K-Cups, the single-serve coffee pods made for Keurig coffee makers, have become incredibly popular in recent years for their convenience and variety of coffee, tea, and other beverage options. With many people concerned about their calorie and sugar intake, a common question is whether K-Cups contain zero calories.
What are K-Cups?
K-Cups are small plastic cups containing coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or other beverage grounds that are designed for use in Keurig single-serve coffee makers. The pods come in a huge range of branded and private label varieties from companies like Green Mountain Coffee (which owns Keurig), Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Newman’s Own, and more. Over 500 different K-Cup varieties are available.
To make a single serving of coffee, tea or other hot beverage, you simply pop a K-Cup into the Keurig machine’s K-Cup holder, close the lid, and press start. The Keurig punctures the top and bottom of the K-Cup with small needles, spraying hot water through the K-Cup to brew a single serving into your cup. The used K-Cup is discarded after.
Nutritional Information on K-Cups
K-Cups list complete nutritional information on the packaging, including calories, fat, sodium, sugar, and other nutrients. However, the nutrition facts can vary widely between different flavors and brands. Some K-Cups are virtually zero calories while others contain significant calories and sugar.
For example, the following table compares the nutrition facts for two different K-Cup varieties:
| Nutrition Facts | Green Mountain House Blend K-Cup | Starbucks Caramel Macchiato K-Cup |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1 K-Cup (9g) | 1 K-Cup (16g) |
| Calories | 0 | 100 |
| Fat | 0g | 2.5g |
| Sodium | 10mg | 150mg |
| Sugar | 0g | 11g |
As you can see, while the Green Mountain House Blend contains zero calories, the Starbucks Caramel Macchiato has 100 calories per K-Cup.
So are K-Cups zero calories? The short answer is no, not necessarily. While some K-Cup varieties are in fact zero calorie, many other flavors contain a significant number of calories, fat, sugar, and sodium. Checking the nutrition label on each variety is important.
Factors that Impact K-Cup Nutrition
What makes some K-Cups have zero calories while others are high in sugar and calories? Here are the main factors:
Type of Coffee vs Flavored Varieties
Plain coffee K-Cups, such as black coffee, will generally be very low calorie or zero calorie. This includes popular varieties like Green Mountain House Blend and Caribou Coffee Daybreak Morning Blend. The calories come from the small amounts of coffee grounds, which are virtually zero calorie.
Flavored coffee K-Cups, on the other hand, often contain significant amounts of sugar, corn syrup, and other calorie contributors in the flavorings. Varieties like Hazelnut, French Vanilla, and Caramel Macchiato often have 100 calories or more per K-Cup. The added flavors drive up the calorie counts.
So if you want a zero calorie K-Cup, your best bet is to choose an unsweetened, black coffee variety.
Coffee vs Other Beverages
While coffee K-Cups tend to be lower calorie, other beverage types like hot chocolate, tea, and chai latte have more calories on average.
The reason is that a plain black coffee K-Cup contains only coffee grounds and no added sugars. But hot chocolate, teas, and other drinks commonly include sweeteners, powdered milk/creamer, and other sources of calories.
For example, the following nutrition facts compare a regular coffee K-Cup to a Chai Latte K-Cup:
| Nutrition Facts | Green Mountain Dark Magic Coffee | Tazo Chai Latte K-Cup |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1 K-Cup (10g) | 1 K-Cup (12g) |
| Calories | 0 | 80 |
| Fat | 0g | 2g |
| Sodium | 10mg | 100mg |
| Sugar | 0g | 9g |
The chai latte has 80 calories and 9g of sugar per K-Cup, while the plain coffee is zero calories.
So if minimizing calories is your priority, coffee K-Cups are generally the best bet over hot chocolate, tea, chai, or other options. Pay attention to the nutrition facts.
Added Cream and Sweeteners
One final consideration is that while a K-Cup may be zero calories on its own, what you add to it can boost the calorie count significantly.
