Many of us love coffee, but don’t quite have the intestinal fortitude to drink it black. Plus, adding the flavor and texture of coffee creamer can take it from “the stuff I’ve got to drink to function properly” to an indulgent treat. Adding coffee creamer to your drink isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it could be adding a lot of fat, sugar and empty calories to your diet if you use it indiscriminately.

Is coffee creamer sabotaging your healthy eating efforts? Read on for some more information from Pampa, TX’s flavored coffee suppliers.

Everything in moderation

If you’re drinking about a tablespoon of coffee creamer per day, you’re probably not going to harm your diet too much—but if you prefer a half-and-half ratio of creamer to coffee, and you drink that multiple times per day, the fat and sugar really start to add up. Start paying attention to how many cups per day you drink, and how much creamer you add to your cup. (If you’re not good at estimating tablespoons, use one for your creamer. We bet you’ll be surprised at just how much you’re pouring into your cup.) If you find out that you’re getting an extra 500 calories a day from your coffee creamer alone, you’ll know what to do to mitigate the damage!

What’s in this stuff, anyway?

If you’re using skim milk, milk, half and half or even heavy cream, you know what’s going into your drink—but if you’re using flavored creamer, you’re consuming a lot of other ingredients that aren’t so great for you. Sugar and hydrogenated oil (a trans fat) raises your bad cholesterol—in fact, one tablespoon of creamer is about the daily recommended allowance for trans fats.

Unfortunately, even powdered creamers won’t get around this—they’re still made with palm kernel oil and other partially-hydrogenated fats.

What to drink instead of coffee creamer

So now that we’ve taken the fun out of your coffee creamer (for your health!), what’s left? Well, you can always try flavored coffee from your supplier in Pampa, TX, which will give you some of the sweetness without added sugars or trans fats. If you just can’t stomach coffee black, even flavored coffee, try plant, nut or dairy milk to smooth the flavor—aim for something that doesn’t add a lot of extra sugar to your drink.

Finally, some experts suggest adding monk fruit to your coffee—it has natural sugars, but also tons of antioxidants, which are great for your health. (Coffee is already one of the biggest sources of antioxidants in the American diet, so why not add even more?)

Although you might be disappointed to cut back on your favorite coffee creamer, there are plenty of healthy—and delicious—alternatives. At the very least, being conscious of what you’re drinking (and how much of it) will help you be aware of what kind of fats and sugars you’re consuming.

Need a reliable local flavored coffee supplier in Pampa, TX? Reach out to Armstrong Coffee Service today.