Boosting Your Cup O Joe: How to Make Your Coffee Healthier

According to recent research by the National Coffee Association, 63% of Americans drink coffee daily. That’s an average of 3 cups per day, either brewed at home or from coffee shops.

Coffee on its own is a healthy beverage with almost no calories and proven heart and brain benefits. However, adding cream, sugar, syrup, and other add-ons can turn it into a high-calorie drink that can do more harm than good.

Luckily, there are ways to enjoy a smooth, creamy cup of coffee without the calories and artificial additives. 

Read on to learn how to make delicious, strong, healthy coffee in just a few minutes.

Learn How To Make Coffee the Right Way

The first step to making your cup of joe healthier is learning how to make coffee the right way. There are many brewing methods, all of which affect the beans in a different way. The roasting and grinding methods, and the freshness of the beans can also affect the quality of the coffee.

For starters, buy freshly roasted beans from professional coffee roasters. To get the best taste, grind the beans at home, right before brewing. If this is not an option, ask the roasters to grind them for you based on the type of coffee you’re making.

Then, choose a brewing method and practice it to perfection. If you use a coffee machine, go for a high-quality brand that focuses on extracting the best of the bean. Finally, use filtered water to make your coffee to get a smooth, delicious cup every time.

Choose Your Coffee Maker Carefully

The right coffee machine can make your coffee healthier. Cheaper coffee makers will do the job but can damage even the best coffee beans. Also, the most expensive machines aren’t always the best. 

If you’re not sure what coffee brewing method and coffee makers to use to extract the most flavor, consult your local baristas. Ask for opinions on roasting, grinding, and storage to master the art of making coffee.

Coffee machines get dirty with frequent use, and some parts are impossible to clean or dry out. This can become a breeding ground for bacteria, buildup, and toxic mold you won’t even know is there.

Choose a coffee machine with easily removable parts that you can take out and clean individually. This way, you can be sure everything that touches the coffee is always clean and completely dry before each use.

Buy Fresh High-Quality Coffee

The quality of the beans, their origin, manufacturing process, and how they’re stored affects the quality of the final product. The best way to know if your coffee is fresh is to ask the roasters about the date it was produced.

If you buy pre-packaged coffee, go for proven brands that clearly state the origin of the coffee, processing method, and date of roasting. It’s best to use certified organic fair-trade coffee to make sure you’re getting the highest quality possible. See The Coffee Folk for a guide to the best organic coffee.

Skip The Cream and Sugar

Does coffee have calories? It depends on what you put in it. A cup of plain black coffee has only 2 calories. As soon as you add milk, sugar, creamer, whipped cream, or syrup, the calorie content jumps to over 100. Large coffee orders from coffee chains may contain up to 500 calories per cup.

The healthiest way to drink coffee is plain black, with no add-ons. If you can’t get used to the taste, try it with skim milk, plant milk, natural zero-calorie sweeteners like Stevia, or maple syrup.

Use Plant-Based Milk Instead

If you’re trying to limit or eliminate your dairy intake without sacrificing the taste of your coffee, try plant-based milk. You can still make good coffee with oat milk or almond milk, and with some brands, you can even get some froth.

Another great option is full-fat coconut milk that’ll give you all the creaminess of store-bought creamer, only healthier. You can always add pure vanilla extract or cocoa powder to your plant milk for some flavor. Also, plant milk has fewer calories than regular dairy milk or creamer and it’s naturally sweet.

Limit Your Daily Caffeine Intake

Coffee is rich in antioxidants that are great for your immune system. Coffee can also reduce the risk of heart disease and keeps your blood pressure stable, giving you a healthy energy boost. However, drinking too much coffee in a day can have the opposite effect.

To get all the health benefits from coffee, limit your daily caffeine intake to 5 cups per day. Anything over this amount can be harmful to your heart, nervous system, and digestive system.

Also, pay attention to the size of your cup. One regular cup of coffee has 70-140 mg of caffeine, and the maximum recommended amount per day is 400 mg. Medium and large sizes may have even more caffeine, so be careful about the amount of coffee in your orders.

Add Cinnamon To Your Coffee

A sprinkle of cinnamon can make your coffee tastier, more flavorful, and healthier. Cinnamon has strong antioxidant properties that help slow down aging. Cinnamon coffee can also help speed up your metabolism and burn calories faster.

Next time you brew a cup of fresh coffee, add some earthy spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. They make coffee healthier due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.

Try Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof coffee is essentially coffee mixed with grass-fed organic butter and/or coconut oil. These are considered healthy fats because they contain medium-chain triglycerides, which the body digests easily and doesn’t store as fat.

The fats in butter and coconut oil create the perfect froth and give you a boost of healthy, long-lasting energy. Add a teaspoon of butter to your coffee maker and enjoy a flavorful cup of joe.

Now You Can Drink Healthy Coffee Every Day!

Whether you like your coffee black and bitter or bursting with flavor, these tips will help you make healthy coffee choices.

Get your coffee from gourmet roasters, always grind it before consuming, and replace dairy milk or creamer with a plant-based alternative.

If you want more helpful information on health and wellness, we have everything you need to know. Explore our other posts for more lifestyle tips.