You aren’t stuck with just plain black coffee while Intermittent Fasting. Here’s everything you can add to your coffee.
Can You Put Anything In Your Coffee While Fasting?
It’s first important to determine what type of fasting that you’re using. With a “clean” fast, anything added to coffee will break a fast. In fact, depending on who you talk to, even coffee can break a fast. However, if your main goal with Intermittent Fasting is to tap into fat burning mechanisms, lower body fat percentage and achieve a weight loss goal, then a dirty fast (aka fasting mimicking) is perfectly acceptable. This means items that don’t contain protein or carbs (up to 1 gram of each) is fine in your coffee. If you’re curious about learning more about the differences between a “dirty” and “clean” fast, you can check out my article below.
Related: Dirty Vs. Clean Fasting | Which Is BETTER At Burning Fat As Fuel?
What You Can Put In Your Coffee While Fasting
This list meets the “dirty” fasting criteria of keeping the storing hormone, insulin, from spiking and allowing the body to use fat as fuel.
Related: [QUIZ!] Find Out The BEST Intermittent Fasting Schedule For YOUR Goals!
Butter and Ghee
Both butter and ghee are nearly pure fat. This means it won’t have any impact on the storing hormone insulin and won’t break a fast. You can test out my super frothy Keto Coffee recipe using grass-fed butter with the video above.
Half & Half and Heavy Cream
Heavy whipping cream, just like butter and ghee, is nearly pure fat. Half & Half is fairly similar, but is essentially a more watered-down version of heavy cream. However, the carbohydrate and protein count can start to add up with these two ingredients. These are best limited to 1 Tbsp. in coffee while fasting. You can grab the science-y deets for why this is with my article HERE.
Coconut Oil and MCT Oil
Coconut oil is a great source of medium chain triglycerides (aka a high quality fat source). MCT oil is usually derived from coconut oil. This is why you’ll often find either of these two ingredients in fasted coffee recipes, like my Keto Coffee recipe with the video above.
Cinnamon and Most Spices
Adding a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg or even turmeric is a great way to spice up (literally and figuratively) your coffee while fasting. Although with most spices, you’ll want to stick with about .5 tsp. or less. Check out the deets with THIS article.
Sea Salt
Not only does sea salt not break a fast — it’s actually quite important to be taking during the fasting state to achieve an electrolyte balance. Grab the details of sea salt and fasting with THIS article.
Unsweetened Nut Milk
Almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, etc. As long as you choose an unsweetened variety and you stick to no more than 1/3 cup, then this shouldn’t break a fast. HERE is the exception.
Nutpods
Some of the Nutpods are better than others while fasting. Grab the full details with my article HERE.
Essential Oils
As long as you choose a brand that is safe to consume, you’re likely in the clear. But HERE is what you should watch out for.
Notable foods/ingredients that can’t be included (or at least shouldn’t be) in coffee while fasting include any type of sweetener (even stevia*), sweetened nut milks, milk, collagen, alcohol and protein powders.
Tap into fat burning
The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program
The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program provides step-by-step strategies to help you use Intermittent Fasting with delicious, protein-packed meals to support fat loss, reduce hunger, and boost gut health.
