Coffee Creamer

soldier4jesus534
soldier4jesus534 Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone ever noticed how many calories is in some of the coffee creamer? I like the International Delight Sweet Cream and it’s 35 calories for a tablespoon, and I use 3 tablespoons per cup and usually drink 2 cups every day, so I get 210 calories just in my coffee every morning. I have tried to reduce it and I have even tried to drink it black, but it’s just too bitter. I have gotten accustomed to those 3 tablespoons in each cup, so, if I use less and make myself drink it, it seems like something is missing…like I haven’t really had my coffee. Is there anyone else out there that used creamer and got accustomed to drinking it black? If so, how did you do it?

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I use super creamer sweet cream. It's like 40 calories for 2 tbsp or 60g.
  • dviolin1982
    dviolin1982 Posts: 17 Member
    Cut down by half a tablespoon, you probably won't notice it. I used to drink really sweet coffee and now just use light cream (5%) which is 15 cals a tablespoon.
  • LeeDahlen38
    LeeDahlen38 Posts: 145 Member
    The killer in Coffee sweeteners isn't as much the Calories.... It's the Sugar.... Take a Look!
    It's kinda like Milk. Everyone has their own preference. Whole, 2%, 1%, Skim? But look at the labels.. The Sugar is the same..... So I enjoy the Whole milk, and Ditched my Coffeemate for WM in my coffee.
    #Cheers
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    You could try reducing by a half T per month until you are down to one T.

    I use 6 g sugar, 1 teaspoon half & half, and 60 grams 1% milk for 59 calories in my one cup of coffee, and then I switch to tea, for which I need only 3 g sugar and 1/4 t H&H.

    The Dunkin Donuts near us keeps messing up my partner's order and recently gave him an iced coffee with caramel. OMG THAT WAS SO GOOD. I recently bought Ghirardelli's caramel syrup realizing this was probably a terrible mistake. One serving of 40 grams is 110 calories. I was hoping to start with 1/4 serving, but no, I need the whole 40 grams. Fortunately, I do prefer it in iced coffee, and my AM coffee is hot, so I will keep that as is, plus a few shakes of cinnamon. I'll have the iced caramel coffee as a rare afternoon snack.
  • MichelleMcKeeRN
    MichelleMcKeeRN Posts: 450 Member
    I use to use creamer at home but loved lattes when I was buying coffee out. I received a simple latte foamer ($10-20 variety) for my birthday. I now make lattes each morning… just milk and sometimes stevia w/a couple drops of vanilla.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    LeeDahlen38 wrote: »
    The killer in Coffee sweeteners isn't as much the Calories.... It's the Sugar.... Take a Look!
    It's kinda like Milk. Everyone has their own preference. Whole, 2%, 1%, Skim? But look at the labels.. The Sugar is the same..... So I enjoy the Whole milk, and Ditched my Coffeemate for WM in my coffee.
    #Cheers

    Of course all milk has the same sugar. It's naturally occurring lactose, not added sugar. The process of making it 2%, 1%, or skim just involves removing fat, which has an impact on the calories. If someone is looking to reduce their calories, low-fat milk might be a better call.

    OP, you could try low-fat milk instead and see if you like it.

    Also, many higher-quality coffees are less bitter. It might cost you some more (not sure what you're drinking now), but you might want to try different brands to see if you can get by with less creamer/sweetener.
  • rkdunn889
    rkdunn889 Posts: 8 Member
    I have to have my coffee creamer! It isn’t going anywhere. I will ewalk or run extra if I had to… but I gotta have my hazelnut coffee creamer!
  • Misoisprettycool
    Misoisprettycool Posts: 3 Member
    I'm not fond of the creamers I have tried. Tastes too chemical and sweet to me. I do love creaminess in my coffee though, so I add Califia brand oat milk to my coffee or any other brand of oat milk I can find. Usually my mug is about 15% oat milk 85% coffee. I prefer the milky texture and taste to pair well with the already wonderful bitter coffee flavor rather than replacing it with a sweetness.

    Also yeah, I HIGHLY recommend a high quality coffee. The natural taste of the coffee is what I like building around. If you're drinking low quality coffee that tastes like a watery ash tray, I recommend investing more into a good brand. If you're more excited for the creamer than the coffee, then I imagine It's more like a dessert ritual than a wake up ritual. I only say that because sugar puts me to sleep.
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    +1 suggestion to buy better coffee - if there's a coffee shop in your town that sells beans, or even an independent roastery, that would be ideal. If not, though, upgrading your coffee game to whole beans will make a big difference if you're buying the big can/vacuum packed brick of grounds right now.

