6 Ways to Make Your Coffee Shop Beverage Healthier

In addition to being one of the most popular beverages worldwide, coffee has been linked to potential benefits, including reduced risks of certain chronic diseases and all-cause mortality. However, gaining these benefits from coffee shop beverages requires modifying or eliminating certain ingredients to make these drinks healthier.

1. Drink Coffee Black or with Minimal Add-Ins

Avoid coffee with high levels of sugar and fat.

• Drinking coffee black or with minimal additional ingredients may be the healthiest option.
• An extensive study found that people who drank black coffee or coffee with low levels of added sugar and low saturated fat had a reduced risk of all-cause mortality and death from cardiovascular disease.
• However, coffee with high levels of added sugar and fat diminished these benefits.

Drink black coffee to support glucose metabolism.

2. Reduce or Eliminate Added Sugars

Minimize added sugars to protect against diabetes.

Choose unsweetened coffee.

• Moderate consumption of unsweetened coffee (two to three cups daily), regardless of whether milk is added or the type of coffee used, was associated with a lower risk of new-onset acute kidney injury.
• This risk is lower than that of drinking coffee with sugar or sweeteners.

3. Choose Lower-Fat or Unsweetened Milk Options

Consider avoiding adding milk.

• Studies have shown that milk proteins bind with coffee’s beneficial polyphenols (antioxidants), affecting their bioavailability.
• In laboratory models, milk changed the antioxidant profile and reduced the phenolic bioaccessibility of coffee in simulated digestion.
• This suggests that fewer coffee antioxidants may be available for absorption when milk is added to coffee.

When needed, opt for skim milk or unsweetened plant-based milks. 

• Research linked moderate consumption of coffee containing low levels of added sugar and saturated fat to a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality.
• This benefit was not observed in coffee containing high levels of added sugar and saturated fat.
• Consider using low-fat, unsweetened milks in coffee shop beverages to reduce these levels.

4. Monitor Calorie Counts

Look closely at the calorie counts of specialty and blended coffee drinks.

• Coffee shop beverages often contain large amounts of added sugar from flavored syrups, sauces, and sweetened milk.
• Research on sugar-sweetened beverages indicates that these drinks are linked to higher risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Avoid excess sugar.

• An extensive analysis of three long-term U.S. cohort studies found that adding just one teaspoon of sugar to coffee daily was linked to a slight but detectable weight gain over four years.
• This association was observed regardless of whether the coffee was whitened or creamed.
• In the same studies, increased consumption of unsweetened coffee was associated with reduced long-term weight gain.

5. Replace Sugar with Healthy Ingredients

To make coffee shop beverages healthier, replace added sugars with ingredients that provide antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, or metabolic benefits that include:

• Cinnamon: Contains bioactive compounds that improve markers of heart health, such as lipid profiles, blood pressure, and oxidative stress.
• Nutmeg: Includes compounds that reduce oxidative stress, regulate immune response, and may help protect against health conditions like diabetes, obesity, and cancer.
• Olive oil: Delivers benefits like antioxidant properties, better cardiovascular health, and reduced inflammation. However, be mindful of your olive oil serving size. One tablespoon of olive oil contains roughly 120 calories and 14 g of fat, primarily monounsaturated, with small amounts of essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Vanilla extract: Offers a gentle sweetness and antioxidant properties without contributing additional calories or sugar.
• Low- and no-calorie (non-nutritive) sweeteners: May support significant reductions in total dietary sugars and caloric intake. However, note that the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest avoiding non-nutritive sweeteners.

6. Avoid Exceeding Daily Caffeine Limits

Track your daily caffeine consumption.

• Consuming 400 milligrams or less of caffeine daily does not pose significant safety concerns for most healthy adults.
• Consider that one 8-ounce cup of coffee, which is typically smaller than most coffee shop beverages, contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine.
• Add-ins like espresso shots can quickly increase those levels.