How Many Calories in Coffee?

1 oz of Espresso Coffee has 1 Calorie

And from then on it gets worse…

Here are some common coffee drinks, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that if you are looking after your weight – you’ll stick to black coffee or straight espresso.

This is the Starbuck’s effect in action. Starbucks turned a low (or no) calorie beverage into a sugar-fat laden monstrosity.

Sick Yet? Check out our guide on quitting coffee here.

I, however, love coffee, but I only drink straight espresso.

Maybe I’m addicted. I tell myself there are worse things to be addicted to, and that makes me feel better.

Most people slam coffee as being bad for you, but plain black coffee has a lot of researched health benefits.

This cup of espresso has just 1 calorie.

It’s the Milk and Sugar!

Coffee drinks are high in calories due to what we add to the coffee.

Caffeine is a bitter chemical so we tend to sweeten it up – with milk, sugar, or syrups.

The larger the drink volume – the more milk you will be getting. With espresso-based drinks (latte, cappuccino) – the amount of water in the drink is minimal (typically 45ml / 1.5 fl. oz per espresso shot).

You do the math:

A 16 ounces Grande Latte from Starbucks will have two espresso shots (~ 3 oz) — that leaves around 13 ounces of 2% milk (depending on how much foam tops the drink) – so there’s 198 Calories already.

Add in cream, a pump of flavored syrup, and some sugar – and you are in for a very calorie-dense drink – more like sweetened milk than coffee.

I think I’m beginning to sound like a coffee snob.

Calories in Coffee Extras

If all else fails, maybe Snoopy can help.

Coffee is almost Zero Calorie

According to the USDA nutrient database – an 8-ounce cup of coffee (brewed from grounds) has just 2 (yes two) Calories. The calories come from a tiny amount of protein and some mono-unsaturated oils.

A coffee bean has oils in it (which is why a barista often needs to clean their espresso machine to prevent an oily build-up).

Sometimes a really bad coffee can be due to the oils in it becoming rancid (this often occurs from dark roasts, which cause a subsequent release of oils – if the beans are stored for a long time the oils may go slightly rancid).

So: coffee beans + water = virtually calorie-free.

The Best Coffee Drink For You Is…

If you are looking at reducing the number of calories in your diet and coffee is your thing: It’s time to work on that sweet tooth.

The best option is to drink an Americano (espresso + water).

Believe it or not, espresso drinks have less caffeine than brewed drinks (where the water is in contact with the coffee grounds for a longer time).

Minimize the number of extras you put into your coffee – and you may well remove a significant amount of Calories from your diet.

To save even more calories see our 10 Easy Kitchen Hacks for Healthy Cooking.

Nutrition sources: Starbucks. Mcdonald’s, Dunkin Donuts.

Photo Credit: JonathanCohen.