How many kilojoules and calories are in a long black?
AUSNUT 2023 figures for a single-shot long black per 250 ml cup, how it compares with milk coffees, and what to log when you add milk.
A long black is espresso poured over hot water, and with no milk it is about as close to a zero-kilojoule drink as a café sells: a 250 ml cup is about 20 kJ (5 Cal) in AUSNUT 2023, for a single-shot long black. Compare that with a flat white of the same size at about 490 kJ, where nearly all the energy comes from the milk. What people get wrong is not the coffee but the extras: a dash of milk or a spoon of sugar brings far more energy than the coffee itself.
Kilojoules and calories in long black per 100 g
According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand's AUSNUT 2023 database (food “Coffee, long black, single shot”), 100 g of long black contains 8 kJ (2 Cal), 0.3 g of protein, 0 g of carbohydrate and 0.1 g of fat.
| Nutrient (per 100 g) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 8 kJ |
| Calories | 2 Cal |
| Protein | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g |
| Dietary fibre | 0 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g |
| Total fat | 0.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Sodium | 3 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 104 mg |
| Calcium | 3 mg |
| Iron | 0 mg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
Kilojoules per serve
Per-100 g numbers are only useful once you know your serve. Typical serves of long black, with kilojoules first as on Australian labels:
| Serve | kJ | Cal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (250 ml, 250 g) | 20 | 5 | 0.8 g | 0 g | 0.2 g |
A cup (250 ml, 250 g) is about 20 kJ, or 0.2% of the 8,700 kJ average adult daily energy intake used as the reference on Australian kilojoule menu boards.
Macro breakdown
By energy, long black is about 0% carbohydrate, 58% protein and 42% fat (using 17 kJ per gram of protein and carbohydrate and 37 kJ per gram of fat).
Those percentages look striking, but they are shares of almost nothing: a whole cup has less than 1 g of protein and a fraction of a gram of fat, so the split tells you little about a long black. The more notable figure is potassium, about 260 mg per cup, and there is no sugar at all.
How long black compares with similar foods
| Food (per 100 g) | kJ | Cal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kombucha | 28 | 7 | 0 g | 0.9 g | 0 g |
| Mid-strength beer | 128 | 31 | 0.3 g | 2.2 g | 0 g |
| Full-strength beer | 152 | 36 | 0.4 g | 2.3 g | 0 g |
| Ginger beer | 158 | 38 | 0 g | 9.8 g | 0 g |
| Flat white (cappuccino, latte) | 196 | 47 | 2.8 g | 3.4 g | 2.6 g |
Is long black good for weight loss?
A long black has essentially no energy density at 8 kJ per 100 g, so it is one of the easiest drinks to fit into any eating plan. Swapping a 250 ml flat white (about 490 kJ) for a long black saves about 470 kJ a cup, and a chai latte made with mix powder is about 1,102 kJ a cup. If black coffee is too bitter, a splash of milk is a smaller step than a full milk coffee, as long as you log it. The bigger numbers at the café are usually on the plate: a regular croissant is about 1,008 kJ.
How to log long black in Cal.AI
Cal.AI counts in calories, so a 20 kJ long black is 5 Cal; divide kJ by 4.184 to convert. Search for long black, set the portion to 250 g for a 250 ml cup, and save it so your daily coffee is a one-tap log. The common mistake is logging the black coffee and leaving out the milk or sugar, so add them as separate items each time.
Frequently asked questions
How many kilojoules are in a long black?
A 250 ml single-shot long black has about 20 kJ (5 Cal) in AUSNUT 2023, with less than 1 g of protein, a fraction of a gram of fat and no carbohydrate or sugar. Per 100 g it is just 8 kJ (2 Cal). Any milk, sugar or syrup you add brings far more energy than the coffee itself, so log those separately.
Is a long black better than a flat white for weight loss?
It is much lower in kilojoules. A 250 ml long black is about 20 kJ (5 Cal), while a 250 ml flat white made with regular milk is about 490 kJ (117 Cal) in AUSNUT 2023. The flat white brings protein and calcium from the milk, so it is not a bad drink, but swapping saves about 470 kJ a cup, which adds up over several coffees a day.
Is a long black the same as an Americano?
Both are espresso and hot water with no milk, so their kilojoules are similar and very small. The difference usually described is the order: a long black is espresso poured over hot water, while an Americano is hot water added to espresso. AUSNUT 2023 lists the long black at 8 kJ per 100 g, and what matters for either is the milk or sugar you add.
Sources
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand. AUSNUT 2023 food nutrient database: “Coffee, long black, single shot” (food ID 11201003), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Calories and per-serve amounts calculated by Cal.AI (1 Cal = 4.184 kJ). FSANZ AUSNUT 2023
- NSW Food Authority. Fast Choices program: nutritional information menu labelling. NSW Food Authority
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