Why You Might Want To Rethink Your Daily Dalgona Coffee

We know you've seen it, we know you've probably tried it, and at this point, we know you might even be in the 21 percent who are over it. But, if you happen to be in the group of caffeinated readers who are still up for a cup of Dalgona coffee every morning, this one's for you. This trendy morning drink, made from equal parts instant coffee, granulated sugar, and hot water whisked into an Insta-worthy beverage — maybe not surprisingly — is considered very high in sugar.

According to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of sugar men should consume in a day is nine teaspoons. For women, the recommendation is even lower at a maximum of six teaspoons a day. For women, that means if your daily Dalgona coffee uses two tablespoons of sugar, your recommended allotment is used up before you even make it lunchtime! According to Women's Health, there are some ways to reduce the amount of sugar (and calories) in your Dalgona. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Nutritionist Jenna Hope made some sugar substitution suggestions to Women's Health that are easy swaps to make your morning ritual a little healthier. One idea is rather than using sugar, use whipped coconut cream to make the drink fluffy. To make life a tad simpler, you can buy canned coconut cream at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods (via Thrive Cuisine). Another option Hope listed was using whipped aquafaba. You can get this fun-to-say ingredient ready by shaking a can of chickpeas, opening it, and reserving just the liquid for your whipped coffee.

If it's the caffeine you are concerned about, Hope recommends going the matcha route. Not only does matcha slow down the release of caffeine, diminishing the spike and crash factors, but it also has properties that may enhance relaxation. (Not to mention, the vibrant green color of matcha makes for a refreshing social media picture.) Wow, It's Veggie even offers a versatile, vegan-adaptable recipe for Dalgona matcha that uses coconut cream or an egg white or aquafaba with sugar or stevia, matcha powder, and the milk of your choice. Talk about options!