People love adding extras to their morning coffee cup, like creamer or half and half. Although these two products may appear similar at first glance, they actually contain very different ingredients – those looking for healthier options should switch to creamer as it contains lower calories with no sugar or fat added.

Coffee creamer has quickly become an essential household product. Made of dairy ingredients and with only two ingredients (milk and half and half), coffee creamer offers a richer yet lighter alternative than heavy whipping cream; making it the ideal complement to coffee, tea, or other hot beverages. Furthermore, its light consistency also allows it to be used in recipes requiring creamy textures like homemade ice cream and soups – such as Organic Valley’s Grassmilk Half and Half with its 10% fat content.

Coffee creamer tends to be much more processed than other dairy products and often contains preservatives, stabilizers and emulsifiers to extend shelf life. Therefore, it’s wise to read labels before purchasing coffee creamers as some may contain artificial sweeteners or harmful ingredients that could affect health.

Nestle’s Coffee Mate and International Delight, two popular varieties of coffee creamer, do not contain actual cream. Instead, these creamers typically feature water, sugar and vegetable oils (palm or soybean). Carrageenan may be present, which is derived from seaweed that may cause digestive issues for some individuals. If this ingredient bothers you, look for non-dairy alternatives using stevia extract as sweetener or other safer sweeteners as an alternative.