Like a large majority of the population, I am perpetually on a diet. But when it comes to my coffee, I am not willing to compromise. I love my coffee and I like it creamy, but creamy often means more fat and calories. But nothing will make me abandon a diet faster than having coffee with a spoonful of skim or non-fat milk. Just the idea of coffee this way brings tears to my eyes and feelings of depravation. Okay now you know why my husband thinks I need a 12-step program for coffee.

Anyhow, I sought out ways in which I could still have coffee enjoyment and yet stay within my diet. Here are a few great things I discovered.

EVAPORATED MILK

This is my all time favorite coffee companion. It gives my coffee the creaminess I want without the fat and calories.

Nutrition Facts

1 Serving: 2 Tablespoons
Fat: 2 Grams
Fiber: 0
Calories: 40

*Weight Watchers Points: 1

LAND O' LAKES FAT FREE HALF AND HALF

Does this sound like an oxymoron to you? I know it did to me. I proceeded with caution to try O' Lakes Fat Free Half and Half and was wonderfully surprised. I am not sure how they managed this but I really don’t care. My coffee was creamy and I was without the guilt.

Nutrition Facts

1 Serving: 2 Tablespoons
Fat Grams: 0
Fiber: 0
Calories: 20

*Weight Watchers Points: 0 (Note: when you increase the serving, you increase the points)

LATTE

Just what is a latte? A latte is an espresso coffee made with steamed milk. Because it is made with a large amount of milk it doesn’t end up looking and tasting like dirty water and because the milk is hot, it doesn’t compromise the temperature of the coffee. Trust me it tastes great and it is the only type of coffee I will drink with skim milk.

In Starbucks a latte with skim is known as a “skinny latte”. Here is the nutritional value for a Starbucks tall.

1 Serving: 12 Ounces
Fat Grams: 0
Fiber: 0
Calories: 100

*Weight Watchers Points: 2

If you are looking for a myriad of choices when it comes to having your coffee the way you like it, try Starbucks. Replace milks with non fat milk and tally up. One of my favorites is the Caramel Macchiato.

1 Serving: 12 Fl. Oz.
Fat Grams: 1
Fiber: 0
Calories: 140

*Weight Watchers Points: 3

This is a delicious treat all by itself.

DUNKIN DONUTS

Dunkin Donuts offers skinny lattes as well. For a Vanilla Latte Lite:

1 Serving: 10 Fl.Oz.
Fat Grams: 0
Fiber: 0
Calories: 80

*Weight Watchers Points: 2

COFFEE ANDERS

Somehow, when you drink coffee you often think you need something with it, thus ‘coffee and …’ which creates the category of Coffee Anders (I can not take credit for this one).

While shopping I felt like I needed my favorite drink, coffee of course, but I also felt like I needed some nourishment. For a dieter, this could be dangerous while navigating the mall, but I was determined to get something that wasn’t all bad and yet made me feel satisfied. Here is where knowledge is power. Don’t be foolish and think because you choose something lighter you’ve got a green light. I suggest you proceed with caution. And with a little research, you can make informed choices.

The problem with most of us is that if we choose something a little better we think we don’t need to count it at all. And for the rest of us, we shun everything all together and after a while end up binging. To me the best approach is moderation. Let’s compare the Dunkin Donuts regular and reduced fat blueberry muffins.

DUNKIN DONUTS BLUEBERRY MUFFIN:

Nutrition Facts

1 Serving:
Fat: 17
Fiber: 2
Calories: 470

*Weight Watchers Points: 10

DUNKIN DONUTS REDUCED FAT BLUEBERRY MUFFIN:

Nutrition Facts

1 Serving: 1 Muffin
Fat: 5
Fiber: 3
Calories: 400

*Weight Watchers Points: 8

While the reduced fat muffin is better nutrition-wise compared to the regular, it still weighs in with a hefty amount of fat and calories. But with knowledge in hand for an occasional treat, cut that muffin in half, share or toss, and enjoy it with your coffee for just 200 calories or 4 guilt-free points.

So you see, you can have your creamy coffee and eat your muffin too. Enjoy!

*Please note: Nutrition information was taken from the Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts websites or the appropriate container. Weight Watcher points were calculated by me (as a member of Weight Watchers) using the Weight Watchers points tool calculator. These are not official calculations by Weight Watchers International. For more information about Weight Watchers please go to https://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx