Would You Like a Little Coffee With Your Cream and Sugar?
Do you like a cup or two of coffee in the morning, to help get you going?
Do you have that coffee in a cup of cream and sugar (so to speak)?
Here are a few tips on cutting down the amount of extra calories you take in, through your cup or three of coffee.
Tip #1: Know What You Use
Do you measure out the amount of creamer and sugar you use, or do you just dump them in until it seems right?
If you don’t measure, you’re probably taking in more calories than you think. For example, a serving is a tablespoon. A popular sugar-free vanilla creamer (International Delight) has 20 calories per tablespoon. Not too bad, right?
If you like your coffee medium, you’re likely using two tablespoons – 40 calories. If you like your coffee light, that may be three to four tablespoons – 60 to 80 calories.
An extra 40 calories a day is 4 pounds in a year.
Measure what you normally drink — don’t just dump it in.
Tip #2: Fill Your Cup to the Top
Ok, say you’re in a place where you can’t measure what you put in your cup. In this case, limit your calories by filling your cup with coffee up to almost the very top.
The reason? You don’t have as much room to put in creamer, so you’ll use less.
Tip #3: Read The Label
Don’t assume that "fat free" or "sugar free" on the label automatically means lower calories — check to make sure!
I’ve seen plenty of fat-free creamers and a few sugar-free ones that have more calories than the real thing!
Tip #4: What Size is Your Cup…and How Often?
Do you drink your coffee in a 10-ounce mug, or an economy-sized 20 ounce cup? If you use a large cup or mug (over 12 ounces), you’re very likely taking in more caffeine and calories than you think.
And how many cups of coffee do you drink a day? A 12-ounce mug is a cup and a half. If you drink more than 16 ounces of sweetened coffee per day, you might try cutting back to cut calories.
So many people make the mistake of not counting their coffee calories in their diet plans. Sure, coffee doesn’t have calories — but what we put into it does!