Milk vs Cream in Coffee
KristaMac88
Posts: 163 Member
Hello!
I am still new and figuring all this nutritional stuff out, and tbh, I dont drink milk that often, I have half a cup each night with my supper. And then until recently, in my coffee. I drink about 2 coffee a day, and have switched from sugar ( was a 2tsp atleast kind of gal) to using stevia (or other sweetener if out) but recently the more I try and read up on it the more confusing it all gets. I heard reg cows milk was not the best choice. So then switched to almond milk. I have to admit, I hate how it makes my coffee taste. Years ago we were told cream was bad, but now that its good fats. Whats a girl to do?? I know for such a small amount it seems silly to worry about. But every little calorie counts when tracking!
I am still new and figuring all this nutritional stuff out, and tbh, I dont drink milk that often, I have half a cup each night with my supper. And then until recently, in my coffee. I drink about 2 coffee a day, and have switched from sugar ( was a 2tsp atleast kind of gal) to using stevia (or other sweetener if out) but recently the more I try and read up on it the more confusing it all gets. I heard reg cows milk was not the best choice. So then switched to almond milk. I have to admit, I hate how it makes my coffee taste. Years ago we were told cream was bad, but now that its good fats. Whats a girl to do?? I know for such a small amount it seems silly to worry about. But every little calorie counts when tracking!
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Replies
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you're talking about 50ml max of milk or cream...? i would have whichever you like that fits your calories or macros.6
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I do like cream in my coffee sometimes. I will use 1/2 and 1/2 or heavy whipping cream - I prefer heavy cream because it doesn't take as much...if you don't like the almond milk, but want to try plant based, then I like coconut milk in my coffee or cashew milk. Really, it's such a small amount in 2 coffees, that I doubt it matters much in terms of health/nutrition so just drink whichever you prefer.0
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I never liked cream in my coffee, it seemed to heavy for me, but havent tried it in a long time. If anything it would be 1% cows milk. I know tracking in mfp theres a decent cal dif as i put a good 3 tbs prob but..I dont know if its really going to make a difference weight wise if i am fitting it into my cals..just figured if one was really better for you and saved me cals through the day id stick with it but..0
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KristaMac88 wrote: »I never liked cream in my coffee, it seemed to heavy for me, but havent tried it in a long time. If anything it would be 1% cows milk. I know tracking in mfp theres a decent cal dif as i put a good 3 tbs prob but..I dont know if its really going to make a difference weight wise if i am fitting it into my cals..just figured if one was really better for you and saved me cals through the day id stick with it but..
there is no difference between 200 cals of cream and 30 cals of milk if its part of your daily calories, just means you have more or less calories to 'spend' on other things.5 -
KristaMac88 wrote: »I never liked cream in my coffee, it seemed to heavy for me, but havent tried it in a long time. If anything it would be 1% cows milk. I know tracking in mfp theres a decent cal dif as i put a good 3 tbs prob but..I dont know if its really going to make a difference weight wise if i am fitting it into my cals..just figured if one was really better for you and saved me cals through the day id stick with it but..
what is better is what works for YOU and only you can answer that.
I need my daily coffee and black coffee is bleh to me. So I count 0.5cups of milk each day for coffee milk. it makes me happy. Happier than anything else i could save those calories for. Happier than using almond mlik which is lower cal. I do like the 0% milk though so that helps.
calories are calories. it doesn't matter what kind for weight loss.3 -
I love my coffee and its my one vise that I am not giving up. I use 2% or 1% milk in my coffee and I count that in my food log. I need the calcium anyway, because I have cut out a lot of cheese from my diet because of its higher fat content. Doesn't seem to sabotage my results in any way. Good luck!2
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Have you ever considered Almond Milk? It's light on the calories (about 30 per cup vs. 315/cup half and half or 102 calories in a cup of 1% milk). It does take a little to get used to it but it's all I have now.2
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What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).2
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KristaMac88 wrote: »Hello!
