Every American’s morning routine often starts off right with a cup of coffee. Some prefer it black while others add milk or creamer for additional flavoring. Though adding something extra might seem nice, be aware that not all creamers are created equally; some contain unhealthy additives and preservatives while other liquid varieties often have shorter shelf-lives than their dairy-based counterparts.

Good news! There are numerous options that will deliver flavor and richness without all of the extra calories and chemicals found in conventional brands. In fact, shopping wisely could mean discovering options with creamy flavors you love without all of their added sugars and trans fats.

Coffee creamer made its debut onto the food scene during the middle of the 20th century and quickly became an indispensable staple in American office breakrooms and diners. The first commercially available creamer was produced by Carnation Company in 1950 before eventually being acquired by Nestle who have since made them one of their flagship brands worldwide.

Powdered coffee creamers contain two main ingredients, sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), as a thickener. While HVO doesn’t contain trans fats, it still contains saturated fats which increase your risk of heart disease – even though manufacturers can list zero grams of saturated fat on their label, this doesn’t indicate it is trans-free.

While most coffee creamers contain sugar and saturated fats, others contain more questionable ingredients. One such ingredient is sodium aluminosilicate which may cause respiratory irritation and gastrointestinal discomfort; there have been no studies linking it with cancer; therefore it’s wiser to avoid its consumption altogether.

At its core, healthy coffee creamers consist of unflavored dairy products with minimal processing. Furthermore, many of these creamers contain functional ingredients like collagen or MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil that may help increase satiety while simultaneously decreasing calories consumed throughout the day.