Coffee is known as a universal language around cultures in the beverage world. Millions upon millions share some of the most important conversations over a cup of coffee. This tradition has been around for thousands of years. Now, often times, there is one part about coffee that coffee lovers do not take into consideration or talk about.
While they may consider the different types of creamers, beans to grind, machines to buy – it is rare that a coffee lover cares to count the calories per cup of coffee. We thought it would be an exciting adventure to travel through the coffee world and measure the different calorie counts for the variations in coffee. Before we do dive in, we thought it would be fun to begin by looking at the numerous health benefits of drinking coffee.
Benefits of Drinking Coffee
It has been said that coffee has numerous health benefits for those who drink it. It has been known to lower blood pressure, assist in reducing blood flats and can even, be prepared, burn excess and undesired fat. With that being said, let’s take a look at the list of health benefits coffee can provide its consumers.
- If you did not know, coffee is a decent source of fiber! Who knew that a cup of coffee could be a great source of fiber! With a cup of delicious and home-brewed coffee, a consumer can get 1.8 grams of fiber per cup.
- While cutting down alcohol is the natural solution to protect yourself against cirrhosis, coffee can also provide some benefits here as well. Coffee does magic with the enzyme levels in the liver of coffee drinkers.
- Did you ever think that coffee could be beneficial for the heart? Well, studies have shown that coffee drinkers who have consumed 3-5 cups a day were LESS likely to get heart disease.
- One of the latest and most prominent studies that has been done connected drinking coffee and caffeine with protecting the brain from Alzheimer’s Disease. Is that not amazing?
- If you find yourself working out and feeling the soreness or pain after a workout, begin having a cup of coffee! It has been said that only two cups of coffee and reduce the pain that an individual feels after a workout!
Calories in Variations of Coffee
Black
The classic form of coffee is just a black brewed cup. Before someone taints it with the creams and sugars, a black cup of coffee merely has 2 calories for a 8 ounce cup. This is seemingly nothing; however, once you begin adding the creamers and the sugars, you are beginning to look at 50-125 calories for an 8 ounce cup.
Iced Coffee
Sometimes one of the most delicious beverages on a cold day is an iced cup of rich coffee. While that may sound counter-productive, there is something about an iced coffee on a cold day. Regardless, out of many beverages on this list, iced coffees have one of the lowest calorie counts. Now, this is until you decide to add all of your sugar and creamer, keep that in mind. On average, 1 cup of Ice Coffee has roughly 25 calories. The larger the cup, the more calories there will be.
Espresso Macchiatos
Another delicious beverage in the variations of coffee is the espresso macchiatos. Like many other variations, this is a fully customizable treat. If you are seeking a caramel macchiato or even a hazelnut macchiato, it can be done. You can mix sweeteners, creamers and even flavored beans for the espresso. All of this will be at the sacrifice of the calorie count. With that being said, if you were to simple order a plan espresso macchiato, there are only 15 calories in this drink.
Latte
One of the world’s most infamous variations of coffee is a classic latte. This beverage is comprised of a shot of espresso and paired with two parts frothed milk. Now, many coffee shops around the world do offer different types of milk that you get steamed which will effect your calorie count. For regular milk, a latte has only 120 calories. Moreover, with only 7 grams from fat this drink can be made healthier by making it with skim milk.
Chai Latte
When Oprah announced that she was involving herself in the Tea and Coffee world, coffee lovers went crazy. She developed one of the most delicious delicaies known as the Oprah Chai Latte. These drinks are considered some of the most luxurious beverages around the world. It is known to be one of the healthier options for coffee drinkers, until you decide to add a ton of sugar to balance the drink. Before the sugar touches the beverage, this drink is a total of 130 calories.
Espresso
The cream de la crème of the coffee world is Espresso. Let’s look at espresso as the King or Queen of the entire industry. Without Espresso, many of your favorite beverages would cease to exist. With that being said, you may be surprised by how many calories are in a shot of espresso. Are you thinking more than 20 calories? If so, you would be wrong! On average, depending on the sugar, milk or type of coffee bean being used, a shot of espresso is merely 5-10 calories!
Cappuccino
Another infamous variation of coffee is the cappuccino. In all likelihood if you travel to Italy, you will have one of these rich beverages over some amazing conversation. Now, a cappuccino is simply a shot of espresso with a third of milk and a third of froth. Granted this is a sample of a small – please note that your calorie count may be higher if you drink a larger size. With that being said, this delicious delicacy is only 110 calories with 6 grams of fat.
Frappuccino
On a summer day where the sun is blazing and all you want is a refreshing drink, one of the best beverages is a Frappuccino. Whether you prefer the Vanilla Bean Frappuccino or maybe a Java Chip Frappuccino, before you take your first sip, you might want to look at the calories. For a REGULAR Coffee Frappuccino at a small size, there are over 170 calories. If you were to make this a large, you are looking at over 340 calories, for only the coffee -based Frappuccino. This number drastically rises when you begin to add the chocolate or vanilla.
Mocha
Could you ever imagine a drink that tastes better than a latte that comes with an added shot of chocolate syrup? In modern lingo, this is known as Mocha, This guilty pleasure of millions around the world is also guilty of over 160 calorie and 6 grams of fat. If you can’t escape the craze for chocolate, you can substitute the milk for skim milk and the drink will only have 100 calories. That sounds kind of worth it, right?
Flat White
If you want to drink a luxurious beverage and sound fancy saying it, try a Flat White. Thse drinks are simply a shot of espresso that has been mixed with two parts steamed milk. Granted, the sizes may change causing the ratio to increase and calories, this drink at this size is only 120 calories. If you are sold by this, you can also swap the type of milk used and get this drink as low as 70 calories with skim milk. Sold yet?
Coffee and Calories
Often times, people that drink their coffee don’t think about the benefits they are getting or the calories they are consuming. It is kind of important to consider both of these. Coffee and espresso can provide a wealth of benefits to the human body; however, many of these benefits can be tainted or ruined through adding different sources of artificial sweeteners and creamers. It is always advised to look at the different types of ingredients that creamers have and how organic they are. If you can get organic and healthier creamers, that is always the best choice. Keep in mind, the coffee, by itself, does not have hundreds upon hundreds of calories, it is when you pile on all of the unhealthy stuff that it can get a bit costly for your wallet and your body.