The Healthiest And Unhealthiest Creamers For Your Coffee

If you don't like to drink your coffee black, you might add a splash of milk, half-and-half or heavy cream and a spoonful of sugar or sweetener. With creamer, you kill two birds with one stone because it's creamy and, most of the time, it's sweetened, so you don't need to add extra sugar. Some basic flavors include hazelnut, French vanilla and caramel, but you can find exotic varieties like Funfetti and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, too.

Because of convenience and customizability, creamer is a popular addition to America's cup of joe. However, it's not always especially healthy. If you use store-bought creamer regularly, it's smart to know which ones are best and worst for your health. Some are higher in fat, calories and sugar. Some are made with just a few ingredients while others sound more like chemistry experiments. They've been listed here in order from generally unhealthy to healthy.

International Delight offers creamers inspired by some of America's favorite chocolate candies, including Hershey's and Almond Joy. It's no surprise that these aren't healthy, but they will turn your coffee into a delicious treat. Each tablespoon has around 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 5 grams of sugar. On the bright side, your at-home blend will likely have less sugar than a seasonal latte from one of the best coffee chains in America.

Like International Delight, Coffee Mate gets creative with its creamers. The brand is keen on adding seasonal flavors to its arsenal of sweet creamers, but some core products include crème brulée, hazelnut, caramel macchiato and Italian sweet cream. They all have similar nutritional profiles, racking up 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 5 grams of sugar per tablespoon.

Coffee Mate's French vanilla creamer has the same nutritional value as its competitor, International Delight. It has 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 5 grams of sugar in each tablespoon of this rich vanilla flavor.

Even though sugar-free options obviously contain less sugar than their regular counterparts, International Delight is made with palm oil and just a slight amount of corn syrup along with the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium. This sugar-free French vanilla creamer contains just 20 calories per tablespoon but has 2 grams of fat and more artificial ingredients than International Delight's regular French vanilla creamer.

Califia Farms makes dairy-free creamers using simple ingredients such as cane sugar, sea salt and natural flavoring. The brand's coconut- and almond-based variety comes in sweet flavors including vanilla, hazelnut and pecan caramel, all of which have 15 calories, 1 gram of fat and 2 grams of sugar.

Coffee Mate's original flavor is a classic creamer that's been in grocery aisles for ages. It's held up over time, offering just 20 calories, 1 gram of fat and 1 gram of sugar per serving. While those numbers look great, this creamer is a little more processed than others on the list, with ingredients including high oleic oil and mono- and diglycerides.

Some people like sugary coffee, but if you're not one of them, this creamer could be for you. The unsweetened nature of this option keeps the sugar content at zero, while providing just 10 calories and 1 gram of fat per tablespoon.