Flavor It Up Without Fattening It Up...

Ahh... Fall my favorite time of year, the changing leaves, crisp fall air and seasonal favorites at the local coffee shops. What could be a better motivator to “get up and at ‘em” than a piping hot caffeinated beverage?

When I worked in Washington D.C., it was difficult to walk from the metro to the office without passing several coffee shops. The sounds and smell of the grinding coffee beans lured me like the sirens song. In the bitter winter it was even more difficult to pass the temptation of having something warm to hold onto as I trudged through the snow covered streets.

When I moved from Washington, D.C., to the Baltimore area, I went from a walking to driving commute, but I still pass at least four coffee shops and one convenient drive-thru on my way to work. While like Ari I have a difficult time drinking black coffee, I love the specialty coffee drinks, especially the lattes and frappucinos. As a registered dietitian and savvy consumer, I recognized that both my wallet and waistline wouldn’t benefit from stopping for $4.00 coffee drinks that add as many as 400 extra calories to my daily caloric intake. I was shocked to learn that my favorite 12oz Nonfat Pumpkin Spice Latte with no whipped cream had 200 calories and 37grams of sugar!

While I didn’t want the extra liquid calories or the drain on my wallet, I did want to devise ways to give my homebrewed coffee a little extra boost, so I could still enjoy some of my seasonal favorites without the added guilt.

To add a special touch to my black coffee, I purchased the Bonjour Cafe Milk Frother that whips my milk into thick foam in minutes. I tried to recreate a lower calorie version of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (one of my favorite’s, see my recipe below). 

Alison’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte

In my version I use French roast coffee instead of espresso. You can substitute this with your own favorite coffee.

Ingredients:

• 8-12oz hot freshly brewed coffee or espresso
• 1 cup hot milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 packet splenda
• Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat milk in the microwave or on the stove until hot (but not boiling). Remove milk from heat and add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Whisk with milk frother until frothy.
3. Add freshly brewed coffee to mug and stir in one packet of splenda.
4. Pour the pumpkin spice milk into the coffee.
5. Spoon foam on top and add a pinch of cinnamon.

Creating my own speciality coffee drink allowed me to save calories and dollars. Have you revamped or recreated your favorite speciality coffee drink? We'd love to hear from you.