If you're among the millions of Americans determined to cut back on calories and focus increased attention on the nutritional value of foods, you might want to include coffee on your short list of non-fat, low-calorie beverages. From a nutritional standpoint, brewed coffee has virtually no fats, no carbohydrates, no cholesterol, and trace amounts of sodium (primarily a byproduct of the water used to brew the coffee and not the coffee itself). Brewed coffee also contains few calories. If a food label were required for coffee—which it is not—it would resemble the image to the left.Flavored coffees are also free of calories and carbs and offer no additional nutritional value. We add no sugars or sweeteners of any kind to our flavored coffees. Although they may taste sweetly decadent, flavored coffees are guilt-free indulgences.
That said, coffee does offer a host of trace minerals (Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Manganese) and is a good source of Potassium, Pantothenic Acid and Riboflavin. Since coffee contains more chemical properties (over 800) than any other beverage on earth, scientific evidence continues to mount on its many health benefits.
As to coffee's dietary advantages, let us offer a case in point. When one of our customers began a diet and exercise program several years ago, she feared that her love of chocolate would limit her ability to reach her desired weight goal. She had reason to worry since her office was located next door to a gourmet chocolate shop! So, she relied on our own sweetly sinful, yet nearly calorie-free, chocolate flavored coffee to satisfy her cravings. When an urge for chocolate surfaced, she brewed up our coffee rather than succumb to her temptation for the real thing. Her success with the diet and exercise program was nothing short of phenomenal as she dropped from a dress size of 14 to an 8! She credits our coffee as a key factor in helping her to shed the pounds—and to keep them off.
Although black coffee has virtually no nutritional impact, the calorie-laden items you might add to coffee will dial up those numbers. And if what you’re really doing is adding a little bit of coffee to a large cup of steamed milk (with a few tablespoons of flavored syrups to boot!), the results can be dramatic. If you’re watching your diet, be sure to watch what you’re putting into your cup! One option is to brew your own coffee drinks at home, taking care to choose low-fat, low-calorie alternatives for some of the richer ingredients. This approach might include substituting flavored coffee as the base for drinks to reduce the amount of sweetened flavorings you add —all in pursuit of a healthier, slimmer you.