drink wholesome is the best powdered vegan coffee creamer. It is made with just 2 simple simple ingredients, making it perfect for people who need a creamer without the extra processing and added junk.
Dairy Free Milk Powders
the alternative:
Almond milk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Acetate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2), Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum, Ascorbic Acid
Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN
In recent years, more and more people have started to reduce their dairy intake. The production of dairy is far from environmentally-friendly, and consuming dairy products can lead to unpleasant side effects like bloating and gas, particularly for the one-third of adults who have lactose intolerance. Giving up dairy is often easier said than done, however, especially for those who enjoy their morning cup of coffee. Enter vegan coffee creamer powder.
Vegan, or plant-based coffee creamer powder, is plant milk in a powdered form. It is an easy way to enhance the flavor and texture of your coffee or favorite hot drink, and safe for people with dairy allergies and lactose intolerance.
Because it is made from plants, vegan coffee creamer powder is both dairy and lactose-free. Dairy-free means that a product does not contain milk or ingredients derived from milk. Lactose-free means that a product does not contain lactose, the sugar in milk, A product that is vegan is necessarily dairy-free and therefore necessarily lactose-free.
It is important to note that no regulatory definition exists for the term “dairy-free,” meaning the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate its use on packaging. You must therefore be extra careful when using coffee creamers. Many coffee creamers look dairy-free, but actually contain milk or milk derivatives.
Check out the ingredient list below.
CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND/OR PALM KERNEL AND/OR SOYBEAN), SODIUM CASEINATE (A MILK DERIVATIVE)**, 2% OR LESS OF DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ANNATTO COLOR
These are the ingredients in Coffee mate Original Powdered Creamer, America’s #1 coffee creamer. The first two ingredients (ingredients are listed by descending weight) are vegan. The third ingredient is not. Sodium caseinate, as the label indicates, comes from milk.
I chose to talk about Coffee mate, not simply because it contains dairy, but also because it is often advertised as dairy-free. Take a look at the screenshot below taken on July 20, 2023 on Amazon.com.
Whoever made this Amazon listing used the title “Non-Dairy Powdered Creamer,” which is false advertising. Moreover, putting sodium caseinate in a product that claims to be non-dairy is dangerous for individuals with dairy allergies. This serves as a poignant reminder of why it is so important to thoroughly read ingredients lists, particularly if you have food allergies or sensitivities.
Let us turn our attention to another ingredient list.
CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, VEGETABLE OIL* (COCONUT AND/OR PALM KERNEL), SODIUM CASEINATE (A MILK DERIVATIVE), LESS THAN 2% OF DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SILICON DIOXIDE, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, ARTIFICIAL COLORS, DATEM. *ADDS A TRIVIAL AMOUNT OF FAT. CONTAINS: MILK.
These are the ingredients in an Amazon Brand Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer. Surprisingly, the term “non-dairy” is boldly displayed on the front of the package (see below), despite sodium caseinate being one of the ingredients. Even more surprising is that there is a “CONTAINS MILK” disclaimer at the end of the list.
The key lesson here is that just because a coffee creamer claims to be non dairy, does not guarantee that it is. You may have been using a non dairy coffee creamer, thinking it was vegan, when in reality it was not. Gasp! To ensure that your coffee is truly free from milk and its derivatives, read the ingredient list, twice.
I now would like to take a moment to reiterate an important message: just because something is vegan does not mean that it is good for you. Look at these two ingredient lists again. Look at how unnatural the ingredients are. Almost all of them are plant-based, but they look nothing like plants. Uh oh!
In order to imitate the creamy mouth-feel of dairy, manufacturers use heavily-processed ingredients like corn syrup solids and food additives. Keep reading to learn why both are bad for your health.
Unlike the leading brands, our plant-based coffee creamer powder prides itself on its simplicity; it is made with just two simple ingredients: oats and coconut. The result is a creamy, vegan alternative to half and half, and a real food alternative to Coffee mate and the like.
Making ingredients like corn syrup solids requires extensive mechanical and chemical processing. What you end up putting into your body looks nothing like real, natural food. This is bad news because our digestive system is meant to break down minimally-processed or unprocessed real foods, not heavily-processed substitutes. Eating anything other than real food, it follows, can lead to undesirable side effects.
Though the long-term impact of processed ingredients like corn syrup solids is still under investigation, emerging studies suggest that they can disrupt the gut microbiome—the community of microorganisms that help with digestion.
Beyond its role in digestion, the gut acts as a shield against harmful pathogens, aids in educating the immune system, and influences numerous physiological processes. Disruptions to the gut microbiome have thus been associated with the development of various chronic illnesses. Basically, putting powdered vegan coffee creamers made with ingredients like corn syrup solids in your coffee could have serious impacts on your overall health.
Another way our vegan powdered coffee creamer keeps it simple by avoiding food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, and flavors. Even in small amounts, these added ingredients can cause gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, especially for those with gut issues. Common symptoms include bloating, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, and stomach pain.
The problem with additives is that they do not look like real food, and only get partially digested. Partially digested food lingers in the gut, and can lead to one of two outcomes. On the one hand, your gut might absorb too much water, resulting in diarrhea.
On the other hand, the additives might feed your gut bacteria, which produce gas. Too much gas in your gut can lead to bloating, flatulence, stomach pain, and even constipation. By steering clear of additives, our plant based coffee creamer powder ensures a more comfortable coffee-drinking experience.
Here are some of the common food additives in non dairy coffee creamers:
acacia gum, canola oil, carob bean gum, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dicalcium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, monosodium phosphate, “natural” flavors, palm oil, phosphoric acid, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, soy lecithin, sunflower lecithin, sunflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum
The real reason why you should avoid food additives, however, is their long-term consequences. Whether you have gut issues or not, consuming additives on a regular basis can disrupt the regulatory pathways in your intestines. This heightens the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and various systemic inflammatory disorders.
Moreover, certain additives, such as artificial sweeteners, can disturb the delicate balance of your gut microbiome. As you now know, an imbalance in your gut microbiome can adversely affect your overall health. This is why we make our powdered vegan coffee creamer with just 2 simple ingredients.
“I didn’t think that I needed this, but I do now! It is so much better than the almond milk I was buying. I didn’t realize how many additives are in almond milk!!! This tastes better too. Much creamier.” – Amy
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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
