worth the calorie savings.

WholeFoods4Lyfe

I use Califa Farms Coconut Creamer.

Sabine_Stroehm

HilTri wrote: »

I realized that I was pouring nearly a cup of milk in my big Yeti coffee mug a couple times a day! That was about 300 calories! Begrudgingly I switched to liquid Coffee Mate, much fewer calories. Took a while to get used to but it is worth the calorie savings.

I'd choose low fat or nonfat milk over coffee mate. Unless they've greatly changed their formulation, the ingredient list for Coffee Mate includes some pretty yucky things like Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil (trans fat). I try not to ingest man made trans fats.

amgreenwell

I use an almond milk creamer that is yummy... natural bliss, salted caramel

Diatonic12

There's a reason artificial creamers can stay on the shelf forever. They're a chemical sheetstorm. If you want an extinction burst with heavy cream then go cold turkey. Start drinking espresso, best quality you can afford and drink it without any heavy cream. Use nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves or all three. Anything to break the heavy cream cycle. You may find that it wasn't the coffee you were after but the cream. After black espressos, you'll still get the euphoria bump in the morning but it won't rob your calorie bank.

If your budget can afford it, find the best joint for espresso in your town, something to really look forward to. I don't mind straight espresso at all if the coffee is really good.

melissa6771

Premier protein ready to drink shakes are my go to for coffee. The vanilla and the caramel are light like half and half, I also use the chocolate and sometimes mix them. This way I'm getting something nutritious in the way of protein out of my coffee.

zilkah

Part half and half , part skim . Those mootopia or fairlife milks have great protein content in the milk - so I use those .

Also like the suggestion of bottled protein shakes as your creamer

cwolfman13

I used to use a ton of 1/2 and 1/2...I just cut back on it. I mostly drink my coffee black now as I discovered that when one is drinking good quality coffee that it doesn't need much. I prefer a medium roast...sometimes my wife brings home a dark roast which is too bitter for me to drink black, so I'll use a little 1/2 and 1/2...not much, just enough to cut through the bitterness of a dark roast.

Milk doesn't really do it for me unless it's whole milk which we never have in the house anymore...and I'm not particularly partial to things like coffee mate and whatnot. If you're going for an alternative like that, make sure you read the labels as some of them contain partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) which is just about the only thing that I will say is inherently bad for you regardless of dosage.

VUA21

Unsweetened almond milk. 30 calories per cup! You can make your coffee very pale and still not add a lot of calories.

Smaronoah

I just want to say thanks for each and every response! You guys are awesome!!

TxTiffani

Unsweetened cashew milk is my fav! It’s the creamiest of the low cal plant milks that I’ve tried. Really yummy and only 25 cals per cup!

pinggolfer96

Bcaas coffee creamer from man sports

H_Ock12

Coffee Mate Artisan Creamer is delicious...it doesn't take much and it's delicious! A protein powder of your choice also makes a nice creamer.

CSARdiver

I feel your pain. When I was on shift work I measured my coffee by the carafe, not the cup. I gradually loved the taste of coffee and slowly cut the sugar and then the cream. I still prefer a small shot of cream generally, but depends on the brew and the blend. The darker the brew, the less cream. I want to savor good coffee.

AnnPT77

I know you said milk doesn't work for you . . . I'm wondering whether it might work to taper to it, part half & half, part milk, over time?

Personally, I put (literally) 6 oz of hot nonfat milk in each of my daily coffees, and get a nice addition to my protein goal (2 coffee = 12g protein, 128 calories = works for me as an ovo-lacto veg). Not saying that would work for you, though.

pinggolfer96

Don’t need any creamer with a nitro brew!

BlessedMom70

Coffeemate sugar free creamers, or 1/3 carton of a Premier protein shake.

MichelleLaree13

I just started drinking my coffee with 1TBS of coconut milk (the kind for cooking that is just pure coconut milk without additives). Pop it in the blender with my 7-8 oz of coffee and it tastes enough like a latte to make me happy. 33 calories per cup x 3 cups = 99 calories

CowboySar

Smart *kitten* comment....Black

All kidding aside, I used to drink mine with half and half as well. I drink a ton of coffee through out the day so all that cream added up. I started drinking it black, I didn't like it at first but now it is the only way I will drink it even though now the half and half would be workable.

I have also mixed up a protein shake and used it as a creamer as another idea.

lizziebeth1028

As a coffee addict - I feel your pain! I've tried the lo-cal substitutes and they just don't cut it...yuck. And forget using regular milk or even worse skim eee ghads no hehe. In the end I wound up just going with moderation. I limit myself to 2 cups a day (cups!! not a venti or even a grande, just an 8 oz cup) and I drink it how I like it, a wee bit of sugar and good ole half and half, no skimping!! I log it and call it day!

umayster

Heavy cream. It is more calories but it is real food and you can skip eating anything else for breakfast. 2 Oz in my coffee keeps me from thinking about any food/lunch til 1-2 in the afternoon.

CherylG1983

I switched to tea with a splash of milk. I just can't do coffee without proper creamer, but like you, I was putting at least 100 calories worth of cream in it so had to cut it out. Not completely, I still have it on the weekends with breakfast.

ccsernica

Just use less. Cut back gradually so you get used to it. Non-dairy creamers aren't any better for the most part.

htimpaired

I switched from Coffeemate flavored creamer to Nutpods. They are a blend of coconut and almond milk. Much less sweet, but now I prefer it that way and can't stand sweet coffee! I think it's 20 cal a serving.

msmith404040

Agree with the unsweetened cashew milk - very low calorie - 25/cup I believe. I buy the Silk brand.

Strawblackcat

I just use the half and half. I figure that it’s 20 calories per tablespoon, so even 1/4 cup would still be less than 100 calories. And 1/4 cup of creamer makes A LOT of cups of coffee. When push comes to shove, I’ll use whole milk.

Adding sugar to your coffee is really where the calories start to add up, IMO.