How many calories are in a cup of coffee?
USDA numbers for plain brewed coffee per cup and per 100 g, and how to log coffee with milk, cream or syrup without guessing.
Plain brewed coffee is essentially calorie-free at 1 calorie per 100 g, which rounds to about 2 calories for an 8 fl oz cup. That makes black coffee one of the simplest things to log. The mistake is assuming the same of coffee drinks: once milk, cream, sugar, syrups or whipped toppings go in, the coffee is the smallest part of the calorie count.
Calories in black coffee per 100 g
According to USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy entry “Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water”), 100 g of black coffee contains 1 calories (4 kJ), 0.1 g of protein, 0 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat.
| Nutrient (per 100 g) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 1 |
| Energy (kilojoules) | 4 kJ |
| Protein | 0.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Total fat | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Sodium | 2 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 49 mg |
| Calcium | 2 mg |
| Iron | 0 mg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
Calories per serving
Per-100 g numbers are only useful once you know your portion. Typical servings of black coffee:
| Serving | Calories | kJ | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (8 fl oz, 237 g) | 2 | 10 | 0.3 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| 6 fl oz (178 g) | 2 | 7 | 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| 1 fl oz (30 g) | 0 | 1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
Macro breakdown
By energy, black coffee is about 0% carbohydrate, 73% protein and 27% fat (using 4 kcal per gram of protein and carbohydrate and 9 kcal per gram of fat).
The percentage split above is computed on a total of about 1 calorie, so it is not meaningful; in practice coffee has 0 g of carbohydrate, 0.1 g of protein and essentially no fat per 100 g. What it does contain is a little potassium, 49 mg per 100 g, and 2 mg of sodium.
How black coffee compares with similar foods
| Food (per 100 g) | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green tea | 1 | 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Espresso | 9 | 0.1 g | 1.7 g | 0.2 g |
| Light beer | 29 | 0.2 g | 1.6 g | 0 g |
| Root beer | 41 | 0 g | 11 g | 0 g |
| Cola | 42 | 0 g | 10 g | 0.2 g |
Is black coffee good for weight loss?
Black coffee costs you nothing in calories, so it can be a useful habit if you are cutting intake, especially as a replacement for sweetened drinks. The caution is that coffee is often a vehicle for sugar and fat: a splash of milk is small, but a flavored latte with syrup and whipped cream is a snack in a cup. If you drink several cups a day, the add-ins repeat several times a day as well. Try switching one daily coffee to black or to a smaller amount of milk and log the difference for a week. Also notice whether coffee is standing in for breakfast and leading to a larger lunch.
How to log black coffee in Cal.AI
Search "black coffee" in Cal.AI and save it so one tap logs it next time; a standard cup is about 237 g (8 fl oz). For a coffee shop drink, use Scan Food on the cup and then Fix Results to swap in the right milk and size, or Barcode for bottled coffee. The common mistake is logging a latte as "coffee" and missing the milk entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Does black coffee have any calories?
Barely. USDA lists 1 calorie per 100 g of brewed coffee, so a 237 g cup (8 fl oz) is about 2 calories and a 178 g (6 fl oz) cup is also about 2. It has 0 g of carbohydrate, 0 g of sugar and 0.1 g of protein per 100 g. For calorie-tracking purposes it is effectively zero.
Will black coffee break a calorie deficit?
No. At about 2 calories per 8 fl oz cup, even five cups a day add only about 10 calories, which is below the precision of any tracking app. What can affect a deficit is what goes into the coffee, since milk, cream, sugar and flavored syrups each add calories that the coffee itself does not. Log the additions, not the coffee.
How should I log coffee with milk and sugar?
Log the coffee as black coffee at about 2 calories per cup, then add the milk and sugar as separate items with their own amounts, or use Scan Food on the finished cup and use Fix Results to adjust the ingredients. Saved foods help here: build your usual coffee once and reuse it with one tap each morning.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, SR Legacy: “Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water” (FDC ID 171890). FoodData Central
Related articles
- How many calories are in scrambled eggs?
- How many calories are in brown rice?
- How many kilojoules and calories are in a glass of sparkling wine?
- How many calories are in mayonnaise?
- Melbourne Cup day drinks: kilojoules in bubbles, beer and premixes
