# Why no fat free AND sugar free coffee creamers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134 "2011-08-26T04:16:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/1 "2011-08-26T04:16:20Z")
I like creamer in my coffee. There are [Fat free](http://www.coffee-mate.com/nirf/cm2/upload/6D2EB965-8BA4-4ED5-B709-85D5CDF4E86C/powder_frenchVanilla_RF.gif) creamers, and [sugar free](http://www.coffee-mate.com/nirf/cm2/upload/6D2EB965-8BA4-4ED5-B709-85D5CDF4E86C/powder_SF_FrenchVanilla.gif) creamers. But as far as I can tell there is no creamer that is both sugar free AND fat free. Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/2 "2011-08-26T10:27:23Z")
Presumably, you want fat free, artificially sweetened, creamer. Well, someone ought to make that, unless it’s too hard to make it taste good enough for the demand to be worthwhile. Unless you hate artificial sweetener as well. In which case – no fat, no sugar, what’s left? Just pure milk protein? That’s mostly casein, and that’s simply paste, as in a type of industrial glue. They could cut it with something, but what? I’d heard years ago of someone in a European country (Sweden, Norway, Finland, one of those) – a flamboyant eco-nut. He hated non-dairy creamer on principle, and would often make a show of washing his socks in it. It contained so much added calcium phosphate it would whiten them pretty well. Are you sure you want to eat something like that? I mean, I would, but I don’t hate nasty chemicals in my foods as a blanket policy. Other people might. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/3 "2011-08-26T12:09:10Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > I’d heard years ago of someone in a European country (Sweden, Norway, Finland, one of those) – a flamboyant eco-nut. He hated non-dairy creamer on principle, and would often make a show of washing his socks in it. It contained so much added calcium phosphate it would whiten them pretty well. Are you sure you want to eat something like that? > > I mean, I would, but I don’t hate nasty chemicals in my foods as a blanket policy. Other people might. Dude, that’d be the PERFECT thing to eat! No more coffee-stained teeth! ETA: Also, I too am against nasty chemicals. Only the good, tasty chemicals like Dextrose, Mono-sodium Glutamate, Aspartame, Caffeine, and of course Capsaicin. :). ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/4 "2011-08-26T12:52:08Z")
Well yeah, **raguleader:** , but then, I know also that need calcium and phosphorus as nutrients too. But the washing socks angle plays into it as well … just how artificial do you want your foodstuffs? At what point does it just not become marketable widely, even if there’s the devoted niche of you, **pkbites:** and me. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/5 "2011-08-26T13:21:02Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > Well yeah, **raguleader:** , but then, I know also that need calcium and phosphorus as nutrients too. But the washing socks angle plays into it as well … just how artificial do you want your foodstuffs? At what point does it just not become marketable widely, even if there’s the devoted niche of you, **pkbites:** and me. I’d be curious to find out if that stuff is actually making his socks clean, or if they are just getting saturated in calcium and milk protein, to be honest. And eh, have you seen the stuff that plainly is marketable in the foodstuffs category? Plus, coffee creamer is something you add to a beverage, making it just outside of what most people think of when they think of foodstuff, so it gets wider latitude anyways. All I know is, I can’t keep milk in my desk drawer next to my coffee pot. Not again, anyways. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/6 "2011-08-26T13:31:27Z")
Try drinking your coffee black…no fat, no sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/7 "2011-08-26T13:52:55Z")
> [@robcaro](#): > > Try drinking your coffee black…no fat, no sugar. Yeah, I do that when I’m too busy to care about how my coffee tastes. It’s an entirely different beverage. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/8 "2011-08-26T16:06:13Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > I’d be curious to find out if that stuff is actually making his socks clean, or if they are just getting saturated in calcium and milk protein, to be honest. > > And eh, have you seen the stuff that plainly is marketable in the foodstuffs category? Plus, coffee creamer is something you add to a beverage, making it just outside of what most people think of when they think of foodstuff, so it gets wider latitude anyways. > > All I know is, I can’t keep milk in my desk drawer next to my coffee pot. Not again, anyways. You can buy shelf stable little individual [real cow product](http://www.google.com/search?q=minimoo&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=dsz&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=shop&ei=PsRXTvbfK8_3gAeY6OS-DA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=5&ved=0CDQQ_AUoBA) coffee creamers online. By the case. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/9 "2011-08-26T16:10:46Z")
