The Healthiest Coffee Order: 15 Drinks Compared

The healthiest coffee orders are the plain ones: an espresso, an americano, a macchiato or black coffee have almost no calories and no sugar. Milk drinks such as a cappuccino or latte add protein, calcium and some fat, which is fine for most people. The calories and sugar jump once syrups, sauces, whipped cream and large sizes come in: a 16 oz coffee frappe carries about 35 g of added sugar, more than the 25 g a day the WHO suggests as a good target.

How much is in a typical cup?

All numbers are for the cafe size shown and are calculated from standard recipes built on USDA data. Added sugar is the sugar from syrups, sauces and sweeteners; the natural sugar in milk is not counted as added.

Drink	Size	kcal	Added sugar (g)	Total sugar (g)	Score
Espresso	1 shot, 30 ml	3	0	0	85
Americano	12 oz	7	0	0	34
Black coffee	240 ml	2	0	0	22
Macchiato	about 60 ml	16	0	1	78
Turkish coffee, medium sugar	65 ml	25	5	5	24
Cappuccino	8 oz	96	0	9.1	65
Flat white	about 220 ml	103	0	8.1	53
Latte	12 oz	146	0	14.2	62
Iced coffee with milk and syrup	16 oz	93	15	18	7
Chai latte	12 oz	176	20	29.1	13
Caramel latte	12 oz	241	25.7	39.3	17
Mocha	12 oz	287	12.2	25.5	28
Hot chocolate	12 oz	289	20	35.3	30
Bubble tea	16 oz	308	30	35.3	7
Coffee frappe	16 oz	311	34.9	46	5

The score rates nutrient density per 100 kcal, so it does not reward or punish the drink’s size. That is why a plain espresso scores high and a black coffee scores lower: both have almost no calories, and the small amounts of potassium and magnesium count for more in a concentrated shot. For coffee, the size and the add-ins usually matter more than the score.

Which milk drink is the best pick?

A cappuccino or a flat white is the lightest of the classic milk drinks because the cup is smaller and part of it is foam. A 12 oz latte has about half as many calories again as an 8 oz cappuccino, almost all of it from the extra milk. Milk itself is a good thing in a coffee: it brings protein, calcium and, in the US, added vitamin D. If you want fewer calories, a smaller size does more than switching milk.

Where does the sugar come from?

Syrups and sauces. A latte and a caramel latte start from the same espresso and milk; the caramel version adds about 26 g of added sugar in a 12 oz cup. A mocha adds chocolate sauce and usually whipped cream, which also raises the saturated fat to about 6.5 g. Blended drinks such as a coffee frappe and tea drinks such as bubble tea are closer to desserts than to coffee.

Practical ways to cut sugar without giving up the drink:

• Ask for one pump of syrup instead of the standard two to four.
• Skip the whipped cream and the caramel drizzle.
• Order the smaller size of a sweet drink, and the larger size of a plain one if you like.
• Sweeten at the table, where you control the amount.

Is coffee itself healthy?

For most adults, moderate coffee drinking is linked to a lower risk of several diseases in large observational studies. The US FDA considers up to about 400 mg of caffeine a day generally safe for healthy adults, roughly four cups of brewed coffee; less is advised in pregnancy. An espresso shot has less caffeine than a full mug of brewed coffee. Energy drinks also contain caffeine, plus about 36 g of added sugar in a regular 250 ml can; the sugar-free version avoids the sugar but not the caffeine.

The short answer

Order a plain coffee or a small milk coffee most days, and keep syrup-heavy, blended and whipped drinks as treats. Compare any two drinks side by side with the compare tool, or see every drink we score in drinks.