I am still new and figuring all this nutritional stuff out, and tbh, I dont drink milk that often, I have half a cup each night with my supper. And then until recently, in my coffee. I drink about 2 coffee a day, and have switched from sugar ( was a 2tsp atleast kind of gal) to using stevia (or other sweetener if out) but recently the more I try and read up on it the more confusing it all gets. I heard reg cows milk was not the best choice. So then switched to almond milk. I have to admit, I hate how it makes my coffee taste. Years ago we were told cream was bad, but now that its good fats. Whats a girl to do?? I know for such a small amount it seems silly to worry about. But every little calorie counts when tracking!
Whichever you like better and fits in your calories. Who said milk wasn't the best choice and why? Milk and cream are both dairy, one is going to have more fat so will be more calorie dense for the serving size. I've never heard anyone say it was bad somehow to put milk in your coffee.
The bolded is the key. You can't listen to every single "news flash" and try to tailor your eating to them, or you'd never eat anything. If a food is a minor part of your diet, just go with what you like and can fit in your calories. Focus first on the major parts of your diet, the foods you eat a lot of and contribute the most calories. Once that's perfect (if it ever is) then go nuts with the minor stuff. Don't sweat the small stuff is a cliche for a reason
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Robertbessell wrote: »Have you ever considered Almond Milk? It's light on the calories (about 30 per cup vs. 315/cup half and half or 102 calories in a cup of 1% milk). It does take a little to get used to it but it's all I have now.
From the OP: "So then switched to almond milk. I have to admit, I hate how it makes my coffee taste."3 -
Robertbessell wrote: »Have you ever considered Almond Milk? It's light on the calories (about 30 per cup vs. 315/cup half and half or 102 calories in a cup of 1% milk). It does take a little to get used to it but it's all I have now.
Yes. Like i said..I have been using it the last few days, including today as i write this post, and hate the taste of it.0 -
What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).
I just heard that cows milk has more sugar in it. And that cream is better because of the fat..or almond milk because its lower in cals/sugar..guess it all depends but..it seems like no one really cares about that aha1 -
KristaMac88 wrote: »What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).
I just heard that cows milk has more sugar in it. And that cream is better because of the fat..or almond milk because its lower in cals/sugar..guess it all depends but..it seems like no one really cares about that aha
Nothing wrong with sugar unless it crowds out other nutrients or you have a medical reason to avoid it.7 -
KristaMac88 wrote: »What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).
I just heard that cows milk has more sugar in it. And that cream is better because of the fat..or almond milk because its lower in cals/sugar..guess it all depends but..it seems like no one really cares about that aha
There's nothing wrong with higher sugar foods.
IMO, there is limited usefulness in hyperfocusing on one food in your diet. Look at your overall day. Does the milk/cream you want to use fit in to your overall goals?
If you don't get fat from cream, you can get it other places. If you use more calories for your coffee, you can reduce calories elsewhere. You just want to make the whole day work, you don't need to "perfect" your coffee.3 -
KristaMac88 wrote: »What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).
I just heard that cows milk has more sugar in it. And that cream is better because of the fat..or almond milk because its lower in cals/sugar..guess it all depends but..it seems like no one really cares about that aha
The greater sugar (lactose) in milk is only because the cream has more of the fat (it rises to the top and is skimmed off). But unless you are trying to be super low carb, there's nothing wrong with consuming some natural sugar in milk (well, unless you are lactose intolerant). For example, fruit has lots of innate sugar, but I hope you wouldn't think it was unhealthy! There's sugar in plain yogurt too, for the same reason, and all but anti carb extremists would probably consider it perfectly good for you.
Also, remember you aren't consuming huge amounts anyway.
Re milk vs. cream, cream isn't especially good or bad for you -- it's high in sat fat like butter and cheese, but in moderation it's fine, I certainly eat cheese and use butter, but like those foods it's easy to get lots of calories from cream if you use a lot, and if you don't care for it as much there is certainly no health reason to pick it over milk.
