When trying to lose weight healthily, it is helpful to reevaluate your diet, and make sure to add more nutrients and remove unnecessary calories. One way to do this, experts tell us, is by revamping your morning coffee! While you may already be aware that high-sugar sweeteners and sugar in your cup of joe can do more harm than good, your choice of milk can also sabotage your weight loss progress.
We checked in with health and nutrition experts who recommend one plant-based milk instead of full-fat whole milk (and who also explain why!) Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Jesse Feder, RDN, CPT, registered dietitian, nutritionist and personal trainer at My Crohns and Colitis Team, Trista Best, MPH, RD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, and Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet.
Tip #1— Drink Your Coffee With Almond Milk
With so many plant-based milks on the market, it can feel overwhelming to choose one, especially if you're new to drinking them. Almond milk, Feder explains, is the optimal choice for anyone trying to lose weight who wants a healthy addition to their coffee, as it is often the lowest-calorie option.
"Almond milk is typically the lowest in calories among milks as well as milk alternatives," Feder says. This, he adds, can help "promote weight loss" due to "the significant decrease in calories compared to other milks." Feder says he recommends it "due to its mild flavoring that can still give a creamy texture to your coffee without a lot of added calories and sugar."
Richards agrees, dubbing almond milk a "staple in most dairy-free homes" for many reasons. Almond milk that is unsweetened, she stresses, "will not affect blood sugar." Almond milk is "enriched with vitamin D," which Richards deems to be an important characteristic of milk alternatives for bone health. "It is naturally low in saturated fat and cholesterol," she also notes.
#2— Skip Full-Fat Whole Milk
The worst milk option for weight loss when preparing coffee is "heavy creamer or full-fat whole milk," Feder says. They both have a high amount of "sugar, fat and calories, that can negatively affect your blood sugar, weight status, and caloric intake," he warns.
Best also names this kind of milk to be less than ideal for anyone trying to lose weight, for several reasons. "Many coffee consumers have a specific way they like their coffee and don't often veer from that," Best acknowledges. Unfortunately, for those wanting to lose weight, Best says "these coffee habits might be stalling their efforts." Full-fat dairy creamer and refined sugar are the "two coffee habits that are detrimental to weight loss," she adds, especially for those that consume more than 1 cup a day.
"These two ingredients used to lighten and sweeten coffee are high in calories, fat, carbohydrates and are quite inflammatory," she continues. Best concludes that "not only will the calories add to weight issues, but the inflammation they cause or exacerbate can make weight loss more difficult as well." Noted!
