By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern
One of my favorite things about also working at a coffee shop as my main job is getting to answer customers when they ask me for a coffee recommendation. Most of them expect me to have some complex, fancy drink with all these flavors, toppings, and more. But really, all I drink is black coffee, whether it be just straight espresso shots, black cold brew, or black americanos. After giving me a weird look for a second, most of them tell me that I’m crazy, or they compliment me and say they wish they could keep their coffee that healthy. 
While coffee in general is chock full of health benefits, what you add or don’t add to it also contributes to its healthfulness. Many coffees, especially those from a coffee shop are full of added sugars from the flavored syrups, and lots of calories from both the milk and creamer as well as the syrups. This is why drinking your coffee black is the healthiest way to drink it.
But black coffee isn’t for everyone, so here are a few ideas on ways to flavor and add to your coffee without making it too high in sugar or calories!
Go for just milk.
If you want to cut back on the amount of sugar in your coffee, just adding a few ounces of milk, half and half, or heavy cream takes away the bitter acidity in the coffee and makes it smooth and creamy. In my opinion, you don’t even miss the lack of sweetness, and you can enjoy the flavor of the coffee without the interference of the sugary flavor.
Use flavored extracts.
If you like your coffee flavored but don’t want the hefty amount of sugar that comes along with those flavored syrups, try adding a few drops of a flavored extract. Vanilla, hazelnut, almond, and others are great.
Add spices to your coffee grounds.
While this might sound a little crazy, don’t knock it till you try it! Whether you’re pulling espresso or brewing a pot of drip, shake a little cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever spice you like into your coffee grounds before brewing it. It adds a nice spiciness to your coffee, and with cinnamon especially, it adds some natural sweetness to it!
The nice thing about coffee is that you can tailor it any way that you like, and there are plenty of ways to flavor it and add milk to it without making it too unhealthy.
Want to read more about coffee? Check out these articles from Fill Your Plate!