If you are on the keto diet or know someone who is, you might have wondered at some point whether or not Coffee Mate Creamer by Nestle works well with this diet or not.
For all of you coffee lovers out there, we’ve written this article to give you a definite answer to this question, along with some additional helpful information to consider.
So, is Coffee Mate Creamer by Nestle good or bad for the keto diet?
Short answer: It is bad for the keto diet.
Long answer: While adding a bit of Nestle sugar-free Coffee Mate Creamer to your coffee won’t necessarily prevent you from reaching ketosis, there are coffee creamers out there that are much more keto-friendly.
Below, we will go over 3 reasons why this coffee creamer isn’t optimal for those on a keto diet and offer some preferred alternative options.
Reason 1: Moderate Number of Carbs
Since this coffee creamer is sugar-free, one might think it must have a low carb content. This is true, but not if you consider the optimal carb to fat ratio of a keto diet.
One serving of this creamer is 30 calories. It consists of 2.5g saturated fat and 2g carbs.
If you’re trying to stay at under 30g of carbs per day to maintain ketosis, then 2g first thing in the morning is already 6.7% of your daily total.
Furthermore, the carb-to-fat ratio in this creamer is 1:1.25. If you aim for about 10% daily carb intake vs. 70% fat intake, your daily carb-to-fat ratio comes out to about 1:7.
Reason 2: Contains Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
When going keto, the goal is high-fat content and low carbs. Unfortunately, not all fats have the same positive effects on your body.
While oils are a high-fat staple in many keto diets, there is a big difference between oils made from natural, healthy fat sources versus oils made from genetically modified seeds that are heavily processed.
The hydrogenated vegetable oil in this coffee creamer comes from “Coconut and/or Palm Kernel and/or Soybean”. These oils contain artificial trans fat which should always be avoided for those on keto, as artificial trans fat offers none of the keto health benefits that natural fats do.
Some alternative options to hydrogenated vegetable oils include oils from natural fat-sources, such as:
- Grass-fed butter
- Coconut oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Walnut oil
Reason 3: Contains Artificial Sweeteners
Even though the artificial sweeteners in this coffee creamer are sugar-free and should not have an adverse effect on your ability to maintain ketosis, there are better options out there.
The artificial sweeteners in this coffee creamer are sucralose and acesulfame potassium. The thing with these sweeteners is that while they are proven to not affect blood glucose and insulin, they still have carb content and more importantly can increase your cravings for sweet-tasting foods, which generally must be avoided on keto.
Some preferred alternative sweeteners to these are stevia and erythritol, which contain 0 calories and 0 carbs and taste a bit different from actual sugar, so cravings are reduced.
Alternative Keto-Friendly Coffee Creamer Options
Now that you know why the Nestle Coffee Mate Sugar-Free Creamer is not good for a keto diet, here are some alternative coffee creamer options for you to consider. Each of these coffee creamers are made from all-natural sources with minimal calories and a low carbohydrate content.
1. Left Coast Keto Coffee Creamer, Cacao – made from MCT oil, cacao, and ghee
2. Laird Superfood Unsweetened Original Coffee Creamer – made from coconut milk powder, coconut oil, and sea-algae
3. Coffee Booster Organic High-Fat Coffee Creamer – made from coconut oil and grass-fed ghee
4. Omega PowerCreamer Butter Coffee Blend – made from organic grass-fed ghee, coconut oil, and MCT oil
5. Natural Force Keto Coffee Creamer – made from organic MCT oil from non-GMO coconuts
Conclusion
And that’s it! Now you have all the information you need to decide what kind of coffee creamer you want to use to increase your chances of maintaining a state of ketosis.
In summary, look for coffee creamers with no carbs made from healthy fat sources and avoid coffee creamers made from genetically modified processed oils with a moderate to high carb content.
