Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

12

1

Coffee = life

This month I am doing a gluten free/dairy free Paleo. I don't think I have issues with dairy, but I figured if I was gonna do it strict, might as well do it all. I do still have Kerrygold butter, for some reason that's not dairy in my head.

My issue is what to put in my coffee. Typically I put in a teeny bit of honey and probably a tsp of heavy cream. I can drink it black, but unless the coffee is awesome, it's not a great option.

So, I'm just looking for suggestions to inspire me this morning.

flag	asked Jan 4 2011 at 13:28 sherpamelissa 18.6k●1●21●69

8

Everymonth should be gluten free ;) – Stephen-Aegis Jan 4 2011 at 13:59

6

All hail coffee! – Adam Crafter Jan 4 2011 at 14:09

1

I know Stephen! I did manage it in November, but December was it's own special nightmare. That's why the recommitment for January. – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:14

You might try making ghee with the kerrygold. I don't consider that dairy since it is pretty much just fat with the proteins and milk solids removed. I'm doing a dairy free january, but including ghee. – mari Jan 4 2011 at 19:08

2

Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, is whipping cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent. Whipping cream will double in volume when whipped. Heavy cream is not the same as the British double cream. Double cream has 48% butterfat, 8% higher than the highest-fat cream available in the United States. FROM food.com/library/heavy-cream-361 – Adam Crafter Jan 5 2011 at 1:24

show 2 more comments

being · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-04 18:24:08Z UTC

4

la colombe is the best coffee on the market, hands down. i drink that black. cheap coffee gets heavy cream. mediocre coffee gets freshly ground cardamon pods tossed in with the grounds. i wouldnt worry about the cream you put in your coffee though, as an obstacle to being PALEO, in capital letters. its more important to enjoy your life than to be orthodox, IMHO.

that said, but better coffee.

http://www.lacolombe.com/

answered Jan 4 2011 at 18:24

being
15.4k●1●15●58

1

I bookmarked them last time you mentioned it, but haven't really had an extra $ for mail order coffee with the holidays. I do plan on trying it. I normally have no issues with dairy, I just thought I would try to eliminate it for a month to see what happens. I absolutely agree about enjoying life! – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 18:30

2

I gave up cream because I could tell it was causing some digestive issues. I hated, hated, HATED my coffee for about three days. And then, all of a sudden, it became delicious! Now I wouldn't even think of adulterating my delicious coffee with that nasty cream stuff :-) (the "nasty" part is said in jest) – gharkness Jan 4 2011 at 19:31

when i was a kid, my parents told me that i was only allowed to drink coffee if i could drink it black- they say that people drinking coffee with cream and sugar are just drinking melted ice cream. cant argue with that. i drank it black for over a decade until i got wicked acid stomach. started adding cream to balance that out. resolved my acid stomach, but found myself addicted to cream in my coffee. never went the sugar route, though... – being Jan 5 2011 at 1:43

Stephen-Aegis · Answer 2 · 2011-01-04 13:57:19Z UTC

7

Coconut milk is decent if you won't do heavy cream.

Nothing really compares to heavy cream tho.

The other alternative is buy better coffee. Cheap coffee needs flavor, quality coffee I can drink black

answered Jan 4 2011 at 13:57

Stephen-Aegis
24k●2●33●106

1

I can't agree with your last sentiment more - buy better coffee. I used to love Starbucks decaf when they'd add an ounce or two of the heavy cream they keep in the front fridge. When I tried it plain black (trying to comply more to the letter of a morning fast) I couldn't stand the stuff (though I can drink the tasty decaf I brew at home plain just fine). So when I must go to Starbucks (with coworkers) I just get tea. – Casey Jan 4 2011 at 14:13

1

MY COFFEE is not the problem! ;) It's the coffee once I get to work and when I am out and about. I've brought my french press here before, but that just gets messy and annoying. – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:15

1

An easy way to transport your own coffee is to use a cold brew system--they you just need to transport a little of the concentrate with you and can add water wherever you are. – MNS Jan 4 2011 at 14:40

1

Hmmmm. Okay. I will have to research that one. I leave for work super early in the morning, so I try not to spend much time in the kitchen. But cold brew I could probably make the night before and we have a hot water dispenser at work. – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:51

1

I've had an Aeropress (amazon.com/…) for years and you'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. Best tasting coffee ever, especially coupled with fresh ground. We take it with us travelling too, because it's super easy to use by just heating up water in a hotel coffee maker/microwave/hot water dispenser, and then just wiping the parts clean with a paper towel. – stephthegeek Jan 4 2011 at 21:44

show 5 more comments

Adam Crafter · Answer 3 · 2011-11-30 22:48:52Z UTC

I have discovered that i like coconut oil in my hot coffee, it melts right in! If I'm ever feeling low, this fixes it right up.

