4 ways you're making your coffee unhealthy

• It's really easy to develop an unhealthy regular coffee order without realizing it.
• Additives like syrups, creamers, and the like can turn an otherwise healthy cup of coffee into a sugary mess.
• Good news: there are a few ways you can scale back on the sugar in your regular cup o' joe without sacrificing the flavor you love.

I've been a barista for five years, so I've seen my fair share of ultra-specific coffee orders— from three and a half packs of sugar, to extra-dry cappuccinos, to lattes with no foam and extra whipped cream. All of this to say, I've seen a lot of not-so-healthy coffee orders, too, that could easily be made healthier (and just as tasty!) with a few easy substitutions.

Whether you place a regular order at a local coffee shop every day, or you fix your morning brew at home, I can almost guarantee you are degrading the health value of your coffee by making one of these mistakes.

You're not exploring your milk options.

This is an easy change — the hardest part being remembering to request non-fat milk over the default 2% or whole. Your latte will taste just as good, but will contain fewer calories. Whole milk contains around 150 calories per serving, whereas skim contains 90. You can also explore the option of non-dairy milks like almond, which contains about 40 calories per serving. Just be prepared for an upcharge if you’re ordering it out.

You're not mindful of syrup.

The flavored syrup debate is a sticky one. They can be great for adding flavor to your coffee with ease, but do you know what's actually in them? Sugar, and lots of it.

Sure, there are sugar-free options, but they can increase cravings for sugary treats, according to Spoon University, so proceed with caution.

As a barista, I'll be the first to tell you that they don't go easy on the number of pumps that go into your drink, either. So maybe try weaning yourself off of the vanilla-hazelnut-cinnamon dulce madness by asking for half the pumps, and go from there. If you're adding store-bought syrup to your coffee at home, try making your own, sans-manufactured additives. All it takes is pure cane sugar dissolved in water (simple syrup), and then you can add natural flavors or extracts like vanilla, cinnamon, or almond. Not only will it be healthier for you, it can be a fun flavor experiment.

You go heavy on the creamers.

Non-dairy (powdered) creamers are the worst. There's a reason you feel uneasy about a creamer that doesn't require refrigeration. The undetermined powdery substance would probably make it through the apocalypse thanks to all of the artificial additives that give them shelf life. Unless you really need corn syrup solids and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to get you through the day, I suggest tossing the french vanilla Coffee-mate.

When it comes to liquid creamers, some are better than others. They can contain just as many harmful additives and sugars as their powdered counterpart, but there are some natural and organic options out there that are a much safer choice and taste just as good.