For most people, especially college students and people with early wake up calls, coffee is an essential step in their morning routine — before class, post workout, or just to stay energized throughout the day. I love the taste of coffee, but always need a little milk or cream to make it a little less bitter. Recently, I have been trying out different substitutes for milk in my daily iced coffee to decide which tastes the best and more importantly, which has the best health benefits. After doing a little research I figured out there are tons of options, each with their own benefits. Next time you decide to add a little somethin' to your coffee, try these.
1. Oat Milk
Oat milk is one of the newer, more 'up and coming' and trendy coffee additives. Adding oat milk to your coffee screams LA vibes, and multiple bloggers rave about the health benefits and taste. Oat milk is basically a combo of oats and water and has about the same amount of calories as regular milk, but has about half the fat. Oat milk is a great option if you want a sweeter taste that's still healthy!
2. Skim Milk
For me, skim milk is the old standby. If I'm trying a new coffee shop in a different town, I always get an iced coffee with skim because its always tasty. Skim milk is a great low cal option because it has virtually no fat and doesn't add too much sweetness or flavor to the coffee, but makes the taste of coffee a little more bearable.
3. Almond Milk
Almond milk is a great alternative for people who are dairy-free or lactose intolerant. It's a smooth liquid and adds a slightly nutty flavor to iced coffee. Compared to regular milk, almond milk is much healthier coming in at less than half the fat and less than a quarter of the calories. If you're watching your weight or are calorie conscious, drink almond milk — it tastes great and is good for you!!
4. Soy Milk
Soy milk from Starbucks is one of my favorite things to add into my iced coffee or iced latte. The soy from Starbucks has a slight vanilla flavor, and the creamy flavor tastes so good mixed with a latte. Soy milk has similar nutrition facts to regular milk, minus the dairy, so its a great alternative if you're dairy-free or just want to switch it up!
5. Coconut Milk
Coconut has a sweet, creamy, and slightly coconut-y, but not overpowering flavor. It's a great additive for coffee because it has about a third of the calories of regular milk AND contains saturated fat known as medium-chain triglycerides, MCTs, which have been known to help with weight loss.
Next time you're in that Starbucks line, try mixing up your regular order with something else for a different flavor!