Plain coffee and tea have practically no calories; what you add sets the total. Each teaspoon of sugar adds about 16 kcal, a large latte with 240 g of whole milk about 154 kcal, and a 12-ounce café mocha about 290 kcal. Six two-sugar glasses of tea a day add roughly 190 kcal and 48 g of sugar.
Key takeaways
- Black coffee, plain Turkish coffee and unsweetened tea have practically no calories.
- A teaspoon of sugar is about 4 g and 16 kcal; six two-sugar teas a day add about 192 kcal.
- A 240 g serving of whole milk adds 154 kcal and 7.9 g of protein; semi-skimmed adds 116 kcal.
- A 12-ounce café mocha has about 290 kcal and 21 g of added sugar.
- Healthy adults are advised to stay at or below about 400 mg of caffeine a day.
How many calories are in plain coffee and tea?
Practically none. Black coffee, plain Turkish coffee, plain black or green tea and herbal teas brewed with water have almost no calories; the US Dietary Guidelines list unsweetened tea at 0 kcal. The calories in your cup come from what you add: sugar, milk, cream, honey and flavoured syrups.
Türkiye's nutrition guide (TÜBER 2022) makes the same point in one sentence: when milk, cream and/or sugar are added to tea and coffee, their energy value rises. The US guidelines add that coffee and tea drinks from cafés can contain many extra calories because of added cream or milk and sugar.
How many calories does sugar add to tea or coffee?
Sugar has 4 kcal per gram, and a teaspoon of sugar is about 4 g, so each teaspoon adds roughly 16 kcal. That sounds tiny, and in one cup it is. The issue is repetition. Here is a common Turkish tea habit worked through:
| Habit | Sugar per day | Energy per day | Energy per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 glasses of tea, 2 teaspoons each | ≈ 48 g | ≈ 192 kcal | ≈ 1,344 kcal |
| 6 glasses, 1 teaspoon each | ≈ 24 g | ≈ 96 kcal | ≈ 672 kcal |
| 6 glasses, no sugar | 0 g | ≈ 0 kcal | ≈ 0 kcal |
The WHO recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy, and ideally 5% or less. On a 2,000 kcal day, 10% is 200 kcal, or about 50 g of sugar; 5% is about 25 g. Six two-sugar glasses of tea use almost the entire 10% budget before any dessert, fruit juice or biscuit. Halving the sugar saves around 96 kcal a day, which adds up to about 670 kcal over a week. Our guide to daily sugar limits shows where the rest of the day's sugar tends to come from.
Honey is not a free pass: TÜBER lists 25 g of honey at 77 kcal, very close to the same weight of sugar.
How many calories does milk add?
Milk adds calories, but it also adds protein, calcium and potassium, which is why dietary guidelines treat it differently from sugar. TÜBER's standard portions:
| Milk | Amount | Energy | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole cow's milk | 240 g (a large mug) | 154 kcal | 7.9 g |
| Semi-skimmed cow's milk | 240 g | 116 kcal | 8.2 g |
| Whole milk, splash | ≈ 30 g | ≈ 19 kcal | ≈ 1 g |
So a splash of milk in your coffee is a rounding error, while a large milky latte is closer to a small snack. A homemade latte with 240 g of semi-skimmed milk comes to about 116 kcal and 8 g of protein; with whole milk, about 154 kcal. For reference, the 2,000-calorie sample day in the US guidelines includes a cup of coffee with fat-free milk at 25 kcal.
What about café drinks and syrups?
This is where the numbers jump. The US Dietary Guidelines give these values for a 12-ounce serving (about 355 ml):
| Drink (12 oz / ≈ 355 ml) | Calories | Added sugars |
|---|---|---|
| Plain water | 0 | 0 g |
| Unsweetened tea | 0 | 0 g |
| Sweetened tea | 115 | 29 g (≈ 7 tsp) |
| Chai tea latte | 180 | 23 g (≈ 5 tsp) |
| Café mocha | 290 | 21 g (≈ 5 tsp) |
Larger sizes, whipped cream and extra syrup push these higher. Flavoured syrups are mostly sugar, so the label is your friend: multiply the grams of sugar per serving by 4 to get the calories, and count how many pumps or servings go into your cup. A drink you have every day matters far more than an occasional treat.
How much do coffee and tea drinks add up across a day?
Here are two versions of the same routine, using the figures above:
| Moment | Version A | Version B |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Latte with whole milk (≈ 154 kcal) | Latte with semi-skimmed milk (≈ 116 kcal) |
| Afternoon | 12 oz café mocha (290 kcal) | Black coffee or plain tea (≈ 0 kcal) |
| Tea through the day | 4 glasses, 2 tsp sugar each (≈ 128 kcal) | 4 glasses, no sugar (≈ 0 kcal) |
| Total | ≈ 572 kcal | ≈ 116 kcal |
The difference, about 456 kcal a day, is close to the 500 kcal deficit many people aim for, and it comes without changing a single meal. That is why drinks are one of the first places to look if your weight is not moving. Our article on liquid calories covers juices, soft drinks and alcohol too.
How do you cut the calories without giving up your cup?
- Taper the sugar. Go from two teaspoons to one and a half, then one. Taste usually adjusts within a few weeks.
- Keep the milk, change the type. Switching a daily large latte from whole to semi-skimmed milk saves about 38 kcal and keeps the protein.
- Order the smaller size. It is the simplest way to cut a café drink's calories without changing the recipe.
- Treat syrups and whipped cream as extras. Ask for fewer pumps or skip the topping on everyday drinks.
- Alternate with water. It does not replace your tea, but it helps with total fluids; see how much water to drink per day.
How much caffeine is too much?
For healthy adults, the US Food and Drug Administration (cited in the US Dietary Guidelines) and TÜBER both give 400 mg of caffeine a day as an upper reference. TÜBER suggests 200–300 mg during pregnancy, and notes that brewed tea contains roughly 15–50 mg of caffeine per 240 ml, while decaffeinated tea and coffee have about 10 mg or less. The US guidelines describe about 300 mg a day, roughly 2–3 cups of coffee, as a low to moderate amount during breastfeeding. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a heart condition or are sensitive to caffeine, ask your doctor what is right for you. Children and teenagers should keep caffeine low.
How do you log coffee and tea accurately?
Log what goes into the cup, not the cup itself: the number of sugars, the type and rough amount of milk, and any syrup or cream. A black coffee or plain tea can be skipped entirely. With Sporty you can say or type something like "large latte with semi-skimmed milk and one sugar" and the app estimates it for you, so daily drinks stop being invisible.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a cup of tea with sugar?
Plain tea has practically none, and each teaspoon of sugar adds about 16 kcal. A glass with two teaspoons comes to roughly 32 kcal.
How many calories are in a latte?
It depends mostly on the milk. With 240 g of semi-skimmed milk it is about 116 kcal; with whole milk about 154 kcal, before any syrup or sugar.
Does black coffee affect weight loss?
Black coffee and plain tea have practically no calories, so they barely affect your energy intake. Milk, sugar and syrups are what add up.
How much caffeine is safe per day?
For healthy adults, about 400 mg a day is cited as an amount not generally linked to harmful effects. TÜBER suggests 200–300 mg during pregnancy; ask your doctor if you are unsure.
Sources
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or under 18, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing your diet.