any good alternatives for half and half in coffee?

felinaslp
felinaslp Posts: 30 Member
edited October 27 in Food and Nutrition
I love my coffee... problem is I love the cream in it :-). I drink way too much of it in a day and it's really upping my calories... All I drink is coffee and water, no sodas or anything. I've tried fat free half and half (but it has some bad ingredients, and doesn't taste the same...), I've tried milk, I've tried black, I've tried adding cinnamon... it's just not the same. I was wondering if anybody has found a good alternative to the half and half or if I just have to suck it up and drink just a morning cup instead of morning pot and more throughout the day :-). Thanks

Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    I use sugar free flavored creamer, but it's not the most "clean" stuff in the world. You could try using some almond milk with a little vanilla and whatever sweetener you're comfortable with. Or, just back off on the amount of cream you use.
  • Imadarkswan
    Imadarkswan Posts: 113 Member
    Start out reducing how much you put in just a bit then there will not be as many calories in it
    Or try some of the flavored coffees with only sweetener
    Or just enjoy your coffee the way you want to and cut the calories somewhere else :)
  • karenhray7
    karenhray7 Posts: 219 Member
    If I'm not drinking good coffee (Sumatra is my go-to bean) I use 1T of actual heavy cream in my first cup and then keep warming it up with more black coffee as the day progresses. I still get the taste of the creaminess in that first half cup and it's not straight black until about the 4th cup. Plus, with heavy cream there's no carbohydrates, no sugar, just fat.

    You could also try switching to tea-Jasmine or D'arjeeling (sic?) will give you the same jolt as coffee. Or close to it.

    Good luck!
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    Unsweetened almond milk, very low cal and no sugar!
  • sprintto50
    sprintto50 Posts: 410 Member
    There are no good alternatives to good old cream. However, if you reduce the amount you use little by little over a few weeks, you will probably get used to it. It all depends on how badly you want to cut it down.
  • Hlick
    Hlick Posts: 13
    Silk soy for coffee, french vanilla. Add some honey if needed and its delish!
  • 1brokegal44
    1brokegal44 Posts: 562 Member
    Fat free half and half.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
    Not all fat free half and halfs are made the same.

    In my area (NYC), Land o Lakes brand is made with corn syrup and other stuff but Farmland Dairies brand is just non-fat milk thickened up with additional non-fat milk solids. They taste very different. Before you write off fat free half and half completely, you might go to your grocery store to read labels and see if there is another brand you might like.

    Another option is fat free evaporated milk. It does have a distinct taste - but maybe it's a taste you'd like.
  • jeffdowell
    jeffdowell Posts: 4
    i have now switched to BLACK coffee. After drinking French Vanilla for years, then fat free, then sugar free. The fat free or sugar free is just substituted with a chemical ****storm. If you go with the "natural" ones, your just back to plain sugar. Its all chemicals. Just try to go cold turkey and go black :)
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
    I use the Soy Delicious Coconut Creamer. It's the only coffee creamer I've tried that is actually creamy and somewhat diet-friendly. If you love half and half just try using less of it, but if that doesn't work for you give the Coconut creamer a try. It's only 20 calories per tablespoon so even if you have a couple it's still not too caloric.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    There's a thing called Ripped Cream that's a protein coffee creamer. I don't drink coffee, but I've heard it was good.
  • maddogg82
    maddogg82 Posts: 159 Member
    Im not willing to compromise on my creamer. Id rather give up a softdrink or mid afternoon candy than the creamer.. I CANT LIVE WITH OUT GOOD cREAMER IN MY COFFEE
    :drinker:
  • ashleymcn01
    ashleymcn01 Posts: 108 Member
    I'm a success story when it comes to letting go of my creamer! I have 3-8oz. cups of coffee each morning and was using around 3Tbsp of Fat Free French Vanilla Creamer for each cup. I took a chance one day and instead of the creamer I heated up 1/2 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk, then added my coffee and 1 tsp of pure cane sugar. It was delicious!!! When I make my husbands coffee in the mornings now I can't stand to taste the coffee with creamer, it has just become way too sweet.

    Someone told me not long ago to just try it, it's only a waste of 1 cup of coffee if you don't like it, and I'm so glad I did. I don't have to consume all the junk that's in creamers anymore, and my body thanks me for it.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    I love coffee and I have reduced my creamer and all of my sugar/sweetener by using choc protein powder in mine . I use a full scoop of powder and just a splash of creamer, stir it up and it gets frothy like a latte.... so mocha latte .....so yummy....
  • pcon1212
    pcon1212 Posts: 22
    I use fat free evaporated milk in mine. Not quite the same as half and half but creamy enough that it works for me.
  • felinaslp
    felinaslp Posts: 30 Member
    thank you all for the ideas; there are some new things I have not tried yet. I appreciate all the responses!
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    I just decided one day that leaving out the cream is where I could cut a few calories, and so that's what I did. Now I don't even want any dairy or creamer of any sort in my coffee. Next step will be cutting out sweetener, but I have gotten it down to a fraction of what I've used in the past.

    And of course not all coffee is created equally. A good roast that you enjoy shouldn't need much sweetener or cream to make it drinkable.
  • IowaJen1979
    IowaJen1979 Posts: 406 Member
    Nothing quite tastes like cream in coffe. :-) I used to be a double whammy - cream and sugar

    Now I warm up half a mug of skim milk and use a frother to make some foam. A poor man's latte. :-)
  • AprilMae1975
    AprilMae1975 Posts: 726
    I was totally like you....had to have my cream and sugar. I have been doing my best. I have been using 1 Splenda and 2 tsp of powdered coffeemate. I know this might not be the best choice but it is much better than what I was doing. I hope you find something that works for you :)
  • mothershreve
    mothershreve Posts: 1 Member
    Thanks for all the good ideas!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I'm not sure where you live, but Land O Lakes has a low-fat half and half that's a happy medium between regular half and half and the fat free stuff. It still has calories, but if you measure out a portion, it's not so awful, and it tastes good. It's something I always will make room for in my day.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited March 2015
    I'm confused about fat free half and half. I didn't know there was such a thing. I thought it was all half heavy cream

  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    Some alternatives I use, depending on mood (and the quality of the coffee ;) ):

    1-2 Tbsp real half/half per 16oz. travel mug or tall cup--20-40 calories--good to take the acidity edge off of a strong cup of good, dark roasted stuff, while still letting the coffee flavor shine through

    1/4 cup of 2% or whole milk--30-40 calories--good when I want it "milky" but don't need "creamy"--my cheap home brewed or gas station joe gets this treatment
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    I just tried unsweetened cashew milk (25 calories a cup). It was yummy in my coffee but difficult to find in the store.
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    i find that milk replaces cream pretty well. I used almond milk while losing weight, switched to regular 1% during maintainance.
  • tekkiechikk
    tekkiechikk Posts: 375 Member
    I love fat free half and half. Milk and milk substitutes (almond, soy, etc.) just don't give my coffee that smoothness that I need.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Non-fat powdered milk isn't too bad, but I generally use soy milk and protein powder. After lifting, I put half an AdvantEdge protein shake in my coffee:)
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