But even better is a spoonful of grass-fed ghee!

I stole the idea from Tibetan tea, where they add both salt and butter/ghee to hot tea for all day energy.

Added links:

http://whole9life.com/2010/11/butter/ Whole9's take on butter and ghee!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghee

I buy ghee by Purity Farm at my Wegman's store, and if you go to their website http://www.purityfarms.com/ you'll find this:

Sometimes, the Ghee is lighter in color than other times. Why is that? We use no colorings in our Ghee, and the slight differences in color are due to seasonal changes. Ghee made in the summer tends to be more "yellow" because the cows are grazing longer hours and have more chlorophyll in their systems. I'm also a fan of http://www.pureindianfoods.com/index.shtml

gone2croatan · Answer 4 · 2011-01-04 14:31:51Z UTC

4

I found that a shake or two of cinnamon zazzes up even the most mediocre coffee. I used to be a sugar and cream fiend.

answered Jan 4 2011 at 14:31

gone2croatan
6,616●14●33

Cinnamon! Nice answer. Do you buy it at a health food store? Or just the regular grocery store stuff? – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:37

I get my spices from an ethnic market in town, but I think the Ceylon from Penzeys is supposed to be top-of-the-line in freshness. penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/… – gone2croatan Jan 4 2011 at 14:48

Ooops...forgot to add, but when I'm at my parent's house, which is where I usually get mediocre coffee (sorry, Mom!), I just use their McCormick grocery store cinnamon and it does the job. – gone2croatan Jan 4 2011 at 14:50

3

I've put a couple of shakes of cinnamon on top of the fresh grounds before closing the basket and pressing "brew". This adds the cinnamon flavor without the actual ground cinnamon in the drink, since it's caught by the filter. – familygrokumentarian Jan 4 2011 at 15:25

Nice idea! Thank you! – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 15:44

Jessica · Answer 5 · 2011-01-04 14:41:01Z UTC

3

I made this coconut creamer the other day, but I admit I never tried it in my coffee. I drink my coffee black, but sometimes if I have coffee in the afternoon I like to put something in it. It keeps for about a week in the fridge and is just coconut milk, coconut oil, and an egg.

answered Jan 4 2011 at 14:41

Jessica
491●3●7

I can't open the link right now (bizarre filter at work) but I will check it out later. It sounds interesting! – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:53

1

I use this creamer too - it's GREAT in coffee! I make mine with a can of coconut milk, a splash of vanilla and a raw egg, combined in the Vitamix. – Kimmie Jan 4 2011 at 14:56

Ooh! Vanilla. EVEN BETTER. – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 15:03

I think this is FANTASTIC. The best creamer alternative I've tried! Thanks! – Shelly Jan 6 2011 at 13:24

Doris · Answer 6 · 2011-01-04 14:55:13Z UTC

3

I have a little coffee in my cream. Sometimes I have coffee and cream with a heaping Tablespoon of cocoa powder stirred in and put a sprinkiling of cinnamon on top. When I use the cocoa powder, I add less than 1/8 t. of sugar. Plain old sugar. Mostly I drink tea. Will try the ghee in tea just so I can say I did.

answered Jan 4 2011 at 14:55

Doris
1,469●2●6●11

That sounds like a fabulous treat, Doris! Paleo mocha! I'll have to try it, but I drink too much coffee to do that one all the time. I'll get some organic cocoa power or cacao powder next time I'm at the health food store! – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:57

Cara · Answer 7 · 2011-01-04 15:01:25Z UTC

3

drinking it black might take some getting used to, but i'm hooked now. i now realize how full i'd feel from drinking coffee with cream. its so much lighter when drinking it black and i drink less of it, cause you feel the caffeine much more.

cara

answered Jan 4 2011 at 15:01

Cara
221●2●6

	Added caffeine buzz? Hmmm. Might be worth it! – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 15:04
	Black for me too. As Americano or a straight shot of espresso. – sean Jan 5 2011 at 8:27

Kruno · Answer 8 · 2011-01-04 14:33:06Z UTC

2

I still use milk - I don't have problem with drinking milk so I continue to use it.

