Protein Coffee!

Have you ever thought about the nutritional facts behind the coffee you’re feeding your body every morning to wake up?  Do you sit at your desk all day and find that you’re not getting much exercise?

When most people drink coffee, they like to add sweeteners to it to improve taste.  Many people think that by adding half & half sweetener (instead of table sugar) and reduced-fat creamer (instead of regular creamer) are healthy alternatives.  Although these options are lower in calories/fat than regular sugar and creamer, they still carry a hefty punch!

Cup of coffee (8oz): 5 calories
1 tbs of half & half sweetener: 20 calories
1 tbs of flavored, reduced-fat creamer: 40 calories
Total: 65 calories per 8oz cup.

Typically, a person has about 2 cups of coffee in the morning.   This brings the total up to 130 calories. 

Let’s say you had 2 cups of coffee every day.  If you were to drop the sweetener and creamer, and drink the coffee black, you would cut 43,800 calories from your diet each year.  That’s equivalent to 12.5 lbs lost!  (This is if you didn’t change your diet or exercise habits at all throughout the year)

This number always amazes me because people think they are being smart by adding the low calorie sweetener and reduced-fat creamer.  I used to be one of these people!  I now try to avoid the creamer and half & half  packets.

Not only does this sweetener carry extra fat and calories, it also doesn’t offer many nutritional benefits.  Where’s the protein that our body would love to have in the morning?

Drinking coffee black may give you the energy you are seeking in the morning, but does it carry nutritional value?

Coffee has no fat and may even increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories throughout the day, however I feel it’s only downfall is that it’s lacking some protein.

When you’re like me and workout every day, you don’t really mind the extra calories that are consumed by adding sweeteners to your drink. Your metabolism is on high speed and your body has turned into a calorie burning machine.  The thing that bothers me abotu this option is that the artificial sugar and creamer offer no nutritional value to my drink!  The one thing exercisers may want to consider is adding more nutrients to their morning cup of coffee. 

There’s a better solution to half & half and reduced fat creamer….ADD PROTEIN POWDER! 

I always have a hard time getting enough protein in my diet every day.  A great way to add protein to your breakfast is by adding your favorite protein powder to your morning cup of coffee!

I have tried adding chocolate and vanilla protein powder to my cup of joe and I’m a big fan of the vanilla flavor in my coffee.  It tastes just like creamer!

By adding 1/4  scoop of protein powder to each of your cups of coffee, you can get all the benefits that coffee offers, plus some of your daily protein!

Cup of coffee (8oz): 5 calories
1/4 cup of Vanilla Protein Powder: 27 calories & 6 grams of protein
Total: 32 calories & 6 grams of protein per 8oz cup.

If you have your regular two cups of coffee, that would leave you with consuming 64 calories and 12 grams of protein!  NOT BAD AT ALL!  Now you have the flavor in your coffee to make it taste delicious and get the same amount of protein equivalent to 2 large eggs!

Now…who want’s some protein coffee?

**Erin**

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