Some people are anti dairy for ethical reasons, but that's not about health.
Almond milk is nothing special -- the store-bought kind is basically flavored water with some nutrients added.
I like making nut milks at home and including the nuts (I think that kind is pretty good for you for the same reason eating nuts is), but I wouldn't care for it in coffee, and it's not inherently better or worse than dairy but for ethical reasons.
Anyway, like others have said, don't sweat the small stuff. A healthy diet is about the big choices you make to make sure calories are in check and you are getting in your nutrients (I'd say eat mostly nutrient dense foods, but do it in a sustainable, enjoyable way). Milk offers some nutrients if you enjoy it (calcium being one), but the amounts being discussed are really so small that it's not significant at all.3 -
just stick with the milk you enjoy and log it. it doesn't sound worth the hassle to overthink this. if your sugar is too high you can look at foods that contribute a ton more sugar than what's in the small amount of milk in your coffee.
it's important to keep SOME things we like in our day to day diet. otherwise we set ourselves up to be miserable and fall of the rails more quickly. Trying to loose weight doesn't mean you can't enjoy any food or beverage for the next x months.2 -
Just use what you like. I use whole milk in my coffee. Half and half is fine as well, but heavy cream, no. way too heavy. I just don't like it. I'm not too picky about the milk though, if only 2% is available that's fine as well. I'd just have to use a little bit more.
I think that, for 2 cups of a coffee a day, you shouldn't worry so much about these things. Overall, the milk or cream or whatever you use in your coffee makes up such a small percentage of your overall nutrition. It's not worth worrying about IMO1 -
KristaMac88 wrote: »What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).
I just heard that cows milk has more sugar in it. And that cream is better because of the fat..or almond milk because its lower in cals/sugar..guess it all depends but..it seems like no one really cares about that aha
Milk has lactose which is a naturally occurring sugar...fruit and vegetables also have sugar. A lower % milk will have more lactose because the processing requires a greater volume of milk to be used as fat is skimmed off to get the final product.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »KristaMac88 wrote: »What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).
I just heard that cows milk has more sugar in it. And that cream is better because of the fat..or almond milk because its lower in cals/sugar..guess it all depends but..it seems like no one really cares about that aha
Milk has lactose which is a naturally occurring sugar...fruit and vegetables also have sugar. A lower % milk will have more lactose because the processing requires a greater volume of milk to be used as fat is skimmed off to get the final product.
Actually, it's not how much is skimmed off, but how much they add back. I watched a How It's Made video on this (that I can't find) and was interested to see they make skim milk and then add back to make 1%, 2% etc.
Just thought it was interesting and doesn't change your point in any way.2 -
KristaMac88 wrote: »Hello!
I am still new and figuring all this nutritional stuff out, and tbh, I dont drink milk that often, I have half a cup each night with my supper. And then until recently, in my coffee. I drink about 2 coffee a day, and have switched from sugar ( was a 2tsp atleast kind of gal) to using stevia (or other sweetener if out) but recently the more I try and read up on it the more confusing it all gets. I heard reg cows milk was not the best choice. So then switched to almond milk. I have to admit, I hate how it makes my coffee taste. Years ago we were told cream was bad, but now that its good fats. Whats a girl to do?? I know for such a small amount it seems silly to worry about. But every little calorie counts when tracking!
Question when you get this advice. What's worse about cow's milk?
This amounts to personal taste.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »KristaMac88 wrote: »What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).
I just heard that cows milk has more sugar in it. And that cream is better because of the fat..or almond milk because its lower in cals/sugar..guess it all depends but..it seems like no one really cares about that aha
Milk has lactose which is a naturally occurring sugar...fruit and vegetables also have sugar. A lower % milk will have more lactose because the processing requires a greater volume of milk to be used as fat is skimmed off to get the final product.
Actually, it's not how much is skimmed off, but how much they add back. I watched a How It's Made video on this (that I can't find) and was interested to see they make skim milk and then add back to make 1%, 2% etc.
