Calories in tea

Black, brewed, no milk. 1 kcal (4 kJ) per 100 g. Choose a portion below and every figure on the page updates.

Black tea brewed without milk is practically calorie-free, with 1 kcal (4 kJ) per 100 g. It is 99.7% water, with traces of carbohydrate and no fat or protein worth counting. What it does contain is caffeine, about 20 mg per 100 g, and polyphenols that give its colour and astringency. The energy in a cup of tea comes from what you add.

Where the energy comes from

Share of total energy contributed by each macronutrient, using the standard 4/4/9 kcal per gram factors:

Things worth knowing

• An 8 fl oz cup (237 g) has about 2 kcal (10 kJ), and a 12 fl oz mug about 4 kcal (15 kJ), effectively nothing.
• Milk and sugar are where the energy is. A 30 ml splash of whole milk adds about 18 kcal (77 kJ), and each teaspoon of sugar about 16 kcal (68 kJ).
• A cup of black tea has about 47 mg of caffeine, roughly half that of a cup of brewed coffee at about 95 mg. Brewed green tea is lower still, around 12 mg per 100 g in USDA data.
• Tea contains tannins that reduce absorption of non-haem iron from plant foods, which is why some people drink it between meals rather than with them.

Converting these figures

One 1 cup (8 fl oz) of tea is 2 kcal, which is 10 kJ. To convert any other figure, divide kilojoules by 4.184 for calories, or use the converter on the home page.

It takes 23,901 g of tea to reach 1,000 kJ (239 kcal). See how that compares with other foods on the 1000 kJ to calories page.