Sweet tea is a popular beverage, especially in the southern United States. Many people enjoy getting a refreshing, sugary sweet tea with their meal when dining at fast food restaurants like McDonald’s. But sweet tea can pack a lot of calories and sugar due to the large amounts of sugar added during the brewing process.
The Calories in McDonald’s Sweet Tea
A large 32 ounce McDonald’s sweet tea contains 180 calories and 44 grams of sugar, according to the McDonald’s nutrition information website. This is quite high compared to unsweetened iced tea, which generally contains 0-5 calories per 8 ounce serving depending on whether it is completely unsweetened or has some natural sugars. The main source of calories and sugar in McDonald’s sweet tea is added high fructose corn syrup.
McDonald’s Sweet Tea Nutrition Facts
Here are the full nutrition facts for a large 32oz McDonald’s sweet tea:
| Nutrition Facts | 32 fl oz |
|---|---|
| Calories | 180 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Sodium | 15 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 44 g |
| Sugars | 44 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
As you can see, while the sweet tea itself contains minimal fat, sodium, and protein, the calories and carbohydrates are quite high due to the large amount of added sugar.
Sugar Content of McDonald’s Sweet Tea
The main source of calories in McDonald’s sweet tea is sugar. Each 32oz serving contains 44 grams of sugar, which is over 11 teaspoons worth. The World Health Organization recommends limiting added sugar intake to 25 grams or less per day. So with one large sweet tea, you are getting nearly double the recommended daily amount of added sugar intake.
For comparison, here are the sugar amounts in other popular McDonald’s beverages:
- Coca-Cola: 40g sugar in a 21oz serving
- Sprite: 36g sugar in a 21oz serving
- Chocolate Shake: 54g sugar in a 12oz serving
As you can see, the sweet tea has the highest sugar content compared to other typical McDonald’s beverages. The only drink higher in sugar is the Chocolate Shake, but the shake is a much smaller serving size.
Sweet Tea vs Unsweet Tea
To understand why McDonald’s sweet tea is so high in calories and sugar compared to other iced teas, it helps to look at the difference between sweet tea and unsweetened tea:
- Sweet tea – Tea brewed hot then sweetened with sugar while hot to allow the sugar to dissolve fully. Remains sweetened when served over ice.
- Unsweetened tea – Plain tea brewed hot or cold and served iced without any added sugars.
While unsweetened iced tea has minimal calories from its natural citric acids, sweet tea gets nearly all of its calories from added sugar. A 32oz unsweetened tea would only have around 5 calories, compared to 180 calories in sweet tea.
Should You Drink McDonald’s Sweet Tea?
Sweet tea can be delicious, but is packed with sugar and calories compared to other drink options. Here are some things to consider if choosing to drink McDonald’s sweet tea:
- Limit portion size – stick to small or medium rather than large or extra large sweet teas
- Only occasionally – avoid drinking sweet tea every day and make it a sometimes treat
- Balance with diet and exercise – be sure to account for the extra calories by eating lighter and staying active
- Share between multiple people – split a large sweet tea to control calorie/sugar intake
- Unsweeten yourself – order unsweetened tea and add your own sugar sparingly
Drinking McDonald’s sweet tea in moderation can be perfectly fine for most people. Just be mindful of portion size and frequency to keep the calorie and sugar intake reasonable.
Healthier Alternatives to Sweet Tea
If you are looking for refreshing cold drinks that are lower in sugar and calories than McDonald’s sweet tea, here are some healthy alternatives to consider:
- Unsweetened iced tea – plain brewed tea, enjoy the natural flavor
- Sparkling water – soda water, seltzer, or flavored sparkling waters like La Croix
- Sugar-free soft drinks – Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite Zero
- Light juices – low sugar orange juice, apple juice
- Skim or low-fat milk – plain or flavored milk
- Water – still or sparkling
All of these options are virtually calorie and sugar-free beverages that can satisfy your thirst without packing on the extra calories. Getting in the habit of choosing these more often can help balance out the occasional indulgence in sweet tea or other sugary drinks.
Making Lower Calorie Sweet Tea
If you really love the taste of sweet tea but want to lighten it up, there are some ways to make sweet tea at home with fewer calories:
- Use half the sugar – cut back on the amount of sugar you add while brewing
- Switch to stevia or erythritol – use these zero-calorie natural sweeteners instead of sugar
- Mix sweet & unsweet tea – make some sweet and some unsweet batches then mix to taste
- Add lemon slices – lemon can make the tea taste sweeter with less sugar
- Dilute with water – pour over ice to water down the concentration of sugar
With some tweaking of the sweet tea recipe, you can definitely make a lower sugar, lower calorie version at home that still satisfies your cravings.
The Bottom Line
McDonald’s sweet tea contains about 180 calories and 44g of sugar per 32oz serving. This is due to the large amounts of high fructose corn syrup added during brewing. While sweet tea can be enjoyed in moderation, limiting portion sizes and frequency is important. Water, unsweetened tea, diet drinks, sparkling waters, juices, and milk are all healthier lower calorie alternatives.