No fat + No sugar = No taste. Witness rice cakes. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/10 "2011-08-26T17:00:06Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Yeah, I do that when I’m too busy to care about how my coffee tastes. It’s an entirely different beverage. If you don’t like the taste of coffee, why drink it? You can get caffeine from other sources. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/11 "2011-08-26T17:32:24Z")
> [@Doctor](#): > > No fat + No sugar = No taste. Witness rice cakes. I don’t buy this. All they would need to do is take the fat free version and sweeten it with aspartame or splenda instead of sugar or corn syrup. It would have plenty of flavor. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/12 "2011-08-26T17:36:32Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > If you don’t like the taste of coffee, why drink it? You can get caffeine from other sources. 😕 By this standard people wouldn’t put salt or pepper on their baked potato or sugar on their corn flakes. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/13 "2011-08-26T17:46:26Z")
The Sugar Free version is mostly vegetable oil with a “trivial” amount of corn syrup The Fat Free version is mostly corn syrup with a “trivial” amount of vegetable oil Get rid of both the corn syrup and vegetable oil, all you have left is some flavored milk protein, which isn’t going to cream up your coffee very well. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/14 "2011-08-26T18:36:27Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > The Sugar Free version is mostly vegetable oil with a “trivial” amount of corn syrup > > The Fat Free version is mostly corn syrup with a “trivial” amount of vegetable oil. I think that’s what it comes down to – the ingredients would seem to be mutually exclusive. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/15 "2011-08-26T18:38:31Z")
My creamer is listed as Fat and Sugar Free. It is Clover Valley Fat Free Non-Dairy Creamer that I buy it at **Dollar General** Store [http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/clover-valley-fat-free-non-dairy-creamer-2436614](http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/clover-valley-fat-free-non-dairy-creamer-2436614) I still put sugar in my coffee. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/16 "2011-08-26T21:34:24Z")
Why not try actual milk? Most of the rest of the world does. Use whatever low fat/non fat kind you prefer. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/17 "2011-08-26T21:42:47Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > Why not try actual milk? Most of the rest of the world does. Use whatever low fat/non fat kind you prefer. 8 ounces of fat-free milk still has [12 grams of sugars](http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/7578/2) (not that you’re likely to be putting anywhere close to 8 ounces of milk into a cup of coffee). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/18 "2011-08-26T22:21:57Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > 8 ounces of fat-free milk still has [12 grams of sugars](http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/7578/2) (not that you’re likely to be putting anywhere close to 8 ounces of milk into a cup of coffee). I don’t see why anyone really bothers with low-fat creamer. I mean, have you seen the portion size? It’s got to be less than a quarter of an ounce. With that amount of anything, the amount of fat and sugar is pretty negligible. Even a quarter ounce of lard in your coffee isn’t going to add much to your daily fat intake (but it might not improve the taste). ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/19 "2011-08-26T23:24:32Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > By this standard people wouldn’t put salt or pepper on their baked potato or sugar on their corn flakes. Does that mean that people who do this don’t actually like the taste of baked potato or corn flakes? Why eat them then, seriously? Salt and sugar are flavor enhancers, not maskers. Same with cream. Here’s my thought process: I won’t eat liver because I don’t like the taste of liver. Onions and garlic, which I enjoy very much, don’t change the taste of liver, so I still wouldn’t eat it even smothered in onions and garlic. The same can be said about coffee. Don’t like the flavor, why bother trying to make it palatable? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134/20 "2011-08-27T00:48:19Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > If you don’t like the taste of coffee, why drink it? You can get caffeine from other sources. 😕 _looking around, confused_ Who said I didn’t like the taste of coffee? Why the hell do I drink so much that the Folgers company sends me thank you notes every Christmas then?😕😃 Milk/cream and sugar are flavor enhancers for coffee. Without them, I find my coffee to be insufficiently enhanced, though I will still drink it black or no-cream if I need the caffeine. As for why I drink it, because I like other caffeinated beverages far less than I do coffee, enhanced or otherwise. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-fat-free-and-sugar-free-coffee-creamers/594134.md?page=2)