How To Make the Switch to Black Coffee

Here's How To Love Black Coffee in 4 Easy Steps

For those of us with a monster sweet tooth issue, when we drink coffee, it can barely be considered coffee. Our brews may look more like a dumping ground for flavored creamer and sugar—and only contain a touch of actual black coffee to make us feel good about ourselves.

When you stop to consider how much you might actually be putting in that daily cup of joe, that might be enough to convince you to make the switch to black coffee. For example, just adding two creams, two sugars to a typical medium coffee at the drive-thru—adds up quickly to more than 200 calories for every cup. Black coffee, on the other hand, is only two calories. So over the span of a week, that's a lot of cream and sugar and unnecessary calories. And we all know that's not good for you.

Think of drinking coffee like eating a good steak—if it's high quality it shouldn't need steak sauce. Same goes for coffee. When you have quality coffee beans, all you should have to do is brew and pour it into your mug.

At first, ditching cream and sugar might be a habit you’re not willing to break. But if you're considering cutting out the cream and sugar altogether, we highly recommend it. Don’t freak out though. Like all bad habits, you have to break them eventually. There’s no reason to quit that cream and sugar routine cold turkey.

Here’s how to make the switch to black coffee in 4 steps: 

1. No sugar, just cream.

Sorry, sugar, you're going down. The first step is to break up with sugar. It’s definitely an adjustment taking that first sip, but you’ll get over it quickly and actually enjoy the taste of coffee without the sugar more.  

2. Cut back on the creamer.

Instead of putting creamer into your coffee until it takes on a light color, add only a little—keeping the coffee dark and rich.

3. Only use creamer a few days a week.

This may be the hardest part to cut out. So try doing creamer (any variety of plant-based creamer would be even better) only on the weekends, as a way to treat yourself. At first, it will be hard not to reach into the fridge for the extra pick-me-up in your coffee, but as the first week goes on, it will become easier and easier.

4. No cream, no sugar.

The final step: A final goodbye to both. Since you have eased into this stage, the transition won't be hard at all. In fact, you’ll feel your palette adjusting, and you may even start craving black coffee more and more. Don’t look back—you’ll enjoy the taste of your coffee more, you won’t feel bloated or experience the dreaded sugar crash.

Drinking black coffee is enjoying coffee the way it was meant to be—you get the full flavor notes of the blend without the extra calories.

Related: What Are The Health Benefits of Coffee?