For people that have problems with milk there is reason to look for alternatives - otherwise just enjoy your milk and don't worry about "strict paleo".

answered Jan 4 2011 at 14:33

Kruno
304●1●6

2

Yeah, I don't think I have dairy issues, but I figured I'd do a one month elimination with it just to see what happens. – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:39

I think that is great idea. I also did that for 2 weeks - but I had to give up coffee also as I can't drink it without milk. – Kruno Jan 4 2011 at 14:59

OMG. That is not happening for me. I've tried and it's just not worth it. :p – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 15:03

JakeA · Answer 9 · 2011-01-04 15:41:54Z UTC

Since you said "I can drink it black, but unless the coffee is awesome, it's not a great option." I would advise drinking better coffee. I source my coffee beans from the farmer's market and drink organic at almost all times. Find a blend you like and stick to it.

If your only source of coffee is the crapateria at work then maybe you could bring in a cheap coffee pot and make some at your desk. Black coffee = awesome. Black nescafe (worst instant coffee ever) = death. Just like with meats, better coffee is better tasting.

See http://coffeegeek.com/ for information on all things coffee. Proper brewing/grinding/sourcing/water management is all important to taste. I'm a certified coffee maniac ;)

Rock_Paper_Shirley · Answer 10 · 2011-01-04 15:54:16Z UTC

2

One thing you might want to keep in mind when doing an elimination diet is that if you eliminate more than one thing at a time and you have some health benefits, you might not know what what the culprit was. Anyway, good luck to you. Going GF can be really challenging because it's in so many things, but it's doable, especially if you prepare most of your own foods.

answered Jan 4 2011 at 15:54

Rock_Paper_Shirley
4,131●3●14

1

The gluten should be a permanent elimination. The dairy is the one I will probably add back in. Thank you! – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 15:57

Gluten has been OUT for me for a while, and dairy is not a daily thing, but I do have dairy 2-3 times a week. The forms with the least lactose, like cream, cheddar, and other hard cheeses appeal the most to me. – Adam Crafter Jan 5 2011 at 1:31

No more. · Answer 11 · 2011-01-05 00:18:18Z UTC

2

As Robb Wolf said this week, butter is just shaken cream. It's a bit silly to okay one but not the other. Black or with cream those are the only ways to go.

answered Jan 5 2011 at 0:18

No more.
5,544●2●11●40

I understand where you are coming from, but I know the butter is grassfed and quality. I only use about a tsp per day. I drink at least 3 cups of coffee per day and I don't have a source for raw or grassfed cream. – sherpamelissa Jan 5 2011 at 0:23

42 · Answer 12 · 2011-01-05 01:11:09Z UTC

On occasion the local Whole Foods has grass-fed heavy cream and I began to get into the habit of using that in my coffee, which led to a taste for half-and-half or cream lattés from Starbucks ("Wait, you want a triple venti breve latté sir? Really?" "Really. Now."). Now I know SBUX uses cheap industrial milk and cream and maybe that was the cause of my problem below.

The chronic torso rash (aka Grover's Disease) I'd lost last summer and fall came back after I started doing this, and I also began to gain some weight back. This was all during a few months of heavy work travel. That's ended for the season so I'm doing the Whole30 thing this month. Really only eliminating all dairy and tubers. I also ate a lot of sweet potatoes during the past few months after never really eating them before. So it's probably one of the two.

But damn, I really miss that heavy Jersey cream! The grass-fed stuff was pale yellow and usually had a fantastic glob of butterfat floating at the top. omnomnom...

Gone · Answer 13 · 2011-01-05 08:43:51Z UTC

2

Since I've started to add coconut milk instead of milk to my tea and coffee, it all tastes so much better. I have also developed a distaste for milk, at least in tea and coffee. Coconut milk rocks pretty hard.

answered Jan 5 2011 at 8:43

Gone
2,512●8●18

It gets so thick sometimes it scares me! I need to find a good brand without a lot of added stuff and give it another shot. – sherpamelissa Jan 5 2011 at 13:12

My Paleo Life · Answer 14 · 2011-01-04 14:12:38Z UTC

1

I use almond milk...you can make your own or get it from your local health food store

answered Jan 4 2011 at 14:12

My Paleo Life
386●2●5

	I've used almond milk and it's okay, it sometimes changes the taste of the coffee. Also I know a lot of almond milk has a bunch of stuff in it that isn't great. I will do some label reading next time I am at Trader Joes. – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:18
	I made homemade almond milk once (it's a little laborious!) but it was thick and raw and great in my coffee. – Shelly Jan 4 2011 at 14:36
	I just got a food processor from Santa, but haven't tried it out yet. – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:52

