Calories, Carbs & Fat
in Popular Beverages
by David J. Hanson, Ph. D.
The calories, carbohydrates and fat content of beverages can sabotage the best intentions to lose or maintain weight. That’s because we tend to be unaware of just how fattening some beverages really are. The following list presents the calories, carbs and fat found in standard servings of both alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages.
| Beverage | Calories | Carbs (grams) | Fat (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoholic | |||
| Beer (regular) | 146 | 13.13 | .000 |
| Beer (lite) | 99 | 4.60 | .000 |
| All Distilled Spirits (rum, vodka, whiskey, gin, tequila, bourbon, etc.) | 97 | 0.00 | .000 |
| Wine (red) | 125 | 3.5 | .000 |
| Wine (white) | 120 | 3.5 | .000 |
| Non-Alcoholic | |||
| Apple juice (unsweetened) | 117 | 28.96 | .273 |
| Apricot juice | 140 | 36.11 | .226 |
| Carbonated cola | 155 | 39.77 | .000 |
| Grape juice (unsweetened) | 155 | 37.84 | .202 |
| Grapefruit juice (unsweetened) | 94 | 22.13 | .247 |
| Lemonade | 131 | 34.05 | .149 |
| Milk (2% fat) | 122 | 11.41 | 4.807 |
| Orange juice (unsweetened) | 112 | 26.84 | .149 |
| Prune juice | 182 | 44.67 | .077 |
| Tangerine juice (unsweetened) | 125 | 29.88 | .098 |
| Tomato juice | 41 | 10.30 | .122 |
- Source: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16-1. Available at www.nal.usda.gov/.
Although most alcohol beverages contain fewer calories than most non-alcohol beverages, some people are still concerned about gaining weight from consuming them. However, alcohol beverages contain no fat and are very low in carbohydrates. Additionally, it appears that the “effective” calories in alcohol are substantially lower than the numbers listed.
For whatever reason, numerous research studies have demonstrated that consuming alcohol tends not to increase weight and, among women, it is often associated with slight losses in weight. That's even better news than the figures listed above would suggest.
References and Readings
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filed under: Health
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