Does anyone know how many tablespoons there are in one of the little containers of half and half which you get at a resturant?

I am worried the half and half might be my downfall, as I cannot drink coffee black and I cannot give up my morning coffee.

Jo Ann in TEXAS

Use whipping cream, or 18% table cream... The higher the fat content the better it is for you.

I'm serious. If you use whipping cream you won't even have to worry about the carb count in what you use in your coffee.

PS hope you're drinking decaf tho! No caffeine on induction.

Have you put the whipping cream in your coffee? Does it clabber it or can you stir it smootly? I will get some of that today! Thanks for the suggestion.

LCS is the whipping cream like Reddi Whip.........the kind you spray out of the can? I think the can is red and white? I am not sure exactly what you are speaking of about the whipping cream? Please let me know how it reads on the carton.

I either drink the decaf or 1/2 and 1/2. I had a tremendous headache yesterday when I drank decaf. So, today, I am drinking 1/2 and 1/2 caffeine. But, you say I should go back to the decaf..........I will do that for sure! I just hope I don't keep that headache again by doing that?

Thanks LCS for your response. You are such a big help!

Jo Ann in TEXAS trying to hang in there on day 3 of Induction!!!!

I considered myself to be the last of the all-time great "I will die without cream in my coffee" people. I tried cutting down at first, using 18% cream ... and used a measuring spoon to make sure I wasn't using more than I thought. I found that my cuppa tasted just fine with 1½ to 2 tsp of cream ... I did not need a whole Tbsp, which is ½ fl. oz. Anyway, I finally gave up cream in my coffee back in November. But first I had to switch brands. The coffee I drank previously was delicious -- with cream in it -- but raunchy as black.

Oh, to answer your question .. the little plastic thingies of cream hold ½ fl. oz ... so 1 Tbsp.

Doreen

JoAnn - Redi whip is poison.

I mean the liquid whipping cream that comes in little cartons the way milk will. It's the stuff that if you whip it with a pair of beaters, it will become whipped cream. Ask your grocer. No it doesn't clump or anything in the coffee.

This type of cream, can be whipped and using a bit of Splenda, you can put it on sugar free jello, low carb brownies or your favourite person.

Decaf coffee is recommended at first, because you are in the process of detoxifying your system. Caffiene can cause insulin spikes which you don't want. Yes, headaches happen because you are "hooked" and need to go thru withdrawl. Take an aspirin and drink lots of water.

I was guessing it was 2 tablespoon per little container, so I am very glad I asked this question.

I just don't think I will ever be able to drink coffee black. I suppose I would give it up before I could drink it black.

I have to have 2 tablespoons of half and half = 1 carb and I usually drink 2 cups in the AM..........so I have 2 carbs before I even get started on the foods. But, I love my coffee, so I would rather give up the carbs somewhere else. However, I am going to try the whipping cream in my coffee , as Low Carb Sponge suggested. Doreen, have you tried the whipping cream yet, in your coffee?

I will let you know if it works ok............ anything to make it lighter in color. I just can't take the black!

Jo Ann in TEXAS

Hi LCS,

It seems like 2 yrs. ago when I was on the Atkins, that we ate that Reddi Whip??? Has that changed? Does it have a lot of carbs in it? I can't remember, but for some reason, it seems like everyone was buying that stuff to put on their SF jello?

Are you saying it is poison , because it is unhealthy, or does it have a lot of carbs in it?

I know the kind you are talking about the REAL WHIPPING CREAM IN THE LITTLE CARTON. I will check on that today........and thanks for getting me straight on that matter! I really don't know what I would do without this Low Carb forum site. It is the BEST I have ever been on.

I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU REGULAR ACTIVE LOW CARBERS FOR HELPING US NEWBIES OUT SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jo Ann in TEXAS

It has sugar.

Sugar is the #1 BAD carb source. That needs to be avoided at all costs.

I did not know that Redi Whip had sugar in it?????? So, glad you told me! I will look for the real whipping cream instead.
Thanks for your help!
Jo Ann in TEXAS

One of the important habits to get into is that of reading labels. You never know where sugar will show up. Even in fluid cream. There is a brand in BC - Dairyland - that actually has dextrose in it.

Karen

Hi Karen,

If I look on the label and it reads 0 sugar and 0 carbs, do I still have to have a concern that it has sugar in it???

Jo Ann in TEXAS

JoAnn, welcome to the real world of "labels tell lies". In the US, manufacturers are permitted to list a food as zero carbs if the count for a "normal" serving is less than 1, even if it's 0.9! Since a "normal" serving of heavy cream is considered to be 1 Tbsp (15 ml or ½ fl. oz) they will list it as 0 because the count is less than 1. Truthfully, it's not a big deal if you're ONLY using one single Tbsp, but if you're using several Tbsp, and maybe also using the cream in recipes, those partial grams of carb can add up over the course of a day.

I posted the counts for the different creams for another member recently ... I'll copy them here for you.

• Heavy (whipping) 35% cream has 0.4g carb per Tbsp. The 18% table/coffee cream has 0.55g.
  
  However, if you're using it in larger volumes, then definitely the higher fat content is the better carb bargain. 35% heavy cream has 6.6g per cup. 18% table cream has 8.8g.
  
  For the record, half & half (10%) has 0.65g per Tbsp, and 10.4g per cup. According to our Handy-Dandy carb counter Tool.

Cheese is another food that often has less than one gram of carb per 1 oz serving, but the label will say zero. If you eat 3 or 4 ounces, that can add up.

This is unfortunate, because a lot of folks think they're only eating 20g carbs ... because they honestly believe these foods contain zero carbs and eat way more than one "normal" serving.

Your best bet is to use an accurate nutrient counter. If you click on Low Carb Tools from the orange menu bar at the top of the page, you'll find a great Carb Counter tool, with over 6,000 foods. You can change the amount of the serving size from the 100 grams that it will show at first. A good food counts book to have for when you're not on the computer is Corrine T. Netzer's "Complete Book of Food Counts". It's excellent, and has counts for Fast Foods like McD's and Wendy's too.

Doreen

Your post about the creams and the sugars that are hidden in them was so helpful to me and I bet it will be to so many others who just can't drink their coffee black! I think I would give it up completely before I could go black.

So, I will take this information you have so kindly provided and choose the lesser of the evils. LOL

Thanks again Doreen, for your time and effort! It is very much appreciated !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jo Ann in TEXAS

Hi Ya'll..........I went to the store last night to get my cream for my coffee.
Here is my confusion from what you all have said:

The Half and Half has 1 carb for 2 Tablespoons

The Heavy Whipping Cream has 2 Carb for 1 Tablespoon.

So, in my case isn't the Half and Half best? RIGHT?

Jo Ann in TEXAS

I would check the actual ingredients listing as well. I find it hard to believe that the carb count would be higher for the same serving unless there was some form of sugar in it.

In Canada some labels lie, too. Oh you will see 0.1 g of a carb BUT quite often there will be another count called "sugars" on the breakdown. You don't really notice it at first because your eye is searching for the word "carbohydrate" or "glucides". Sneaky bums!