Help! Clean (or Healthier) Coffee

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misshammy
misshammy Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am a coffee drinker... Have been for years. I drink one to two cups a day. It's been forever since I've been on MFP and just logged in a couple of days ago and it was a huge eye opener to my coffee intake and how bad I have been with it!

I like my coffee sweet. Not so much creamer sweet, but sugar.

I have been playing with alternatives, but one cup is still about 60+ calories, and I'm trying to get that down. (Since I usually enjoy two cups, that's 120 cals right there...)

I've been restricting myself to one cup these past two days but I don't want to have to do that if I don't have to.

Sweet Tooths, how do you make your coffee in the morning?
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Replies

  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    I make it fit. Life is too short to do it without coffee. I probably have a few more calories per day to spend than you do, but I drink about 275 cals per day of coffee.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    I don't do "clean", I but just decided to start drinking my coffee and tea without any additions, and did it.
  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
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    I used to load my coffee with cream and sugar. This doesn't work for everyone, but I slowly backed that off and now I drink it black. Wasn't easy, but I just had way too many calories going on there. If you have a really good coffee, it makes a big difference. Otherwise, something zero calorie (personally I hate that taste) or find a way to fit into you day as was suggested above. Can't always deprive yourself. :) Just might have to make a choice where your calories come from.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
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    The solution is obviously to either reduce the amount of sugar you add, or to switch to an artificial sweetener like Stevia. Reducing the amount of sugar gradually will make it easier for you to adjust to the increased bitterness.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    I use Stevia in my coffee. Works just fine in place of sugar and there's less aftertaste than a bunch of others out there. My second choice is Truvia, but it's also made from Stevia.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
    edited February 2017
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    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    Add a zero calorie sweetener?

    This is what I do. Personally I prefer the yellow stuff and like the off-brand better than splenda.
  • brdoyle8
    brdoyle8 Posts: 38 Member
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    I'm a huge caffeine drinker too, mainly coffee. I have a Starbucks on my college campus that I frequent, and I also love Dunkin' Donuts. Yes, ordering a latte or macchiato from either of these places is calorie heavy, but I found an alternative. Note that I prefer iced coffee over hot all year round.

    I make my own cold brew in a French press (easiest coffee process ever and actually saves me time when I'm running out in the morning) I invested in a cute little reusable tumblr. I use an allnatural salted caramel coffee creamer from the grocery store by coffee mate. It's 30 calories a tablespoon (which is plenty for me to get the flavor and sweeten my coffee a bit) altogether this makes my 16-24 ounces of cold brew a day not that big of a deal in my lifestyle. I can take the calories and sugar for it just fine. Also saves me money. Less calories and cash from a coffee shop.

    Hope that helps!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,111 Member
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    Black. The only way I drink coffee any more.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
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    I like sugar free syrups. Torani, Da Vinci, and Jordan's Skinny Syrups are all good brands. You can usually find them at Ross or any of those discount department stores.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,975 Member
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    I make mine with 2 tsp sugar and 2 tbsp half and half. It is 70 calories per cup and I drink 2 cups every day. For me it is worth 140 calories of my total daily calorie goal to have coffee the way I like it. If I were drinking 5 or 6 cups a day I might rethink that. But I have been able to work in 2 cups per day without any problem.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    I think stevia (and monkfruit) are derived from plants and are not artificial sweeteners. Maybe try one of them?
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    16oz of coffee, 8oz chocolate milk (fat content of your choice), scoop of whey protein isolate. I would be drinking the protein shake anyway, so adding the coffee to it prevents adding any more calorie with creamer, sugar, etc... And it tastes very similar to a mocha!
  • misshammy
    misshammy Posts: 2 Member
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    My friend recommended Walden Farm's Syrup. But, I'm still trying to process putting syrup in coffee :)
  • Iknewyouweretrouble
    Iknewyouweretrouble Posts: 561 Member
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    I read this as clean and yes i would recommend ORGANIC coffee only, read about the farming and chemical planting it's quite eye opening. anyway aside from that, flavored black coffee- not flavor shots, flavored brew.
  • ericatoday
    ericatoday Posts: 454 Member
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    I drink two cups in one big cup in the morning with a tsp of brown sugar per cup and a 1/4 cup of hint of honey vanialla almond milk per cup.

    So 2 tsps + 1/2 cup hint of honey vanilla almond milk this comes to about 64 calories. So that's 32 calories per cup of coffee and its really good and plenty sweet for me.
  • deneenae
    deneenae Posts: 97 Member
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    Stella3838 wrote: »
    I used to load my coffee with cream and sugar. This doesn't work for everyone, but I slowly backed that off and now I drink it black. Wasn't easy, but I just had way too many calories going on there. If you have a really good coffee, it makes a big difference. Otherwise, something zero calorie (personally I hate that taste) or find a way to fit into you day as was suggested above. Can't always deprive yourself. :) Just might have to make a choice where your calories come from.

    I did the same thing. I weaned myself and got some really good coffee. I get this one coffee from New Mexico that is roasted with pine nuts. Now I enjoy the nuances of black coffee. If you simply can't think about having black coffee, just fit it in if it's worth that much to you. I do that with my wine-5 oz and I have to choose what to cut/reduce at dinner time.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    I no longer use creamer- most are so high in sodium. I do use more sugar than I should, and milk. But because of kidney stones I am supposed to eat a lot of calcium, so I don't worry about the milk. I should cut back on sugar, but for now I just fit it in.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Ive started adding some protein powder(vanilla/chocolate depending on my mood) to mine and some creamer. no sugar needed and I get some extra protein in.I also from time to time use Torani flavored syrups(they have sugar free and regular versions).
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
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    I use 1tsp sugar and about half a tsp of cocoa powder (Trader Joe's). It's not super sweet, because I don't like my coffee sweet, but the cocoa helps cut the bitterness. Total of about 25 calories per cup.

    I also try to buy organic coffee when I can. Apparently they spray the conventional beans with an antifungal before they come into the US.

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