How Many Calories are in Your Cup of Coffee

Because many people are becoming more conscious with their health, they usually count calories how many in the food they are taking, including calories in cup of coffee.

Coffee is actually a health drink even though it may have negative associations due to its high acid content. Several health benefits have been linked to drinking coffee in moderate amounts daily.

Some countries such as Singapore have government programs that promote the consumption of healthy food and drinks. The Singapore Government has launched the 'Healthier Choice Food" Program which promotes healthy grade food. One of the products being endorsed is Nestle Nescafe because of the low calorie count of instant coffee.

The number of calories in cup of coffee varies. Surprisingly,the lowest calories count is actually brewed black coffee. This is because coffee in itself and without any additives has almost zero calories.

An 8 ounce cup of java brewed from grounds was found to contain a mere 2 calories, according to the USDA nutrient database while instant black coffee contains only 4 calories. These calories come from a tiny amount of protein and some of the mono-unsaturated oils in the beans.

The factors that increase the calorie count in coffee are the additives. As your cuppa is naturally bitter so in order to offset the bitter taste, sweeteners such as sugar, milk, cream and other syrups are added to it.

These additives are usually packed with fats thus resulting in the increase in calories.

The more additives added to the coffee, the more calorie content it contains. For instance, coffee with whole milk contains 12 calories. On the other hand, coffee with whole milk and sugar in it will contain at least 60 calories.

Furthermore, the larger the drink volume, the more additives are needed, hence the larger the calorie count in it. For instance a 16 ounce of coffee will require more milk than an 8 ounce of coffee.

So if it is the calories you are watching, it is best to either brew your own or take instant coffee and it would be good to avoid going to cafes.