The modern American cafe/bistro is nothing if not a smorgasbord of options for how to take your coffee, but for many a dairy free coffee creamer is the most important thing to have on the list.
Starting from how the coffee is prepared - drip, espresso, cold brew, french press, et. al - to what to add into the coffee - milk, cream, half and half, almond milk, cocoa or cacao powder — the list goes on.
Lactose intolerance is fairly common, yet many people do not know they have the condition.
Add on top of that, with the newest dietary trends popping up seemingly out of nowhere, what was once a simple cup of joe has turned into an industry bent upon becoming a bastion of infinite possibilities.
Not everyone can take a coffee black — it is just too bitter for many. I have even been looked at with suspicion by some less sophisticated baristas when I decline their base-level milk and sugar options.
The purity of both the milk and sugar is usually in question if you’re not in one of the aforementioned elite cafes. So when I’m making a coffee at home why not invest in the best, healthiest cream/milk option?
Non dairy coffee creamer
I am a lover of pure unpasteurized goat and cow milk, however beyond directly knowing (or being) your local dairy farmer, this can be difficult to get your hands on. I try not to settle for the standard milk option because of the unknown condition of the cow and factory that produced it, and this applies for creamers as well.
The explosion in non-dairy creamer options over the past 15 years is remarkable, and seems to still be growing (for example, I was having a conversation about yam-milk yesterday). Some of the most common offerings are soy, nut milk based (almond, cashew), oat milk, and coconut milk.
Of these options I typically stick closest with coconut milk for a couple of reasons. First, I prefer the taste: as it has a creamy, round and naturally sweet finish, and less ‘liquid-y’ like the nut-based milks.
It’s also a more natural product, in that the extraction process is far less intensive than oat and nut milks, and so retains a much greater nutritional content than nut milks in a variety of respects.
Best non dairy coffee creamer
Coconut Milk Benefits
Coconut milk contains magnesium, copper, potassium, zinc, B vitamins, selenium, and iron, so it has a large base set of trace minerals. It also very high in calories because of its saturated fats, which give it the fuller and richer taste and texture. But these fats could actually help you lose weight, because of their chemical makeup.
MCTs
Around 60% of the saturated fats in coconut milk are medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are fat molecules that, instead of being processed and stored in your body as fat, are quickly converted by the liver into ketones, which the body then can immediately use as energy fuel.
MCTs are able to power up the body’s metabolism and burn fats more efficiently. They also give the brain a boost of energy and are a commonly cited nootropic supplement, or a substance that enhances brain functioning such as improving memory, concentration, and slowing cognitive decline.
Powdered Creamers
The SMART CREAM Coconut Creamer by Medicinal Foods uses MCT powder from MCT oil, derived originally from coconut oil as a base ingredient. This powdered creamer formula supports the quick ingestion of these saturated fats are able to reach the liver quicker and don’t have to be broken down into smaller molecules.
So coconut milk as a coffee creamer is a great substitute for classic cow’s milk or other non-dairy options because of its rich taste and the presence of these quick energy saturated fats.
But taking it a step further by going straight to the MCT powder is an even more efficient option for maximizing nutrition, nootropic potential, and an enhanced boost of energy we expect from our morning coffee.
But using MCT as a powder instead of an oil for a coffee creamer has another great benefit: in powdered form a creamer formula can include other supplements that add flavor and other nutritional sources that otherwise would not mix into a liquid/cream mixture.
For example, another nootropic ingredient that the Medicinal Food’s SMART CREAM creamer has is Lion’s Mane mushroom powder. This fungi native of Asia has been used for thousands of years in their traditional medicine as a way to fortify internal organs as well as having a calming and clarifying effect on the brain.
Modern scientific research has shown that Lion’s Mane has a neuroprotective effect on the brain cells, by strengthening myelin sheaths that transport electrical information, and even rebuilding older brain cells.
In addition to improving cognitive ability, Lion’s Mane has been traditionally used in treating digestive tract problems in patients, such as chronic gastritis and ulcers by enriching gastrointestinal flora that fight off harmful bacteria that cause such diseases as inflammatory bowel disease.
Sweeteners
One consistent problem with most coffee creamers, both dairy and non-dairy, is adding artificial sweeteners to either boost energy or to add flavor. Many of the mass produced non-dairy options are based in coconut milk but have enormous amounts of sugar, what to say of the artificial flavorings of vanilla, caramel, chocolate, etc.
Medicinal Foods instead uses stevia and monkfruit, both of which have a zero glycemic output. Stevia is plant native to South America that is an all-purpose replacement for sugar that does not raise one’s blood sugar levels, which makes it safe and sure choice for dietetics.
Monkfruit is native to China and a relative newcomer to the health food market. While the name pretty much describes its origin story — a health food for monks for centuries — the core of this green fruit is 300 times sweeter than sugar, yet also with a zero glycemic index score.
These two all-natural sweeteners in powdered form both add flavor and taste to the formula without the effects of an artificial and pure sugar, meaning you wont experience a rush and crash later on.
Monkfruit also has excellent antioxidant properties, which helps remove harmful free radical contaminants from the body which boosts cellular efficiency and, ultimately, longevity.
With the overwhelming amount of innovation in both coffee connoisseurship and the health food market, only the sky seems to be the limit. Enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning is now with the assurance that a naturally sourced and energy booster creamer can replace the run-of-the-mill milk of ages old.
SMART CREAM Coconut Creamer not only utilizes the most wholesome of non-dairy milk substitutes, it is packed with nootropics that are guaranteed to raise the bar of non dairy coffee creamers to a new level.
