Coffee help

descooley
descooley Posts: 36 Member
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
I love coffee. Not plain, black coffee but sweet, sugary, light brown colored, flavored coffee. This however, along with an addiction to Dr. Pepper, has led me to the place I am now - way heavy! I am fighting my addiction to Dr. Pepper and doing great with that but I need help with the coffee.

I have tried switching to sugar free creamer but I don't really like any of the ones I have tried. Does anyone have any suggestions for things I can do or try in my coffee to help mimic the yummy goodness I love without blowing my calories for the day? I have tried the McDonald's sugar free iced coffee but it isn't really doing the job and it is still almost 200 calories!

Thanks :-)
«1

Replies

  • Jessica5000
    Jessica5000 Posts: 65
    I moved from 2 cream, 2 sugar to two milk, two sweetner. It's not as good though but you get the coffee jolt for way less calories.
  • Cindy311
    Cindy311 Posts: 780 Member
    Splenda and unsweeted soy milk.
  • jjl731
    jjl731 Posts: 15 Member
    Splenda and a dash of half & half or milk.
  • 6heatherb6
    6heatherb6 Posts: 469 Member
    Have you tried light soy??
    Don't know where you are but Gloria Jeans (Aust) makes the best Soy Cappacino...it is 'naturally' sweet and kinda nutty flavour and best of all ONLY 71 cals for the small and 92 for regular!!

    ENJOY!!! :drinker:
  • Hollycat
    Hollycat Posts: 372
    HungryGirl.com Plenty of options.

    Hollycat
    :flowerforyou:
  • ranewell
    ranewell Posts: 621 Member
    I use flavored coffee and flavored creamer. No sweetener. And I'm a coffee ADDICT, I have it just in the morning. 50 calories. I miss all the starbucks, but have grown to LOVE the occassional (like once a month) skinny iced caramel macch.
  • descooley
    descooley Posts: 36 Member
    I use flavored coffee and flavored creamer. No sweetener. And I'm a coffee ADDICT, I have it just in the morning. 50 calories. I miss all the starbucks, but have grown to LOVE the occassional (like once a month) skinny iced caramel macch.

    What flavored creamers do you use? I drink coffee at work instead of home because my 6 yr old loves to drink coffee (thank my parents for that one) and I don't have time in the mornings for her meltdowns if I don't share the coffee. So I drink it at work where it's both cost & argument free :-) I have been bringing sugar free vanilla creamer and watching how much I use ....
  • MissSharkattack
    MissSharkattack Posts: 323 Member
    I used to drink my coffee with 4 sugar, and 3 cream,
    but the only way for me to kick the bad habit, was to VERY slowly cut back on the amount of sugar and cream.

    Nothing that I found ever mimicked the delicious taste, but gradually cutting back allowed me to become accustomed to the less sweet taste.
  • StarCass
    StarCass Posts: 11
    I'm new at this calorie thing, but maybe trying out different milks? Like Rice Milk maybe, since it is a bit sweeter than regular milk? I'm actually curious about this too, I know coffee doesn't have much for calories, but I definitely add sugar too my coffee. Not enough to overpower the coffee though, just to add to the flavor. I don't know how to figure in that sugar intake, because I don't measure the amount.
    --- I do know though, that apples are better at waking you up in the morning than a cup of coffee!! It's a proven fact, apples energize you like coffee. ---
  • ranewell
    ranewell Posts: 621 Member
    I use fat free coffeehouse inspirations. It didn't take long to get used to not having additional sweetener.
  • ckncj
    ckncj Posts: 183 Member
    There is vanilla flavored splenda.... That with 1% milk isn't bad - it isn't as good as regular French Vanilla creamer, but it's a good alternative that slashes the calories.
  • descooley
    descooley Posts: 36 Member
    --- I do know though, that apples are better at waking you up in the morning than a cup of coffee!! It's a proven fact, apples energize you like coffee. ---

    funny you say that...I had apples for breakfast this morning :-)

    I don't think I drink the coffee for the wake up anymore, more because I am addicted to the taste. Trying hard to get over that!
  • sd688
    sd688 Posts: 7
    I have always used splenda in my coffee so i'm used to it but I also use sugar free vanilla syrup. You can find it in the coffee section. It has no calories and is really good. I like it. You probably have to get used to the taste of other sweetners. Good luck!!
  • Kinda79
    Kinda79 Posts: 239 Member
    I love coffee also! I drink a liquid creamer because I'm NOT a fan of black coffee.