    One other thing you could do, if you wean yourself off the sweet cream but still find black/less creamy coffee too bitter - a TINY! bit of salt can smooth out that bitter edge. Just a little pinch. I do this for diner coffee; sitting on the hot plate for a long time makes brewed coffee unpleasantly bitter, and a tiny tiny bit of salt takes that edge off without adding calories.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    No one likes to change the things they already like. But, you will eventually like whatever you get used to. Switch to 1% milk and pretend you are back in the Army and that is all you can get. You'll eventually love it.
  • KobiHensley
    KobiHensley Posts: 78 Member
    I use flavored coffee, then add Chobani creamer, they have many flavors and it only has 25 calories a tablespoon for the chocolate hazelnut. Sometimes I live on the edge and add Challenge Light whipped cream, 20 calories for 2 tablespoons.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Most regular coffee creamers are calorie dense...because cream is calorie dense and the flavored varieties also have sugar.

    I used to drink coffee with creamer...a long, long time ago when I was in college and living with my roommates. My wife (then girlfriend) introduced me to quality coffee rather than the swill I was drinking with my roommates. Good quality and fresh beans that are also ground fresh right before brewing.

    The roast also makes a difference. We primarily drink a medium roast and our favorite beans are sourced from Tanzania or Columbia. My wife will occasionally pick up a dark roast which is too bitter for me to drink black and for those occasions I just cut it with a bit of half 'n half. We get most of our coffee from local coffee shops...most of them do their own roasting. Certainly more expensive than anything you just grab in the coffee aisle of the grocery store, but worth every cent. Mind you we have a cup or two of coffee in the morning, and that's about it. It would get outrageously expensive if we were drinking coffee all day long or something.
  • LiveOnceBeHappy
    LiveOnceBeHappy Posts: 448 Member
    I weaned myself off French vanilla creamer this year. I got sick of measuring it and logging it! I use 1 single sugar cube per cup now. So much easier and only 15 calories.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    My favorite is 1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk blended with 1 tbs protein powder, stirred in to coffee. My coffee is either maxwell house (ok) or cafe ole (better). Protein powder varies in flavors and brands. For some reason, I'm ok with a flavored coffee pod brewed 2x to make 16oz with 1/2 sweet n low black in the afternoon. In the morning, my protein blend.
  • Bridgie3
    Bridgie3 Posts: 139 Member
    soldier4jesus534 wrote: »
    Has anyone ever noticed how many calories is in some of the coffee creamer? I like the International Delight Sweet Cream and it’s 35 calories for a tablespoon, and I use 3 tablespoons per cup and usually drink 2 cups every day, so I get 210 calories just in my coffee every morning. I have tried to reduce it and I have even tried to drink it black, but it’s just too bitter. I have gotten accustomed to those 3 tablespoons in each cup, so, if I use less and make myself drink it, it seems like something is missing…like I haven’t really had my coffee. Is there anyone else out there that used creamer and got accustomed to drinking it black? If so, how did you do it?

    No, but I have cut down from 6 tsp sugar to 1.

    Now I couldn't go back to 6. I don't know what I thought I was drinking.

    Start slow. Have 2 1/2 tablespoons per cup for a week. By the end of the week I defy you to notice.

    Then when you are totally normalised around 2 1/2 tbsp - move on to 2 tbsp.

    Sit there for a month. Or a week. Or whatever. Until it's perfectly normal to you and you've forgotten ever having had more.

    Then reduce another 1/2 tbsp.

    Moving too fast makes for too much shock and then you just don't feel good. But also; you may need to actually eat in the mornigns. For all that empty sugar you're having, you could have an egg on toast for breakfast.
  • Xellercin
    Xellercin Posts: 924 Member
    I swear, I only learned this year that creamer is a thing that is actually commonly used on a daily basis. I think it's perhaps more of an American thing?

    Have you tried just regular milk?
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,772 Member
    I use Nutpods unsweetened creamer, sometimes cocoa powder and cashew milk or protein powder.
  • ehju0901
    ehju0901 Posts: 394 Member
    I just started making my own iced coffees at work and when I weighed my creamer amount it ended up being 200 calories! I definitely do not want to waste that many calories on my coffee. I think I am going to try swapping for vanilla almond milk instead.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    I normally add a large pile of sucralose (splenda) and some vanilla and almond extracts to 2% Fairlife (lactase- and protein- added milk), and then usually add A LOT of it to my coffee, but consider it part of breakfast (reasonable calories and good macros for the volume).

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  • xrj22
    xrj22 Posts: 217 Member
    I recommend milk or soy milk, splenda or stevia if you have to have sweetener. You have to use more, and even if it adds some calories, at least they are calories with some nutrition instead of all fat and sugar. If you need to use a lot of milk to get the creaminess you want, then try popping it in the microwave for a minute so it is hot enough.

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