Replacing Sugar in Coffee

ctraill
ctraill Posts: 89 Member
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay this is sort of an open question but the hardest thing I have found on this new lifestyle plan is reducing the amount of sugar that I eat - specifically, I drink a lot of coffee and I just can't drink it black.

I have found that if I put soy milk/almond milk in my coffee instead of skim milk (like I normally do), it tastes sweet enough that I don't have to add sugar but then these products have sugar in them as well.

Personally, I try really hard to avoid manufactured foods so ethically, I try to stay away from stuff like splenda/sweet n low but are there other substitutes? Is honey better than sugar?

I drink my tea clear so I'm trying to have less coffee and more tea but I LOVE my coffee and I want to find a way that the two of us can live in harmony together.

Any suggestions?

Replies

  • justforme8
    justforme8 Posts: 68 Member
    I would LOVE to know as well! This is one of my BIGGEST downfalls, I actually like cream and sugar in my tea!! and with this cold weather, I can't say no to my warm cup of coffee in the AM!
    Just wanted to let you know, you're not alone! ;)
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    I know that Truvia is a natural sugar replacement, not chemical like Splenda (which I personally use). Soy milk is a good idea, and honey is a good replacement since you need much less of it to get the same sweetness as sugar (therefore less calories). Skim milk isn't really that bad for you, milk has calcium and other good things, just avoid whole milk or something.
  • mixmastermolly
    mixmastermolly Posts: 272
    Anything that is more natural is better. So honey would be a good option. Stevia is a natural product and you only need a small amount to sweeten. http://www.stevia.com/ They even sell boxes with individually packaged amounts like you'd get in packets of sweet n low or sugar at a restaurant. This helps with controlling how much you use.

    Also, if you like some flavoring in your coffee this company offers sugar free products that do the trick:
    http://www.torani.com/home/products
  • sah1979
    sah1979 Posts: 1 Member
    Stevia in the raw is the best sweetner that you can buy. All those others dont break down in ur body but Stevia is all natural and breaks down 100%. I was wondering about cookies, then I tried it with Stevia and it was AWESOME!!! I have seen it on the Dr's and in some of my diet books that Stevia is the way to go! Good luck!
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    i use alpro unsweetend soya milk sugar < 0.1 g per 100ml


    tastes great!
  • cjcarthell
    cjcarthell Posts: 4 Member
    For Coffee:
    I use splenda which has no calories. I also use coffeemate creamer (no lactose) and it sweetens it as well.

    For Tea:
    I use splenda most times. I use honey every couple of weeks. its high is sugar (tastes better) but adds more calories.

    Good Luck.
  • aswift180
    aswift180 Posts: 5
    The sweetener called sucanat is really good too. I found it in Tosca Reno's clean eating magazine. Its all natural as well.
  • melkins525
    melkins525 Posts: 1
    Try agave. Not sure how it compares to sugar in calories, but it's got an awesome rich taste that *might* enhance even the skim milk in the coffee... Good luck!
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    If you can find Ideal, it's good stuff. It's made with xylitol, which, from what I understand, is natural. It's sweet and doesn't any aftertaste as far as I can tell.
  • doris_day
    doris_day Posts: 159
    It took three weeks, but I slowly reduced the sugar in my coffee. I started off with 2 TABLESPOONS of sugar every day, and now I'm down to 1/2 a teaspoon. It was fairly painful at first but I'm so happy to reduce the sugar. My opinion is do it slowly and reduce your dependancy on sugar of any kind. *just my opinion*
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
    I used to drink 3 or 4 tsp of sugar in my coffee and have cut back to 1/2 - 1 tsp. I have coffee max 2 times a day so I figure that won't kill me. Splenda/Sweet 'n Low/Equal all scare me and I accidentally bought "no sugar added" aka Splenda ice cream over the summer and it was disgusting, but I digress.

