How to Flavor Drinks without Sugar
By Sara Butler
You may love a nice cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but are you getting more than you bargained for as a result? Adding a little creamer or sugar to your morning cup isn’t that terrible for you, but how many cups do you have in a day? It adds up quick and all those extra calories and added sugar can have a big impact on your health and wellness. Here are a few ways you can flavor your coffee or tea that won’t add sugar to your day.
What’s Wrong with Creamer?
Nondairy creamers are very popular in both coffee and tea, but they should be used with caution! Even creamers made with almond milk, soy, or rice milk are often packed with corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oil, and food stabilizers that can impact your gut health. The sugar can be very high in these creamers as well, so make sure you look at how many grams of sugar there are in a serving before you buy it!
Cinnamon
Adding a little cinnamon to your coffee grounds when brewing coffee can add a hint of sweetness. Instead of trying to add it to already brewed coffee, stir a little into the grounds in the coffee maker. The hint of sweetness provided by the cinnamon can be just enough to help you forgo other sugarier options!
Make Your Own Creamer
If you love cream in your coffee or tea, consider making your own. You can use coconut milk with a drop of vanilla extract in your coffee to add creaminess without all the sugar. If you want to go a little more luxurious, then you can heat a can of coconut milk over low heat and add a vanilla bean for 10 minutes. Allow it to steep for about an hour and voila! DIY vanilla creamer!
Orange Peel
Adding sliced oranges to coffee and tea can add good flavor. Make sure you rinse the orange under very hot water to remove residue before cutting it. Add a slice to your beverage or pour coffee or tea over it to really extract flavor.
Add Some Cocoa
If you’re a fan of hot chocolate or mocha-flavored coffee, consider adding cocoa to your coffee. You can make a slurry of one tablespoon of cocoa powder and milk, then pour hot coffee into the mug. It adds a chocolate punch that will help curb your chocolate cravings without all that added sugar.
Reducing sugar in your diet is important to your continued health and wellness, so try a few of these tips to help!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Las Vegas, Nev.