There are few beverages as refreshing as an ice-cold can of Coca-Cola on a hot summer’s day, or at any other time of the year really.
You may want to limit yourself to one or two cans as each one does contain roughly 7% of the total calorie intake that an average adult should consume, that is to keep their diet balanced.
Those calorie amounts do change depending on the type of Coca-Cola that you drink and the size of the serving. Thankfully, the labels do note the nutritional information so consumers have a good idea of their calorie consumption.
In this guide, we will look at how many calories are in a can of coke, what the calories contain, as well as food and drinks with roughly the same amount of sugar.
The Total Amount Of Calories In A Can Of Coke
For a 330ml can of Coca-Cola, specifically the Original Taste variation, you can expect to find 139 calories. This nutritional information should be clearly labeled on the can and will be consistent in that variety of Coca-Cola.
For a 12oz can, which is a little larger at 355ml, you can expect 150 calories to be contained which is roughly the same as a can of Cherry Coca-Cola (156 calories) or Vanilla Coca-Cola (160 calories).
There are different varieties which use sweeteners as an alternative to sugar that will have no calories from carbohydrates at all, including Diet Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, and Caffeine-Free Diet Coca-Cola.
Those amounts of calories are for 12oz cans yet there are larger servings available which contain even more calories.
For instance, a 16oz (473ml) can of Coca-cola will contain 190 calories, all of them from carbohydrates and all of that from sugar. In total, each larger can will contain 52g of sugar which represents 19% of your recommended daily intake of carbohydrates.
It would take an hour and 23 minutes of walking to work off the calories in each can, or 24 minutes of jogging/cycling, or 33 minutes of swimming.
Then there is a 20oz (591ml) bottle of Coca-Cola which will have a whopping 260 calories. All of those calories are derived from carbohydrates as the bottle will contain 70g of sugar which represents 25% of your daily intake of carbohydrates alone.
In total, that’s 13% of your recommended daily intake of calories so you should probably limit yourself to one bottle.
What The Calories Contain
If you do try a 12oz can of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Vanilla Coca-Cola, or Cherry Coca-Cola, you can expect to consume around 150 calories.
That’s a nice round number and contains no protein or fats but only 42g of total carbohydrates, all of it net carbohydrates. Every single one of those grams is derived from pure sugar which gives the drink its sweet and moreish taste.
Foods And Drinks With Roughly The Same Amount Of Sugar
A total of 42g of sugar is still a lot of sugar to be drinking in a 12oz can and if you were to see that in real form, it would be around 10 and eighth teaspoons. Imagine going to a bag of sugar and measuring out a teaspoon just over ten times or simply handling ten sugar cubes.
That’s the amount of sugar that is going into each can and there are larger servings that are available. If you want to have a healthy and balanced diet then it may be an idea to limit the amount of cans of Coca-Cola that you drink every day as they all add up.
If you were to look around for a similar amount of sugar then you could try a Jr. Classic Chocolate Frosty® from Wendy’s which has around 27g of sugar.
A small is the next size and that has 46g of sugar which gives you an idea of why the drink is so sweet. Even tea can have a similar amount of sugar which includes a bottle of Tazo® Tazoberry which has 37g of sugar.
One Caramelized Honey Latte from Starbucks contains even more sugar than a can of coke at a staggering 45g while a salted butterscotch Molten Macaroon from Trader Joe’s has 43g of sugar.
Final Thoughts
While a cold can of Coca-Cola may bring liquid refreshment, you should get an energy boost from the amount of sugar you are consuming. Look at the label and remember that a teaspoon or cube of sugar is roughly 4g each then imagine dosing that out yourself.
That’s a lot of sugar and a fair amount of calories too so bear that in mind before you reach for another can. If each 12oz can of Coca-Cola contains 42g of carbohydrates from sugar then you should probably limit yourself to just one for the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Calories Can You Expect In A Large Serving Of Coca-Cola From McDonald’s?
You can expect to find a total of 380 calories in a large serving of Coca-Cola when you order one from McDonald’s, that’s if you specify that you do not want any ice.
Coca-Cola does treat McDonald’s differently when it comes to serving their drinks.
While the vast majority of fast food restaurants will receive the Coca-Cola syrup in plastic bags, McDonald’s gets theirs in stainless steel tanks. This special delivery protects the syrup from temperature, light, and air while keeping it fresh.
Why Might A Bottle Of Coca-Cola Taste Better Than It Does In A Can?
There is some simple science behind why Coca-Cola tastes better in a bottle than in a can. That’s down to the material as glass is more inert and unlikely to affect the flavor of the beverage unlike aluminum, or the plastic in a bottle.
If you did want to enjoy the pure flavor of Coca-Cola then you should try it from a glass bottle rather than a plastic one or a can.
One of the most common things I talk to my clients about is calories, but so few of them actually know anything about them.
Calories is not a dirty word. If you remove emotion from it, it is simply a unit of energy.
We need calories to live and thrive, and knowing how many to consume is important to ensure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle.
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