Best coffee creamer for weight loss

What is the best coffee creamer for weight loss?

In this post, I’ll show you,

• The 2 best dairy creamers for weight loss – specific brands, nutritional info, and serving size
• The 3 best dairy-free creamer options that are still low in sugar (so you don’t overload your liver and pile on the fat)
• How to make your own DIY dairy creamer (if you’re really hardcore)
• What ingredients to watch out for in store-bought creamers so you can make a good decision for weight loss
• An infographic summarizing my top 5 brands of coffee creamers (+ a downloadable cheat sheet that tells you about what I use in my coffee!)

Want to learn more? Read on. 

Why some coffee creamers make you gain weight

I used to worship my French vanilla coffee creamer. It was an experience of sweetness and comfort, a feeling of satisfaction and decadence that I got to indulge in every single morning.

It was the brightest moment of my morning tasting the smooth, sweet vanilla mingled with coffee as it filled my mouth with pleasure. Deep down, I knew there was way too much sugar in it, and it was definitely not the best coffee creamer for weight loss.

When I got serious about losing weight, I had to be really honest with myself about what I was eating and drinking every day. I tried to hide my sugary coffee creamer from my own awareness, but eventually, I knew I had to face it.

I slowly turned the creamer bottle around and read the nutrition label. It said 5 grams of sugar.

“Hey! That’s not so bad!” I thought. But then I looked at the serving size – 1 tablespoon.

Hmmm.

I measured it out and realized that to get to my favorite “color” of coffee, I needed 4 tablespoons! That meant I was drinking 20 grams of sugar at least once a day, usually more with a second cup in the afternoon.

And as you might know, sugar is really bad for your weight. And not only that. Sugar increases the risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes. 

So, I set out to find the best coffee creamer for weight loss.  

Now I usually just have black coffee with cinnamon for a little sweetness. But sometimes I do like to have a creamier version, and many of my clients do too.

What ARE the best coffee creamers? Let’s take a look. 

What is the best coffee creamer for weight loss?

The best way to add a little creaminess to your coffee is by using real food ingredients such as 1%, 2%, or whole milk.

Even though milk has lactose, a natural form of sugar, it also has protein, Vitamins A, D, B12, and calcium. These vitamins need a little bit of fat to be absorbed by the body, so this small amount of fat in a dash of milk is actually a good thing. (1)

Milk with more fat will also keep you more satisfied than non-fat and low-fat milk.

You can use whatever milk you like, but generally speaking organic whole milk from cows with access to pasture feeding will be higher in Omega 3s. (2) Omega 3s are highly anti-inflammatory, so they’re amazing for weight-loss.  

Here are some popular organic milk brands to choose from.

1. Organic Valley Whole Milk

34 Calories, 2g fat, 12g carbs, 8g protein (3g sugar, 0g fiber) – Serving size ¼ cup (3)

The only ingredients are organic grade A milk and Vitamin D, which is what you want to see. It’s always best to avoid any milk with extra fillers or stabilizers because they can cause bloating.

This brand also ensures there are no antibiotics, synthetic hormones, or pesticides. The less of that stuff you put in your body the better!

2. Organic Horizon Whole Milk

4 calories, 2g fat, 13g carbs, 8g protein (3g sugar, 0g fiber) – Serving size ¼ cup (4)

As another example of simple, real ingredients this milk another great choice as the best coffee creamer for weight loss. Just whole grade A organic milk and Vitamin D in Horizon brand milk.

If you can spring for a little more, get the grass-fed version for a higher dose of Omega 3s.

Healthy Non-Dairy coffee creamer alternatives

Store-bought dairy creamers are loaded with sugar, and mysterious ingredients to prolong shelf life. Non-fat and low-fat dairy creamers with alluring flavors like French vanilla have lots of sugar and dangerous partially hydrogenated oils.

This is because food manufacturers are trying to make it taste as good as possible so it sells. But all that sugar and those unhealthy oils are a fast-track to weight gain. Here’s why.

These artificial ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils are sneaky ways food companies are putting trans fats that are linked to obesity (specifically belly fat) diabetes, heart disease, and more serious health issues. Don’t fall for it!

If you don’t drink dairy or want another easy creamy option you can easily pick up at the store, here are some excellent non-dairy creamer options. They’re better because they don’t have the partially hydrogenated oils and are lower in sugar overall.

3. Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk Creamer

10 calories, 0.5g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein  (0g sugar, 0g fiber,) (6)

Although there are some gums and fillers to make this creamer more shelf-stable and creamier, overall it has a minimal amount of processed ingredients. There’s always a trade-off between convenience and the closest thing to whole foods. This is a good middle ground.

Ingredients: Almond milk (Water, Almonds), Coconut Cream, Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Flavors, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum

4. Califia Farms Vanilla Almond Milk Creamer

15 calories, 1g fat, 2g carbs, 0g protein (2g sugar, 0g fiber) (7)

This is the perfect solution for vanilla creamer addicts who want a low-sugar option. Made with no hydrogenated oils, and healthy plant-based ingredients, this vanilla almond milk creamer satisfies and is definitely the best coffee creamer for weight loss.

Ingredients: Almondmilk (Water, Almonds), Coconut Cream, Pure Cane Sugar, Natural  Flavors, Sunflower Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum

5. SoDelicious Coconut Milk – French Vanilla

20 calories, 1g fat, 4g carbs, 0g protein (3g sugar, 0g fiber) (8)

Ingredients: Organic Coconut milk (Filtered Water, Organic Coconut Cream), Organic Cane Sugar, Potassium Citrate, Natural Flavor, Gellan Gum.

Here’s a summary infographic.

6. DIY Almond Milk

Whether you’re dairy-free or not, homemade almond milk is a subtly sweet, creamy option that’s actually way easy to make.

Plus, it’s free of fillers like carrageenan, which can cause inflammation and bloating.   

Here’s a simple almond milk recipe from Detoxinista.

How to Make Homemade Almond Milk

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 4 cups

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup almonds, soaked in water for 4-6 hours
• 4 cups Filtered Water

Instructions

 

• Drain the soaked almonds and rinse them well. (Discard the soaking water.) Combine all of the almonds and fresh water in a blender, and blend the almond have broken down and the milk looks creamy.
• Strain the almond milk through a nut-milk bag or cheese cloth, squeezing well to extract the extra liquid. You can save the remaining almond pulp for another recipe, or discard.
• Store the almond milk in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. (You can freeze leftovers, if needed, for up to 3 months, too!)

Notes

For an extra-special treat, try adding 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or 2 pitted dates to the mixture before blending. The resulting almond milk is extra-creamy, sweet, and irresistible!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Add a teaspoon of both honey and cinnamon for a touch of sweetness and mega health benefits.

Grab your Sweet Spice Cheat Sheet for a little known way to make your coffee LESS sugary – but still sweet!   

Is sugar-free or powdered coffee creamer bad for you?

In short, yeah, it kind of is. Here’s why.

Sugar-free is a bit of a misnomer because even sugar-free creamers have ingredients like corn syrup solids (dried corn syrup), partially hydrogenated oils (bad news for weight loss), and maltodextrin (another word for sugar). (9)

To make sure you’re using the best coffee creamer for weight loss, watch out for sugar or artificial sweeteners, and too many mystery ingredients.

Also, avoid carrageenan, which is a highly inflammatory stabilizer a lot of creamer companies use. (10) Read more about why an anti-inflammatory diet is so important for weight loss here.