    I drink Coffee House Caramel Macchiato. I use 2 TBLS and to me it's sweet enough on it's own that I don't need sugar.

    For 2 TBLS is has 70 calories - 3 g Fat - 12 carbs - 12 sugars

    I usually drink 4 cups of coffee or so.
  • ccyha1
    ccyha1 Posts: 26
    You me both love coffee with everything else in it. My question is do you love coffee or Is it the coffee, creamer, and sweet taste that you like? For example, I drink coffee for the caffein but love the sugar and cream for the taste. If you love coffee just go with it and sugar substitutes, Forget about finding a solution to the creamer. The creamers are way too high in calories regardless. Every now and then I will go back on for a treat. Keep your weight goal in mind and sacrifice doing without sometimes.
  • descooley
    descooley Posts: 36 Member
    You me both love coffee with everything else in it. My question is do you love coffee or Is it the coffee, creamer, and sweet taste that you like? For example, I drink coffee for the caffein but love the sugar and cream for the taste. If you love coffee just go with it and sugar substitutes, Forget about finding a solution to the creamer. The creamers are way too high in calories regardless. Every now and then I will go back on for a treat. Keep your weight goal in mind and sacrifice doing without sometimes.

    It is totally the taste I like so most of the time I am doing without but when I do want it I want the whole shebang. I only have one cup at a time so maybe the reality of it is I should just use it as a treat, be careful how I prepare it and account for the calories in another way.
  • teri1956
    teri1956 Posts: 221 Member
    I have started getting smaller cups of coffee and use Agave syrup as a sweetener for my coffee and Land-o-Lakes mini moos. The syrup has more sweetening per tsp than sugar so you use less and the moos are portion controlled (they also don't require refrigeration so no sour half-n-half). If I'm somewhere without Agave, I use one French Vanilla International Delights with 2-3 moos. Still under 70 calories.
  • wildon883r
    wildon883r Posts: 429 Member
    Recently changed from on average 1/4 cup of Coffeemate Hazelnut creamer @140 calories per(4 tbsp) per cup to 1 tbsp sugar and 1/4 cup of Silk Coconut milk @ 35 calories. My coffee cup equals two cups of coffee when half full :D That's a reduction from 420 cals a day from coffee additives to 105 cals. Thats huge on an annual basis going from roughly. 153,300 cals to 114,975 annually.
  • StarCass
    StarCass Posts: 11
    I love coffee. Not plain, black coffee but sweet, sugary, light brown colored, flavored coffee. This however, along with an addiction to Dr. Pepper, has led me to the place I am now - way heavy! I am fighting my addiction to Dr. Pepper and doing great with that but I need help with the coffee.

    I have tried switching to sugar free creamer but I don't really like any of the ones I have tried. Does anyone have any suggestions for things I can do or try in my coffee to help mimic the yummy goodness I love without blowing my calories for the day? I have tried the McDonald's sugar free iced coffee but it isn't really doing the job and it is still almost 200 calories!

    Thanks :-)


    I just discovered Truvia. It has NO CALORIES!! My work supplies coffee (with sugar and cream and alternatives) and I just noticed this today. So, I'm testing it out for you. It definitly adds sweetness to the coffee flavor, I probably don't need as much of this as I do regular sugar in my coffee. I'm using the packets, here is the Information:
    Serving Size: 1 packet
    Calores: 0
    Total Fat: 0
    Sodium: 0
    Total Carb: 3g (1% DV)
    Erythritol: 3g
    Protein: 0g
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    Instead of using the creamers to flavor it, have you tried the syrups? I buy the SF Vanilla syrups from Starbucks. I make a homemade iced Caramel Machiatto that is only 130 cals for a 24 oz (Venti). I use the SF Vanilla syrup, Via instant from Sbux and Skim milk and caramel drizzle. it is awesome and tastes very much like their CM. I have also used the SF Caramel syrup. Torani makes SF syrups also. You can get your coffee a lot sweeter this way vs creamers with a lot less calories.

    Now granted, 130 cal may still seem like a lot to some people, but compared to the 270 from Sbux it's an improvement. and you can cut those calories way down if you don't use the caramel drizzle, as that adds about 70-80 cals. But I likee my caramel, so I add it to mine. ;)
  • ccyha1
    ccyha1 Posts: 26
    You me both love coffee with everything else in it. My question is do you love coffee or Is it the coffee, creamer, and sweet taste that you like? For example, I drink coffee for the caffein but love the sugar and cream for the taste. If you love coffee just go with it and sugar substitutes, Forget about finding a solution to the creamer. The creamers are way too high in calories regardless. Every now and then I will go back on for a treat. Keep your weight goal in mind and sacrifice doing without sometimes.