Dave · Answer 15 · 2011-01-04 14:32:55Z UTC

1

Coconut and stevia is what I use...and a quality organic coffee bean which I grind myself :)

answered Jan 4 2011 at 14:32

Dave
11●1

Coconut milk? I worry that it will get too thick in the coffee. I tend to drink a big cup of coffee over several hours. I prefer local raw honey to stevia, but I don't use much. – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:38

Carl_Stawicki · Answer 16 · 2011-01-04 14:52:58Z UTC

1

I take my coffee like John Wayne. Actually, giving up milk in coffee was one the toughest achievements for me on paleo.

answered Jan 4 2011 at 14:52

Carl_Stawicki
13.3k●1●6●32

LOL. Love it, Carl. I do sometimes drink it black, but it has to be fantastic coffee. I did skim milk plus splenda for YEARS which is pretty SAD. I can do this, but I think the coffee quality is key! – sherpamelissa Jan 4 2011 at 14:55

THATgirl · Answer 17 · 2011-01-04 15:47:32Z UTC

I have to say try the Coconut milk! I tried almond milk and it just didn't cut it for me (sorry). wasn't creamy enough, now I love the coconut milk. I think they all take a little getting used to. I used to go for the french vanilla chemical creamer all the time...no more.

http://www.purelydecadent.com/products/coconut_milk_beverage.html

familygrokumentarian · Answer 18 · 2011-01-04 15:49:44Z UTC

Well, usually it's heavy cream with coffee, and that's it. I had a bit of an adding honey bender over the holiday season, but now I'm back to just organic heavy cream.

BUT, in the absence of dairy (though I know it's January, brrr), you could try your coffee - stir in your bit of honey first while it's hot, allow to cool, pour over ice (crushed ice might be best). Who knows? Might also turn out that adding coconut milk at the chilled stage may taste way better than adding coconut milk to hot coffee.

Alternative hot caffeinated drinking - green or black tea (honey optional).

Alex · Answer 19 · 2011-01-05 19:02:15Z UTC

1

When I buy coffee in town, I use half'n'half. At home, I use coconut milk (Thai Kitchen, organic.)

answered Jan 5 2011 at 19:02

Alex
5,669●1●6●17

I totally don't do coconut milk in coffee any more. I now use the local organic pastured heavy cream. – Alex Apr 10 at 23:04

raydawg · Answer 20 · 2011-12-01 02:20:02Z UTC

Coconut cream + coconut oil + cocoa powder. Sometimes add in some cinnamon, other times vanilla extract, other times a tiny drop of Torani Hazelnut or Almond syrup (but rarely due to sodium benzoate.)

Sometimes, but rarely a teaspoon of nutella.

I used to add stevia, but I'm used to non-sweet things now.

I love it with just cream, but I can't seem to find cream without caragean + I've issues with GERD when I do dairy, so I need to limit that a lot.

At work, I just have it black. One time I made the mistake of adding a couple of those creamer things in there (the liquid milk ones that have some chemical called DATEM or something) and a few hours later when I got home, I got some nasty muscle spasms in one toe on my right leg, then a few hours later, similar spams on my left leg. I had nothing else out of the ordinary that day, and never had it repeat, so it's highly likely it was the mini-moo or whatever that crap is called.

Amber · Answer 21 · 2013-04-10 22:00:52Z UTC

I have heard that drinking your coffee black is really hard on your stomach, and adding a fat source helps you digest it and neutralize the acids. Although I wasn't able to find a solid article to back this up- I had just heard it in different places. Maybe someone here can validate that for me? I'm going dairy/gluten free, too, and I hate sweetened non-dairy creamers! So far, I have tried coconut milk (it's ok), and I plan on trying to add a bit of ghee to the coconut milk next time to give it that subtle buttery taste that half and half gave me! I hear you have to blend the ghee ahead of time, or even blend it right into your coffee, since it doesn't stir in all that well. Another way I've heard is good is cocoa butter. Good luck and I'm right there with you trying to find a new way to drink my coffee :)

Amber · Answer 22 · 2013-04-10 22:02:12Z UTC

0

So far I have liked coconut milk better with cold coffee than with hot. Hot coffee is tricky!

answered Apr 10 at 22:02

Amber
1

GiGiEats · Answer 23 · 2013-04-11 02:46:13Z UTC

0

Stevia goes in the cup of coffee when I order it. Liquid stevia is best because it stirs in quite nicely. Go for the alcohol free! I love NuNaturals brand.

answered Apr 11 at 2:46

GiGiEats
760●3●6

What do you put in your coffee?

23 Answers