How many calories are in coffee?

Did you know that coffee has almost no calories? At least not if you drink a regular cup of black coffee or espresso. I myself am always quite busy with sports and health, so I think it's super chill that my favorite drink contains no calories.

I can drink these almost endlessly without gaining an ounce. But what about all those other tasty coffee drinks that you can get anywhere or just conjure up at home from your luxury espresso machine?

The coffee beans , which form the basis for all coffee drinks, contain no calories, but when you mix all kinds of sweeteners and milk through them, this changes.

What are calories and what do they do in your body. How much are there in, for example, an espresso or other coffee drinks. And what is the other nutritional value in your cup of coffee? I explain it all to you in this blog.

What Are Calories?

Calories are a unit of measurement for the amount of energy contained in a food or drink. This is often expressed in kilocalories, the kcal that you find on many packages in the supermarket.

1000 calories are expressed in 1 kcal. Quite confusing because the two terms are often used interchangeably. When you say a calorie, you actually mean a kcal.

This is also what you will find on the packaging of food and drinks. The number of kcal per 100 grams or per portion, for example.

The personal energy requirement is also expressed in kcal. For example, as a woman you need 2200 kcal to maintain your weight.

If you want to lose some weight, you have to sit below that and if you want to gain weight, then slightly above. Anyway, then we're going to talk about fitness and that's not entirely my expertise. I like to keep track of how many calories are in coffee.

How many calories are in an espresso?

An espresso is a small amount, often between 20 and 60 ml, of highly concentrated coffee. You can also make an espresso with an espresso machine alone.

You need about 9 bar of pressure to force the water through the coffee within a short period of time. An espresso is ready in about 20-30 seconds.

A pure espresso, whether you drink it single or double, contains no sugars, milk or other additives and is therefore completely free of calories. The drink only gets calories when you add milk, sugar or other sweeteners to it.

If you watch your calories, you can drink an espresso quite safely. Be careful, because the large amount of caffeine in your body can cause side effects.

Good news, no matter what diet you're on, coffee is SAFE!

Read also: Is coffee good for your health?

Coffee beans have so few calories because they need so few. The work of the coffee bean consists only of creating a shoot from which a new plant can grow. The new plant does the heavy lifting.

Now to the less good news.

Calories in different coffee drinks

The moment you add something to your coffee, you also add calories. Milk, sugar & caramel, all cause a huge increase in the number of calories you consume when drinking your cup of coffee. See what happens when you add milk or sugar:

Sugar (1 tablespoon): 49 calories

Coffee creamer (1 tablespoon): 30 calories

Milk (1 tablespoon): 80 calories

So with a little bit of coffee creamer you increase your calorie intake with coffee enormously.

If you prefer not to consume too many calories, it is good to look for freshly roasted coffee beans that are so tasty that you  no need to add milk or sugar.

Calories in cappuccino latte and other espresso-based coffee drinks

Every now and then we like a nice, creamy cappuccino at Zwarte Roes. But we are also aware that when you add milk to your espresso, you can no longer enjoy it carefree.

Below I have set out some combinations of espresso with milk and the number of calories they contain.

• Cappuccino : 80 calories
• Latte: 190 calories
• Latte coffee: 190 calories
• Caramel machiato: 250 calories
• White chocolate mocha: 520 calories

The above data can be experienced as shocking, but it is certainly reality. Therefore drink consciously and enjoy in moderation.

Source: Unsplash.com

Calories in Starbucks Coffee

Starbucks is known for its endless list of coffee and tea options. The most famous of these, such as the frappuccino, are packed with calories. So from now on, do you want to watch the calories you take in when you order your next Starbucks?

Check below an overview of the 10 most popular Starbucks coffees and the number of calories they contain.

1. Iced coffee (sweetened): 80 calories
2. Caffe Misto: 120 calories
3. Cappuccino: 120 calories
4. Iced Caffè Latte: 130 calories
5. Iced Vanilla Latte: 190 calories
6. Vanilla latte: 250 calories
7. Caramel Macchiato: 250 calories
8. Pumpkin Spice Latte: 380 calories
9. Vanilla Creme frappuccino: 400 calories
10. White Chocolate Mocha frappuccino: 520 calories

Source: Starbucks.com

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories are in coffee?

There are 0 calories in a regular black coffee. However, when you add milk and/or sugar, the number of calories quickly increases.

Is drinking coffee healthy?

Drinking coffee has many health benefits. Pay attention to which type of coffee you drink and the amount of caffeine you consume.

Read also: Is drinking coffee good for your health?

Based purely on the number of calories, black coffee is better than coffee with milk. Milk contains a lot of trans fats and sugars.

Read also: Which is better, black coffee or coffee with milk?

Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino contains the highest calorie coffee with 520 calories.

Conclusion

Basically, coffee beans contain no calories and you can therefore drink espressos with confidence, without gaining weight. However, when you start drinking coffees with a lot of milk, sugar and/or caramel, this changes enormously.

Below is a brief overview of all coffee drinks and the associated calories.

Coffee variety	Calories
Espresso	0
Cappuccino	80
Coffee wrong	190
Caramel macchiato	250
White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino	520