How healthy is sweet tea?

Is sweet tea healthy? Best kept occasional. Sweet tea scores 2/100 on the HowHealthyIs Score: 100 g provides 45 kcal. Sweetened iced tea starts as black tea, which has polyphenols and no calories, but the added sugar makes it nutritionally close to a soft drink. Source: USDA FoodData Central.

  • Contains added sugar
  • Low fat
Score explained

The score compares nutrient density per 100 kcal across every food we cover (NRF9.3 method). Sweet tea ranks higher than 2% of them.

Counts in favor (% daily value per 100 kcal)

  • Calcium1%
  • Potassium1%
  • Magnesium1%
  • Protein0%
  • Fiber0%
  • Vitamin A0%
  • Vitamin C0%
  • Vitamin E0%
  • Iron0%

Counts against

  • Saturated fat0%
  • Added sugars42%
  • Sodium0%

Raw NRF9.3: 2 minus 43 = -41. The score is not a verdict on whether to eat a food; portion, the whole meal and your own health matter more. Full methodology

How many calories are in sweet tea?

Calories162kcal
Protein0g
Carbohydrates39g
Fat0.8g
Fiber0g
Sugars34g
Nutrition facts for sweet tea. Per 100 g and for the selected portion (360 g). %DV uses FDA Daily Values.
NutrientPer 100 gPer portion%DV
Energy and macronutrients
Calories45 kcal162 kcal
Protein0 g0 g0%
Carbohydrates11 g39 g14%
Fiber0 g0 g0%
Sugars9.5 g34 g
Added sugars9.5 g34 g68%
Fat0.2 g0.8 g1%
Saturated fat0 g0 g0%
Omega-3 fats0 g0 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0 µg0%
Vitamin E0 mg0 mg0%
Vitamin K0 µg0 µg0%
Vitamin B120 µg0 µg0%
Folate0 µg0 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium4 mg14 mg1%
Iron0 mg0 mg0%
Potassium14 mg50 mg1%
Magnesium1 mg3.6 mg1%
Zinc<0.1 mg<0.1 mg0%
Sodium3 mg11 mg0%

Source: USDA FoodData Central, "Beverages, tea, black, ready-to-drink, lemon, sweetened" (FDC 171888). Values rounded.

Why is sweet tea good for you?

A typical portion does not supply 10% or more of the daily value for any of the nine nutrients we score.

Good ways to use it

  • Mixing half sweet tea with unsweetened tea
  • Brewing iced tea at home and sweetening lightly

What should you watch out for?

  • Bottled and Southern-style sweet tea can carry as much sugar as soda. Contains some caffeine.

What can you eat instead of sweet tea?

Foods you can use the same way with a higher HowHealthyIs Score.

Black tea

1 kcal per 100 g

18

Low calorie

Green tea

1 kcal per 100 g

15

Low calorie

How does sweet tea compare?

Common questions about sweet tea

How many calories are in sweet tea?
100 g of sweet tea has 45 kcal. A typical portion, 1 glass (12 oz) (360 g), has about 162 kcal.
How much protein is in sweet tea?
Sweet tea has 0 g of protein per 100 g, or about 0 g in 1 glass (12 oz).
Is sweet tea good for weight loss?
Sweet tea is low in calories (45 kcal per 100 g), so it adds volume to meals without many calories. No single food causes weight loss; the overall diet does.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central, SR Legacy: "Beverages, tea, black, ready-to-drink, lemon, sweetened", FDC ID 171888. fdc.nal.usda.gov
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels (21 CFR 101.9).
  3. Fulgoni VL, Keast DR, Drewnowski A. Development and validation of the Nutrient-Rich Foods Index. J Nutr. 2009;139(8):1549-1554.
  4. Monteiro CA, et al. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutr. 2019;22(5):936-941.

Review and updates

Last updated
Data source
USDA FoodData Central, entry 171888. Not individually reviewed by a dietitian. How we check

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More: Drinks ranked, foods high in calcium.