I’m a coffee addict. And a coffee snob. The good news is black coffee has 0 calories, and a cup a day can help increase your metabolic processes; however, the problem with black coffee is it’s gross.
Fresh, high-quality black coffee is tolerable, (I’d even call it delicious if it’s from Alfred) but the coffee I drink is normally stale, watery and from a library or a gas station. So basically vomit-inducing without something to mask the dirt taste.
I’ve been trying to wean myself off of creamer every since I started drinking coffee on the daily, and can usually get away with just a splash of vanilla almond milk, but it’s hard to resist a dirty chai latte or some hazelnut creamer.
The problem with these yummy coffee drinks and additives is that they can easily turn your morning coffee into a dessert. Even a tall Vanilla Latte from Starbucks has 200 calories, 5g of fat, 28g of carbs, 27g of sugar, and 125mg of sodium.
I hate to crush your dreams, but a tall Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino from Starbucks has 340 calories, 13g of fat, 53g of carbs, 52g of sugar, and 180mg of sodium. Personally, I’d rather consume my calories and sugar in cookies, fro-yo or cheesecake instead of coffee.
Photo by Alexa Nakamura
Enter Leaner Creamer, an all-natural coffee creamer meant to suppress appetite and promote weight loss. Sounds too good to be true, right?
Photo by Alexa Nakamura
I was so intrigued by the premise of Leaner Creamer that I decided to try my luck and email the company. To my surprise, I got a reply right away and they were generous enough to let me try some for myself.
Leaner Creamer is a powder made from coconut oil, which studies have shown can help speed up metabolism. I never had a powdered coffee creamer before, so I was a little hesitant at first.
As soon as I opened the bottle, my fears melted away due to the delicious vanilla, coconut aroma. The powder dissolved super easily in my hot coffee with just a few stirs. It was nothing like the chunky powdery mess, which ensues every time I try to make hot chocolate.
On the taste alone I was sold. I’m not the person who usually puts 2 Stevias and a lot of half-and-half into their coffee, so I thought it was delicious and delicate without tasting artificial or being overwhelmingly sweet. Every time I use it, my roommates tell me my coffee smells extra good.
Photo by Alexa Nakamura
So it tastes good, but is it really healthier than CoffeeMate? I’m not the FDA, but I think so.
Traditional coffee creamers, like CoffeeMate, don’t seem like a bad alternative to milk or half-and-half at first glance: “Non-Dairy, Lactose-Free, Cholestrol-Free, Gluten-Free” (side note: all dairy-like liquids shouldn’t contain gluten because gluten is WHEAT).
If you take a closer look at the nutrition label though you’ll see that there are 35 calories, 5 g of carbs, and 5g of sugar in just one tablespoon. I know when I pour CoffeeMate into my coffee I try to do it with caution, but I end up accidentally pouring half the bottle in, so probably double or triple those stats.
Photo by Alexa Nakamura
One teaspoon of Leaner Creamer has 10 calories, 1g of carbs, and 0g of sugar. Because it is a powder, it’s a lot easier to control how much you are actually consuming as well.
After I drink Leaner Creamer, I feel fuller than I do when I drink regular coffee creamer because of the healthy fats from the coconut oil, so it could theoretically suppress appetite. Leaner Creamer also gets bonus points for their cute vintage milk bottle packaging.
Will drinking Leaner Creamer magically give you a beach bod overnight? No, but nothing can do that. I wish there was a shortcut to being healthy, but there’s not. I am definitely not the poster child for this, but the key to healthy eating habits is balance.
Leaner Creamer is a better choice than CoffeeMate that can help inspire you to make other healthy substitutions.
Drink Leaner Creamer and eat a salad for dinner, so you can have that occasional brownie. Or at least if you do eat a whole pizza and drink Leaner Creamer, you’re still being healthier than if you ate the pizza and a Vanilla Frappuccino.
Inspired to make some other healthy switches? These articles can help: