Many people prefer their coffee with some creamy or sweet additions like milk, creamer, or sugar to add creaminess and sweetness. Unfortunately, though these items may seem healthy options when considering their saturated fat levels, sugar content, and caloric intake.

Although milk contains calcium, protein, and vitamins A-E, it also contains added sugars which should be limited daily – between 36-25 grams depending on gender – with most of it coming from lactose naturally occurring within milk products such as reduced-fat or nonfat milk being generally healthier options due to lessened added sugar intake and saturated fat consumption.

Coffee creamers come in all forms – from big plastic bottles of CoffeeMate to single-serve packets available at diners – but most contain sugar and unhealthy saturated fats that can have harmful repercussions for health. Even “low-cal” or “nonfat” creamers contain calories and saturated fat – up to 4 grams per tablespoon!

Skim and whole milk both present unique challenges: while they might have lower saturated fat levels, they also tend to contain higher sodium levels and may leave behind a chalky aftertaste that some find unpleasant. A non-dairy alternative such as soy, almond or coconut creamer typically offers lower caloric intake while being more expensive; these options also contain less protein or calcium content so may require mixing with other ingredients for an ideal flavor and consistency experience.

One way to make coffee more healthful is to add powdered milk alternatives like oat or rice milk as a dairy replacement, like Trader Joe’s Oat Creamer which contains low calories and saturated fat. These alternatives provide additional nutritional benefits while still maintaining thickness like dairy creamers do – it might just take some experimentation! For an example of such product use Trader Joe’s Oat Creamer is an option!

If you’re trying to reduce processed sugars and saturated fats while still wanting sweet beverages, one way you could do so would be by swapping out your coffee creamer with something like Splenda or Truvia that contains stevia as an artificial sweetener – this will help ensure that your daily added sugar consumption falls under AHA recommendations of 36 grams a day.

As an additional boost, try enhancing the nutritional value of your morning brew by including protein powder. Not only will this give your morning beverage more protein but will help ensure you remain full and satisfied throughout the morning.