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What Sweetener Are Healthy to Use in Coffee?
Unbeknownst to them, many coffee drinkers unwittingly add calories and saturated fats to their morning cup through creamers and sweeteners such as sugar or flavored creamers that can contain up to 17 calories and one gram of fat per tablespoon – contributing to weight gain as well as raising risks of heart disease and diabetes.
There are plenty of healthier ways to add sweetness to your morning cup, from natural, plant-based sweeteners that satisfy sweet tooth to providing essential nutrition for overall wellbeing.
These sweeteners can also help reduce your sugar consumption while remaining healthy for you. Stevia is an example of such an alternative sweetener; it contains no calories or carbs and is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, making even small amounts enough to add an incredible sweetness to coffee drinks! Plus, for those living with diabetes it won’t cause blood sugar spikes or contribute to tooth decay!
Honey is another natural sweetener that can help reduce calories in your morning cup while providing essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But keep in mind that honey still contains many calories; therefore use sparingly.
Maple syrup is an all-natural sweetener that adds an indulgent, satisfying sweetness to coffee, as well as providing essential iron, zinc, and manganese nutrients. Like stevia, maple syrup doesn’t rot your teeth like sugar and could potentially prevent high blood pressure according to a 2020 National Center for Biotechnology Information study.
Monk fruit extract, a zero-calorie sweetener derived from monk fruit, is another popular natural sugar substitute that’s widely used as an anti-inflammatory and diet soda sweetener. Unfortunately, though it doesn’t retain its sweetness in hot beverages.
Coconut palm sugar is another delicious, sugar-free sweetener made from the sugary fluid circulating within coconut trees. With similar consistency to white sugar and several beneficial nutrients such as potassium, calcium magnesium and iron it may replace traditional white sugar altogether.