    A splash of skim milk (I use about 1/8 of a cup) and 1/2-1 tsp of sugar is what I do. I think it's better than quite a few alternatives, but not the best. Nearly all sugar is refined and if it's not, it's going to cost quite a lot so I would say just slowly cut back what you add to your coffee and leave it at that.
  • LeeshLove
    LeeshLove Posts: 197
    I know that Truvia is a natural sugar replacement, not chemical like Splenda and I also like the taste of Truvia better! I also use Silk LIGHT vanilla soy milk witch only has 6g of sugar per 1cup. I only use maybe ¼ a cup for 2 cups of coffee. So I have already had my coffee this morning and I have NOT taken in any sugar from it… Good luck!!!
  • Gradeafancy
    Gradeafancy Posts: 10 Member
    Anything that is more natural is better. So honey would be a good option. Stevia is a natural product and you only need a small amount to sweeten. http://www.stevia.com/ They even sell boxes with individually packaged amounts like you'd get in packets of sweet n low or sugar at a restaurant. This helps with controlling how much you use.

    Also, if you like some flavoring in your coffee this company offers sugar free products that do the trick:
    http://www.torani.com/home/products

    I second the Stevia. I carry the little packets around so I never have to use real sugar.
  • navs52
    navs52 Posts: 40
    Yeah I switched to Equal and never looked back. I think I like it better now. Who knows whats in the stuff tho :P
  • rose1617
    rose1617 Posts: 469 Member
    I know that Truvia is a natural sugar replacement, not chemical like Splenda and I also like the taste of Truvia better! I also use Silk LIGHT vanilla soy milk witch only has 6g of sugar per 1cup. I only use maybe ¼ a cup for 2 cups of coffee. So I have already had my coffee this morning and I have NOT taken in any sugar from it… Good luck!!!
    I bought Truvia for my husband (chronic coffee drinker - about 4 cups/day), and he says it's actually not bad. He now uses it every morning without complaint.
    He would prefer something like "sugar in the raw", but he knows it's just not good for you.
  • rurukidoo
    rurukidoo Posts: 54
    My partner uses agave nectar for coffee/tea, he's diabetic and so obviously can't have very much sugar in his diet. It's also totally natural. Could be worthwhile looking into, I've also used it in baking with no problems at all. =)
  • ctraill
    ctraill Posts: 89 Member
    That's for all the suggestions everyone! Glad to know I'm not alone in my tempestuous relationship with sugar! I would obviously like to drink it black (that seems to be the best solution) but while I'm gradually acclimatizing to it, you have all given me great suggestions!
  • kashleyh5077
    kashleyh5077 Posts: 4
    I have just started the switch to a paleo diet and cutting out dairy and sugar has been very difficult. I've been slowly replacing things I use daily with paleo friendly items. Today I replaced the Coffee Mate Naturals coffee creamer I've been using. I replaced it with Thai Kitchen Unsweetened Coconut Milk (in a can). I poured it into a measuring cup, whisked it so it was nice and creamy, added a 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract (will add 1 full tablespoon next time), whisked again, poured it into ice trays and froze over night. Each cube measures about 1 tablespoon. In the morning I popped them all out and put them in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer. When I make my morning coffee I grab one of my coconut milk cubes and drop it in my coffee cup. I actually don't even think it tastes much different than the coffee creamer. I have tried soy milk and almond milk in the past and they both tasted gross in coffee. My next step is to replace the Truvia (2 packets) I've been using with raw honey. I'm still trying to figure out the conversion. 2 packets of Truvia = 4 teaspoons of sugar = ?? raw honey.
  • kashleyh5077
    kashleyh5077 Posts: 4
    Agave Nectar - not so good for you...

    "Agave Nectar is another one that seems to be thought of as another supremely healthy product. Agave is natural, in that it comes from the juice of the agave plant. It has a low glycemic profile, which means less of an insulin spike. However, this is because Agave nectar contains only 10% glucose – which means the other 90% is fructose, which comes with all sorts of health issues and is definitely to be avoided. Not only should Agave be avoided for its high fructose concentration, but it also contains saponins; toxins that have less than desirable effects on the body. Agave Nectar is produced in a not too dissimilar way to High Fructose Corn Syrup – yet at least HFCS is seldom marketed as a healthy sweetener."
  • TheRunningGuppy
    TheRunningGuppy Posts: 651 Member
    I really like stevia, as some others have mentioned. I buy mine at a local health food store, it comes in a small dropper bottle, and takes only about 4-6 drops to make something really sweet. I've learned that I can drink my coffee black when I use stevia. The bottles do seem spendy $10-$15 each, but they last for months. I'm half way through one right now that I bought back in February.
  • kat01deb
    kat01deb Posts: 3
    Stevia tastes terrible...save your money!
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