Just thought it was interesting and doesn't change your point in any way.
I would imagine that even when bottling (or "cartoning") "whole" milk, there's some monkeying with how much cream is included, as different breeds of cow, on different feeds, at different times relative to calving, are going to give whole milk with different fat content, but they want the product on the grocery shelves to be consistent year-round, year in, year out.
But none of this changes the point that lactose is naturally occurring, and dairy bottlers aren't manipulating sugar content in standard dairy milk (barring lactose-free products, chocolate milk, etc.).
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KristaMac88 wrote: »What would be wrong with milk in coffee? It's basically a lower cal version of cream (and personally I always preferred milk -- I drink coffee black now, but used to put milk in it, never sugar as coffee for me is not supposed to be sweet).
I just heard that cows milk has more sugar in it. And that cream is better because of the fat..or almond milk because its lower in cals/sugar..guess it all depends but..it seems like no one really cares about that aha
Unless you have a medical reason to avoid naturally occurring sugar, don't worry about it. The WHO guidelines on reducing sugar are for added sugar.
If you were doing keto, then yes, you could add heavy cream (or butter), but it doesn't sound like you are doing keto, just may have heard something from a keto-er.
Come to MFP to get your food myths dispelled
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I have long preferred plenty of skimmed milk in my coffee (nonfat latte, yum) even when obese. At home, I make a couple of big mugs of coffee daily, each with 3/4C of hot skimmed milk. Not only is it tasty, to me, but since I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian, I find the roughly 12g protein for 120-some calories to be quite helpful in meeting my 100g daily protein goal. Double win!
As someone of Northern European ancestry, I have zero problems with digesting milk, so I see no reason not to drink it. I lost weight just fine, dropped my cholesterol and blood pressure in to the healthy range, while eating all kinds of dairy (even full-fat cheeses).
As far as cream vs. milk, it's not going to make a huge difference in the amounts normal people (not me) normally put in their coffee. We need to eat some fats every day (0.35-0.45g minimum per pound of goal weight IMO), and some of them certainly can be saturated fats.
If it fits in your calories, it makes you happy, and your overall way of eating gives you well-rounded nutrition, use the cream or milk. It's fine. Losing weight is not about substituting dubiously "more healthy" things for foods you enjoy, until you're miserable. That's the "being fat is sin, and dietary misery is expiation" model of weight loss, and it's pure nonsense.1 -
Baileys is the answer.14
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Used half and half and switched to 1%. Noticed it for a week or two. I do notice when I go back to half and half though.0
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Different people have different goals with nutrition. My sister is doing DASH diet for hypertension and her doctor encouraged low-fat dairy. However I’ve heard from a few doing a Paleo who are avoiding dairy altogether. For me... I like milk. I drink it. I eat cheese. I eat yogurt. Sometimes I put milk in my coffee. I track the calories and I’ve been losing weight just fine.
My goals include 2-3 daily servings of low-fat dairy. IMO if you don’t like almond milk, stop drinking it. You get to choose how you want to spend your calories. You get to choose your nutrition goals.
I’ve never tried almond milk. I’m just not interested in it.1 -
Robertbessell wrote: »Have you ever considered Almond Milk? It's light on the calories (about 30 per cup vs. 315/cup half and half or 102 calories in a cup of 1% milk). It does take a little to get used to it but it's all I have now.
Did you ever consider reading the whole post before commenting? OP stated she doesn't like the taste of almond milk.
Krista, if I want to spend the $$$ for heavy cream, the I drink it in my coffee at home. If I am feeling cheap, and I usually am, I drink half and half at home. Work provides half and half, so that's what I drink there.
I drink 4-5 mugs of coffee a day, so 80-100 calories. I would rather have creamy coffee than candy. Only you can decide what you want to use your calories to enjoy. Good luck!!4 -
Just a tiny splash of 1/2 and 1/2 add enough smoothness to make coffee awesome.1
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