Coffee itself is a healthy beverage, but what you add to it might change that. And these days, there are more coffee creamers than ever before.
Do you want sweetened or unsweetened? Flavored or plain? Dairy creamer or a plant-based alternative? With all these options, choosing the healthiest coffee creamer can be a difficult task. As a registered dietitian, I dissected dozens of coffee creamer labels to find the healthiest coffee creamers to add to your morning brew.
Is coffee creamer healthy?
In reality, most coffee creamers are heavily processed foods, and diets high in ultra-processed foods are associated with numerous health problems.Â
Coffee creamers may also contain some mix of saturated fats and added sugars. Too much of either is also associated with health issues, so it’s helpful to limit these substances and choose coffee creamers with less added sugar and/or saturated fat.
While coffee creamers can fit within a healthy diet, keep in mind that the information on a food label is tied to a certain serving amount. For coffee creamers, that’s typically a tablespoon. If you stir more into your coffee, you could be getting unhealthy amounts of added sugar, saturated fat and other ingredients in your creamer. This is particularly true if you’re drinking several cups of coffee per day.
Coffee creamer ingredients
The ingredients in coffee creamers depend on which type of creamer you’re choosing.
- Dairy-based cream is the most natural coffee creamer, with nothing but real milk and cream.
- Dairy-based flavored creamers may contain milk, cream (or derivatives of them), oils, flavors, sweeteners (whether artificial or natural), preservatives, thickening agents and emulsifiers.Â
- Plant-based creamers contain some mix of a plant-based milk (such as almond, oat, or coconut milk or cream), gums to thicken and mimic dairy’s creamy texture, emulsifiers, flavors and sweeteners.
- Coffee creamer powders may contain dehydrated milk, plant-based milk or a derivative of these…
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