How to Cut the Number of Calories Coffee in Half

Store-bought coffees are delicious, but they can contain hundreds of calories per serving.

A steaming cup of coffee is the perfect start to many people's mornings. There is nothing better to help you wake up and jump out of bed than the sharp, pleasant aroma of freshly brewed coffee. However, as coffee has become a trendier treat and a popular way to pass time with friends and coworkers, coffee shops have, in many cases, taken the place of the old home brewed pot--and a single medium coffee with all the trimmings can have as many as 510 calories in a single cup! Fortunately, if you are aware of the pitfalls, you can cut these calories nearly in half while still enjoying your morning treat.

Things You'll Need

• Packets of your own sucrose-based sweetener

Instructions

How to Cut the Number of Calories in Coffee in Half

1. 

   Use skim milk instead of cream. Cream can double the calories all on its own, and skim milk--or even two percent--will dramatically decrease the amount of fat calories in your drink.

2. Try a flavored roast.Instead of using a flavored cream such as French vanilla, cinnamon or hazelnut, try that flavor of coffee bean instead. You will still get the aroma and flavor that you enjoy, but without the high carbohydrate and calorie count.

3. Lose the whipped cream. Whipped cream has over 150 calories in a single serving, and many coffee shops swirl on as many as two whole servings of the stuff each time you order a coffee. Simply foregoing the dessert topping can turn your coffee back into a much healthier drink. If you must have whipped cream, then use fat free, sugar free whipped cream.

4. Order espresso or latte-based drinks. These drinks are largely coffee and milk, and can be made with skim milk to decrease the calorie count further. Drinks like mochas and cappuccinos have more toppings and other additions that make them much higher in sugar.

5. Sweeten your coffee yourself. Instead of letting the barrista make your coffee into a sweet treat, tell them you will sweeten it yourself. You then can use an artificial sweetener of your own choosing instead of the sugary syrups favored by many coffee shops.

6. 

   Go back to brewing your own. Making your own version of a coffee shop treat is half as expensive as well as having half the calories. You can use artificial sweeteners, skim milk and sugar free whipped cream for a tasty treat with a calorie count totally under your control.

Tips & Warnings

• If you cannot give up coffee shop coffee, then try to limit yourself to a single cup a day. Drink it in the morning so that your body has all day to burn off the calories, and drink water, tea or regular coffee the rest of the day.

• Drinking too much coffee without drinking enough water can lead to serious kidney problems and urinary tract infections.

Resources

• Check out the calorie counts of your favorite coffees.