Does tea have calories? In this article, we are going to explore the calorie content of different types of teas, and see what you can do to cut down.
We’ll take a look at how many calories does tea have and why some teas are higher than others.
Let’s brew this thing!
Does tea have calories? The short answer
Tea barely contains any calories, between 0-2 calories per cup. There are some exceptions to this, which we will cover later, but for the most part if you brew tea leaves in water and don’t add anything, you will end up with 0-2 calories.
Why does tea have calories?
So why does tea have calories? All true teas come from the tea plant, camelia sinensis. The leaves of this plant are very nutrient dense, but when you brew tea you actually consume very little of them.
A vast majority of the tea leaf stays inside the tea strainer or teapot, you’re really only drinking the water soluble components.
How many calories does tea have?
So how many calories does tea have? That depends on the type! Matcha will be the highest in calories because you are drinking the entire leaf, but beyond that most teas have approximately the same calorie content.
Let’s break down the different types of teas (and tisanes) to see how many calories are in each one.
Does green tea have calories?
Green tea contains approximately 2 calories per serving if you are brewing 5 grams of leaves into a cup of water.
Does black tea have calories?
Black tea also contains approximately 2 calories per serving if you are brewing 5 grams of leaves into a cup of water.
Does herbal tea have calories?
Most herbal teas will follow the 1-2 calorie per serving framework with some notable exceptions. If the herbal tea is very “fruit heavy” like apple cinnamon, or cranberry hibiscus, the calorie content will be much higher.
These fruits contain more sugars, which can be quickly absorbed into the water.
Does chamomile tea have calories?
Chamomile actually contains fewer calories than a typical green tea or black tea. The reason for this is because the chamomile flowers contain virtually no free sugar content.
Side note: chamomile is not actually a tea because it doesn’t come from the tea plant - camelia sinensis. We refer to this as a tisane or herbal infusion instead.
Does peppermint tea have calories?
Just like chamomile, peppermint also contains only 1 calorie per serving. Peppermint leaves have almost no free sugars so the hot water doesn’t extract as many calories from them.
Does unsweetened tea have calories?
What about the unsweetened tea you get in bottles? This is typically made from brewed black tea leaves and citric acid to preserve freshness. Check the labels to make sure there’s nothing else in here and you should have a very low calories beverage!
Source of calories in tea
So where are these calories coming from? The 3 main sources of calories are fat, protein and carbohydrates. The calories in tea come mostly from the carbohydrates and while there isn’t any protein in the tea, there are amino acids.
It’s estimated that of the 2 calories in a typical serving of tea, 0.4-1.2 comes from carbohydrates and 0.2-0,4 comes from amino acids. There is virtually no fat in the tea leaves.
High calorie teas
As we mentioned before, the highest calorie teas will be matcha but also fruit-heavy herbal teas. These teas will still only have as many as 15 calories per serving provided you don’t add anything to them.
If you add sweetener to your tea, that is a different story. Each teaspoon of honey, for example, contains 21 calories. These amounts can add up in your daily cup of tea, so be sure to use the sweetener sparingly.
Does unsweet tea have calories?
As long as you are not adding sugar to your teas or milk, the calories will be virtually 0. You shouldn’t need to worry about your daily cup of matcha, it’s all the other stuff that’s added to it.
What are some ways to reduce the calories in tea?
Are you looking to reduce the calories in your tea? There are a few things you can try to reduce the calorie content in your cup. Try these next time you brew up a cup of tea.
Avoid sugary blends
I’ve seen tea blends with everything from popcorn to chocolate and even chunks of caramel inside them! Even if you don’t add sugar or honey to these teas, the calories have already been added to the blends themselves.
You may want to avoid these sugary tea blends and try naturally flavorful teas like gyokuro and oolong. These teas are packed with flavor without the added calories.
Skip the milk
A cup of whole milk has 150 calories in it which is enough to turn your healthy beverage into a caloric bomb. You may want to avoid adding milk to your tea, or at least switching to plant based for a lighter option.
You could even just froth up a small amount of milk in a milk frother and add it as a topping. This gives you the rich, creamy consistency without the calories. In the end, what you are drinking is mostly air.
Avoid sugar
This should go without saying, but avoid the sugar and other sweeteners you add in your tea. This can really ratchet up the calories in tea. If you have to use sweetener, try monk fruit for virtually no added calories or maple syrup instead of honey.
Does tea have calories? The final verdict
So does tea have calories? Barely. As long as you are preparing tea without adding any ingredients to it like milk or sugar, each cup should only contribute a negligible amount to your caloric intake.
If you are concerned about calories, there is no need to worry about giving up your daily cup of tea. Just make sure to check the labels and make sure you’re getting just the leaves and water, none of that other junk. If you want to try some pure, healthy green tea that’s smooth enough to drink plain, you can browse our selection of the best teas we’ve found around Japan.
