If you’ve chosen to go dairy-free, odds are it’s not just because the cool kids are doing it. Choosing non-dairy products to incorporate into your daily routine can be difficult, time-consuming, and even frustrating. With so many non-dairy alternatives, finding the right one to suit your needs can feel more frustrating than rewarding.
The stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to your morning coffee. The difference between an amazing non-dairy creamer and an off-brand option can make or break the start of your day, setting the tone for everything you’re looking to accomplish. Morning coffee is a staple for most of us, and creamer serves as the defining factor for a great or not-so-great morning.
Coffee creamer, dairy-free or not, is a red flag grocery store product if you’re trying to eat healthy. Here’s why: with tons of added sweeteners, fillers, thickeners and artificial flavors, finding a creamer with ingredients that do more good than harm can feel nearly impossible.
If you’re making a commitment to non-dairy, you shouldn’t also have to commit to a search of the entire grocery store to find one product that delivers great taste and high-quality ingredients. In fact, healthy eating habits should only introduce a single change into your life: how great your body feels as a result. When you’re considering one non-dairy coffee creamer over another, here are a few priorities we recommend to keep top of mind:
Peppermint mochas are amazing, but they come at a price: stirring heavily sugared creamer in your coffee every single day can quickly introduce damaging ingredients into the very start of your day. If you take a look at the nutritional label on upscale coffee creamers, you’re likely to notice two things. The first is the number of grams of added sugar in just one serving, and the second is the list of gums, emulsifiers and/or thickeners, or the high fructose corn syrup listed as the first or second ingredient. What might look delicious on the front of the packaging slowly becomes less appealing once you reach the back.
Unfortunately, not all non-dairy creamers are as innocent as they appear, with some of them containing more water than actual almond milk, or just the same amount of sugar as any other creamer. However, with some inspection, you’ll find the diamonds in the rough, the plain and simple, non-dairy, sugar-free, additive-free creamers. Our favorite is our BUBS Naturals MCT Oil Powder, but we’re biased.
This is a bit of a no-brainer category, but we think it warrants mentioning. If you’re going non-dairy, you want to make sure you know exactly what alternative to dairy you’re choosing. As an example, for someone with a nut allergy, nut-based alternatives can’t be considered.
Luckily, with so many companies offering plant-based products, alternatives from coconuts to oats to hemp can be found in the market.
There’s a fine line when it comes to coffee creamer. You want it to taste good, to enhance the rich flavor or espresso or pour-over, but you still want to be able to taste your coffee! Many coffee creamers can quickly overpower the flavor of your brew, transforming your coffee into a cup of hazelnut or french vanilla with a side of dark roast.
Finding a healthy non-dairy creamer with just the right amount of flavor is no small task. You might have to taste test a creamer or two to find the perfect match for your Colombian brew. Or, you could take our word for it and try the subtly enhancing flavor of our BUBS Naturals MCT Oil Powder. With just a hint of coconut, your morning brew might never be the same.
We don’t know if “blendability” is a word, but we’re going to pretend it is for a moment. Have you ever poured creamer into your coffee only to watch it separate into tiny particles the moment you stir it? It separates from the coffee to create an unappealing layer at the top of your mug, completely defeating the purpose of adding creamer to your coffee.
When choosing a non-dairy creamer, it not only has to enhance the taste, but it should perfect the texture as well. It needs superb blendability. No more of this separating nonsense! That’s why we also have our Magic Mixing Wand. Because our MCT Oil Powder has perfect “blendability” and because we love that good frothy top.
Everything you put into your body will be utilized in some way - for better or for worse - making it vitally important to use the good stuff! And by “good stuff” we mean those ingredients known to offer bona fide health benefits.
For example, if you opt for coconut creamer, you’ll benefit from the high mineral content, healthy fats and antioxidants of the coconuts. Perhaps the flavor of hemp creamer is more to your liking. Hemp offers benefits like increased protein content and a lower calorie count than regular dairy.
Switching to non-dairy shouldn’t be daunting. With an increase in healthy non-dairy alternatives, it’s never been easier to make the switch. Even so, keep a wary eye out for poorly chosen ingredients, and strive to give your body the best. We’re confident that you’re already familiar with the best: BUBS Naturals MCT Oil Powder, rich in all the right ingredients without compromising texture or flavor. Trust us - your morning coffee (and your gut) will thank you.