    It is totally the taste I like so most of the time I am doing without but when I do want it I want the whole shebang. I only have one cup at a time so maybe the reality of it is I should just use it as a treat, be careful how I prepare it and account for the calories in another way.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    Splenda and unsweeted soy milk.

    Exactly what I was going to suggest =].
    Also do a french vanilla coffee bean, then I've added cinnamon to it. Tastes SO good. =]
  • Katie3784
    Katie3784 Posts: 543
    I know Starbucks is expensive, but their skinny cinnamon dolce latte(tall) is really good and it only has 90 calories. I actually have recently stopped getting them because it was costing me about $26 a week just for coffee, so now I make Folger's at home and I use International delight skinny(fat free) caramel macchiato creamer. It is not sugar free, but I measure 3 tbs into a 12oz cup of coffee for about 100 calories altogether.
  • cheeksv
    cheeksv Posts: 521 Member
    skim or light soy with cinnamon not sweet but gives it a different taste that I love.
  • Katie3784
    Katie3784 Posts: 543
    BTW, shame on your parents for giving a 6 year old coffee. Was it at least decaf?
  • Katie3784
    Katie3784 Posts: 543
    Instead of using the creamers to flavor it, have you tried the syrups? I buy the SF Vanilla syrups from Starbucks. I make a homemade iced Caramel Machiatto that is only 130 cals for a 24 oz (Venti). I use the SF Vanilla syrup, Via instant from Sbux and Skim milk and caramel drizzle. it is awesome and tastes very much like their CM. I have also used the SF Caramel syrup. Torani makes SF syrups also. You can get your coffee a lot sweeter this way vs creamers with a lot less calories.

    Now granted, 130 cal may still seem like a lot to some people, but compared to the 270 from Sbux it's an improvement. and you can cut those calories way down if you don't use the caramel drizzle, as that adds about 70-80 cals. But I likee my caramel, so I add it to mine. ;)
    You can buy syrup at starbucks?!! I'm gonna get a cheap latte machine and make skinny cinnamon dolce lattes!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I use about 1/4 cup of skim milk and splenda. Good coffee makes a big difference too. At my old job they served Foogers and yeah, I HAD to have flavored creamer for that crap. Also, as I was transitioning from the flavored stuff to milk, I tried all natural half and half. I could use less and still get the desired amount of creaminess and it ended up less calories and sugar.
  • bms34b
    bms34b Posts: 401 Member
    I've worked at a coffee house for about 2 and a half years, and we get some CRAZY requests for what to put into coffee - including (and not limited to!) an order for about half coffee, half heavy whipping cream, and 7 spenda!!!!!

    I totally get where you're coming from that black coffee is NOT very tasty, especially when you're used to something much more delicious.

    I suggest slowly going from what you're used to to different things - if you're used to cream, try whole milk for a while. Then switch from two sugars to one sugar and one truvia. Then bump down the milk again to 2%, and once you're used to that, two truvias or maybe only the one and no sugar. Already it's SO many less calories!!

    The way I take my coffee is with cream and honey - a 12oz cup with the amount I like is about 70calories and totally worth it.

    Also congrats on kicking the DP! That's a hard habit to stop.
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    Instead of using the creamers to flavor it, have you tried the syrups? I buy the SF Vanilla syrups from Starbucks. I make a homemade iced Caramel Machiatto that is only 130 cals for a 24 oz (Venti). I use the SF Vanilla syrup, Via instant from Sbux and Skim milk and caramel drizzle. it is awesome and tastes very much like their CM. I have also used the SF Caramel syrup. Torani makes SF syrups also. You can get your coffee a lot sweeter this way vs creamers with a lot less calories.

    Now granted, 130 cal may still seem like a lot to some people, but compared to the 270 from Sbux it's an improvement. and you can cut those calories way down if you don't use the caramel drizzle, as that adds about 70-80 cals. But I likee my caramel, so I add it to mine. ;)
    You can buy syrup at starbucks?!! I'm gonna get a cheap latte machine and make skinny cinnamon dolce lattes!

    Yep, I have only run into a couple stores that said they couldn't sell me a bottle of syrup, and that was just bc they were low on inventory.
  • philandrachel
    philandrachel Posts: 31
    4 ideal sweetener packets
    2 TBSP sugar free french vanilla creamer {powder}
    2 TBSP sugar free vanilla syrup
    54 cals a cup... and man is it delicious! :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories