Not surprisingly, Steve and I struggled with the morning coffee issue. Coffee is allowed, but all of the things that we formerly used to make it sweet and delicious were not. Steve loved a giant cup of Dunkin Donuts Coffee with lots of cream and sugar and I loved strong coffee with loads of Coffee Mate and  2 Splenda’s. None of these ingredients are Whole 30 compliant.

Steve solved the problem easily. He developed a taste for pure and simple espresso. If it is good quality and well made, there is a layer of foam on top that gives you an illusion of the creaminess from dairy.

It has not been so easy for me. I played around with all of the Whole 30 compliant ingredients and came up with two awesome recipes.

The first recipe, Easy Whole 30 Morning Coffee is a simple mix of fruit juice, coconut milk and Califia Farms  Unsweetened Almond Milk. Technically almond milk is not allowed on this plan because they normally contain carrageenan but I checked and re-checked all of the ingredients and this does not contain carrageenan or any additives that are non-compliant. I actually now enjoy this coffee more than my old unhealthy morning Java.

Easy Whole 30 Morning Coffee

Makes 1 16-ounce cup

1 tablespoon of any fruit juice (I like pear, prune and apple)

1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 cups hot coffee of your choice

1 tablespoon Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk

Combine fruit juice and coconut milk in a cup and place in the microwave for 30 seconds or until slightly warm to the touch. Add coffee and almond milk and enjoy!

The second recipe, Weekend Whole 30 Morning Coffee is not as simple but definitely packs that sweetness punch that people often crave with their morning coffee, it is perfect for the weekend. Smoothies are not allowed on the Whole 30 and this involves a blender. It is up to you whether you consider any type of blending a smoothie and therefore not allowed.

Weekend Whole 30 Morning Coffee

Makes 1 16-ounce cup

1 1/2 cup hot coffee of your choice

1-2 pitted dates

1 teaspoon raw cacao nibs

1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon of pear juice

1 tablespoon Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk

Combine hot coffee, dates, and cacao nibs in the blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to coffee cup and add coconut and almond milks and enjoy! Add some ice if you want to make ice coffee.