- Liquid calories do not fill you up the way food does, so they are easy to overdo.
- Large milky coffees with syrup can reach several hundred kcal each.
- Juice and smoothies should be limited to 150 ml a day combined.
- A pint of beer is typically around 180 to 250 kcal depending on strength.
- Water, tea, black coffee, sugar-free drinks and plain milk cover most needs.
Why drink calories are different
Your body is not very good at noticing calories from drinks. Research suggests people compensate far less for calories they drink than for calories they eat, so drinks rarely lead to eating less at the next meal. A 250 kcal latte does not stop you eating lunch. A 250 kcal sandwich might.
Drinks are also easy to forget. People tracking food often skip the milk in their tea, the orange juice at breakfast or the two pints on Friday. When fat loss stalls, drinks are one of the first places to look, along with the other usual suspects in why the scales go up and down.
The figures below are approximate. Recipes, sizes and brands vary a lot, so use them to spot patterns rather than as exact numbers. Large chains in England must now show calories on menus, which makes it easier to check your usual order.
None of this means you need to give up the drinks you enjoy. It means knowing which ones carry the most calories, so you can decide which are worth it to you and which you would barely miss.
Tea and coffee
Black coffee and tea without milk or sugar have almost no calories. It is what goes in them that counts.
- Tea with semi-skimmed milk: around 15 to 20 kcal a mug
- A teaspoon of sugar: about 16 to 20 kcal. Five teas a day with two sugars each is roughly 160 to 200 kcal and 40 g of sugar, more than the daily free sugar limit.
- Flat white or small latte: often around 100 to 150 kcal, depending on milk
- Large latte or cappuccino with whole milk: can be 200 kcal or more
- Flavoured lattes, mochas and hot chocolates with cream: frequently 300 kcal or more for a large
The easy wins are smaller sizes, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, fewer syrup pumps and skipping the cream. A regular latte with semi-skimmed milk is also a reasonable source of protein, so it is not all bad news.
Soft drinks, juice and smoothies
A 330 ml can of regular cola contains around 139 kcal and 35 g of sugar, more than the recommended daily limit of free sugars for an adult. Since the soft drinks levy started in 2018, many brands have cut their sugar, but full-sugar versions are still common.
- Diet and zero-sugar soft drinks: close to zero kcal
- Orange or apple juice: roughly 60 to 75 kcal for a 150 ml glass
- Shop-bought smoothies: often 150 to 250 kcal for a bottle
- Energy drinks: full-sugar 250 ml cans commonly contain around 110 kcal and a lot of sugar, with sugar-free versions close to zero
The NHS counts fruit juice and smoothies as a maximum of one of your 5 a day and suggests no more than 150 ml a day combined, because juicing releases the sugar from the fruit. Whole fruit is more filling and better for your teeth. Our guide to sugar explains the difference.
Alcohol
Alcohol itself contains 7 kcal per gram, and most drinks add sugar or carbohydrate on top. Approximate figures:
- Pint of 4% beer or lager: around 180 kcal
- Pint of 5% lager or strong cider: around 220 to 250 kcal
- 175 ml glass of 12% wine: around 130 to 160 kcal
- 250 ml glass of wine: around 190 to 230 kcal
- Single spirit with a full-sugar mixer: around 120 to 150 kcal, or around 60 kcal with a diet mixer
- Cocktails: anywhere from 150 to over 300 kcal
Four pints on a night out is roughly the calories of a large meal, before the food that often follows. Alcohol also disrupts sleep and recovery, which our guide to alcohol and training covers in detail.
Milk, shakes and sports drinks
Not all drink calories are wasted. Some come with protein or fuel that you actually need.
- Semi-skimmed milk: around 270 kcal and 20 g of protein a pint. Whole milk is closer to 370 kcal, skimmed around 200 kcal.
- Protein shake with water: usually around 100 to 130 kcal a scoop. With milk, add the milk.
- Sports drinks: a 500 ml bottle is typically around 100 to 140 kcal of carbohydrate. Useful in long, hard sessions, unnecessary at your desk.
- Plant milks: unsweetened soya is similar to semi-skimmed milk for protein. Oat, almond and rice milks are much lower in protein.
If you are training for an event like HYROX, sports drinks have a job in your longest sessions and on race day. For a typical hour-long class, water is enough. See hydration for training.
Swaps that add up
Small daily swaps compound over a week. A few examples of what they can save, roughly:
- A daily large flavoured latte to a regular semi-skimmed latte: around 150 kcal a day, over 1,000 kcal a week
- Two cans of regular cola to diet versions: nearly 280 kcal a day
- A 250 ml glass of orange juice with breakfast to a whole orange: around 50 kcal and over 20 g of free sugar
- Four pints on Saturday to two pints and two alcohol-free beers: around 250 to 300 kcal
- Two sugars in five teas to none: around 160 kcal a day
You do not need to make all of these. Pick the one that suits you and costs the least effort. If you want someone to help you spot patterns like these, Lycan Strength offers nutrition and accountability coaching, and our calorie deficit guide shows how these savings fit into the bigger picture.
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Questions
Do drinks count towards my calories?
Yes. Any drink containing milk, sugar, juice or alcohol has calories, and they count in exactly the same way as food.
Is diet cola better than regular for weight loss?
It has almost no calories and no sugar, so swapping regular for diet cuts both. Water is still the best everyday choice.
How many calories are in a pint of beer?
Typically around 180 to 250 kcal, depending on the strength and style. Stronger beers and ciders sit at the top of that range.
Is milk fattening?
Milk contains calories like any food, but it also provides protein and calcium. Semi-skimmed milk is a useful drink for most people who train.
General guidance for healthy adults. If you have a medical condition, injury or are pregnant, check with a health professional before changing your training or diet.
