Centegra Health System : Into Your Coffee Mug, Onto Your Hips

January 4th, 2018

Reconsider what goes into your morning coffee.

Does your morning routine include a 'cup of Joe' (or several)? Do you prefer your coffee black or with cream and sugar? In 2016, make it a goal to reduce the calories you consume with your everyday java.

The tasty stuff you are adding to your coffee can be a scarcely noticed source of significant calories and fat. The splash of cream and spoonful of sugar can significantly affect your daily calorie budget.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database, 8 ounces of brewed regular coffee has 2 calories per serving. That would be considered a 'free food' on most nutrition plans. What happens when you add just 1 tablespoon of half and half cream? That cup now has 22 calories. Then add a teaspoon of sugar. Now, that cup of coffee has 38 calories. If you drink two or three 8-ounce cups of coffee each morning, you consume an extra 76 to 114 calories each day. Over the course of a week, that could be an additional 532 to 798 calories from coffee alone.

Specialty coffee beverages pack an even more powerful calorie punch. While a small cup of black coffee will still have just 2 calories, a small iced coffee with sugar-free syrup will have 60 calories and a small mocha with nonfat milk will have 240 calories.

Take a little inventory of what is in your morning cup of coffee. Consider adding skim milk or a low-calorie sweetener to lower the calories in your favorite morning beverage. At the end of the year, your waistline will thank you.

Would you benefit from a nutrition consultation? If you fit one of the descriptions here you would benefit from a consultation.

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