3 Tricks to Make Your Favorite Takeaway Coffee Low in Sugar
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Do you have a coffee order you absolutely love? When you’re trying to eat a bit healthier it can be daunting to change all the small habits. Here is one that you can try to keep your coffee yummy but also drastically reduce the glycemic load on your system.
I am a coffee addict. I love to have at least one or two cups a day, and often like to switch up my order. The seasonal drinks are what get me. Though I’m not a PSL fan, I do love a Vanilla Creme Cold Brew, a Caramel Macchiato, or a classic hot Mocha. With my goal this year of reducing my sugar intake as much as possible I knew I needed to tackle my coffee order. Most of the time I make coffee at home in my Bialetti Moka Pot (click the link to find my favorite brand.) However, I love to get an iced coffee for a long drive which happens once or twice a month.
So, I did some research and found a few different tricks to retain that rich flavor of whatever seasonal coffee is on hand, and lower the sugars to 10g. Since I’m only having this once or twice a month, that works just fine for me. The one struggle I did find is that most of the seasonal flavors are not offered in sugar free form, but in tip 2 I have the perfect way to balance that all out.
First, switch to a plant based milk.
Whether you choose almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk, each of these have less sugar than most low-fat dairy milks. This is because whenever a company removes fat from a product they add sugar to keep it tasting good.
Second, swap out the syrup.
A Venti or large coffee often has over 5 pumps of syrup. When you look at a Classic Vanilla Bean, like this Torani one, you can see it has 10g of sugar per pump. (1 Tbsp is equal to 1 pump.) That means most popular coffee drinks carry well over 50g of sugar! Yikes!
However, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor all together. Many times the popular syrup is not offered in a sugar free variety, so this is what I do.
Last night I ordered the brand new Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso from Starbucks. I asked the barista and she said usually it has 5 pumps of Toasted Vanilla in a venti. I was on a late night long drive home, and wanted the caffeine of a venti. Instead of ordering it just like that, I asked for 2 pumps of Toasted Vanilla syrup plus 2 pumps of sugar free vanilla. That way I was able to taste the yummy toasty flavor, but keep the sugars down to 11g. Still a little high for my liking, but a whole lot better than 50g.
Third, order a shaken blonde espresso.
Blonde or light roast espresso has a lot less acidity than a dark roast, so it’s easier on the tummy. Having it shaken actually reduces the bitterness quite a bit. Even at home, when I make an iced coffee I give it a good shake and the frothiness really brings out a more fruity flavor.
I hope these tips help make your favorite coffee low sugar and keep it just as yummy! If you enjoyed this, you can pin these tips and share them with friends!
~Kristen