For example, adding 2 tablespoons of half and half (20 calories) and 1 teaspoon of sugar (16 calories) turns a 0 calorie cup of coffee into a 36 calorie cup. Small additions like sweeteners, creamers, milk, foam, whipped topping, and flavored syrups can all dramatically increase the calories you consume when drinking a prepared K-Cup coffee or tea.
So always pay attention to what you add beyond just the K-Cup itself if you are counting calories.
Lowest Calorie K-Cup Options
If you want to enjoy K-Cups as part of a low calorie or weight loss diet, focus on these options to keep your calories in check:
Black Coffee
Plain, unsweetened black coffee K-Cups are generally 0-10 calories per serving. Look for types labeled as regular, bold, dark, roast, breakfast, house blend, Colombian, French roast, etc. Stay away from flavored varieties.
Green Tea
Plain green tea K-Cups without added sweeteners are zero calories. Green tea contains antioxidants and zero calories, making it a great choice.
Herbal Tea
Herbal teas like chamomile and mint are zero calorie options. Avoid chai, dessert, and flavored versions that contain added sugar and calories.
Water
Yes, they make hot water K-Cups for Keurig machines! Hot water has zero calories and lets you enjoy the convenience of Keurig while keeping your calorie intake in check.
High Calorie K-Cup Varieties to Avoid
On the flip side, here are some K-Cup varieties that tend to be very high in calories, fat, sugar, and artificial ingredients:
Flavored Coffees
Flavored coffee K-Cups like caramel, mocha, vanilla, and seasonal flavors often have 100+ calories thanks to added sugars and flavorings.
Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate K-Cups can contain 150+ calories and lots of added sugars like high fructose corn syrup. Making hot cocoa from plain cocoa powder is a lower calorie option.
Dessert Drinks
K-Cups with names like salted caramel mocha, pumpkin spice cake, and German chocolate cake are dessert in a cup! Expect 200+ calories from the sugars and often creamer ingredients.
Energy Drinks
Brands like Dirty Chai Latte and Crave contain ingredients like guarana, taurine, milk powder, and loads of sugar totally 200+ calories per K-Cup.
Large Servings
Some K-Cups like the Café Escapes contain 2-3x a normal serving and calories to match. Check the fine print on the number of servings per K-Cup.
Healthiest Ways to Prepare K-Cup Drinks
If you do opt for higher calorie K-Cup varieties, there are some easy ways to reduce the calorie count of your prepared beverages:
Use Hot Water
Brew the K-Cup using hot water instead of the Keurig heated water. This allows you to control the strength and keep calories in check.
Limit Cream and Sugar
Adding lots of creamer, milk, sweeteners and toppings drives up calories fast. Keep them to a minimum if you are counting calories.
Try Stevia
If you need a sweeter drink, try stevia instead of sugar. Stevia has zero calories and helps keep the calorie count low.
Create a Mocha
For a healthier mocha latte, brew a strong coffee K-Cup then add a splash of plain unsweetened almond milk and cocoa powder. Keep it sugar-free.
Dilute with Ice
Pour K-Cup coffee, tea or cocoa over ice to dilute and decrease the overall calorie count per serving.
The Bottom Line
So are K-Cups zero calories? Here are some key takeaways:
– K-Cup calories can range from 0 to over 200 per serving depending on the variety. Black coffee types tend to be lowest.
– Added flavors, sweeteners, sugars, and creamers boost the calorie count significantly.
– Coffee K-Cups are generally lower calorie than teas, cocoas, and specialty drinks.
– Avoid flavored, dessert-inspired, and large serving K-Cups for the lowest calorie options.
– Control calories by limiting what you add to the brewed K-Cup beverage.
– Read nutrition labels closely to choose low calorie K-Cup options.
While K-Cups can fit into a low calorie diet, pay close attention to the ingredients, flavors, and size to minimize the calories per serving. Black coffee and herbal tea K-Cups are generally the best options if you are counting calories.
