Liquid calories don’t fill you up, which makes drinks one of the easiest places to cut calories. These are everyday Indian drinks ranked from lowest to highest calories per 100 g (alcohol and protein shakes are excluded). Top pick: Water (plain), with 0 kcal per 100 g.
| # | Food | Calories / 100 g | Typical serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water (plain) | 0 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 0 kcal |
| 2 | Black Tea (no milk, no sugar) | 1 kcal | 1 cup (150 g): 2 kcal |
| 3 | Green Tea (plain) | 1 kcal | 1 glass (200 g): 2 kcal |
| 4 | Sugar-free / Diet Soda | 1 kcal | 1 can (330 ml ≈ 330 g): 3 kcal |
| 5 | Black Coffee (no sugar) | 2 kcal | 1 cup (120 g): 2 kcal |
| 6 | Lemon Tea | 5 kcal | 1 cup (150 g): 8 kcal |
| 7 | Electrolyte / ORS Drink | 12 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 30 kcal |
| 8 | Jaljeera | 14 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 35 kcal |
| 9 | Almond Milk (unsweetened) | 15 kcal | 1 glass (200 g): 30 kcal |
| 10 | Green Tea (with sugar) | 15 kcal | 1 cup (150 g): 23 kcal |
| 11 | Coconut Water | 19 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 48 kcal |
| 12 | Lemonade / Nimbu Paani (sweetened) | 24 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 60 kcal |
| 13 | Sports Drink | 24 kcal | 1 bottle (500 ml ≈ 500 g): 120 kcal |
| 14 | Chai (milk, no sugar) | 30 kcal | 1 cup (150 g): 45 kcal |
| 15 | Watermelon Juice | 30 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 75 kcal |
| 16 | Coconut Milk Beverage | 31 kcal | 1 glass (200 g): 62 kcal |
| 17 | Coffee (milk, no sugar) | 33 kcal | 1 cup (150 g): 50 kcal |
| 18 | Iced Tea (sweetened) | 35 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 88 kcal |
| 19 | Kanji (Fermented Carrot Drink) | 35 kcal | 1 glass (200 g): 70 kcal |
| 20 | Virgin Mojito | 35 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 88 kcal |
| 21 | Cappuccino | 37 kcal | 1 cup (150 g): 56 kcal |
| 22 | Masala Soda | 40 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 100 kcal |
| 23 | Cola / Soft Drink | 42 kcal | 1 glass (250 g): 105 kcal |
| 24 | Soy Milk (unsweetened) | 43 kcal | 1 glass (200 g): 86 kcal |
| 25 | Energy Drink | 45 kcal | 1 can (250 ml ≈ 250 g): 113 kcal |
Per 100 g of the ready-to-eat form. Sources: INDB, IFCT 2017 (NIN-ICMR) and USDA FoodData Central. Values vary with recipe and portion.
Water, black coffee, plain black or green tea and lemon tea are close to zero calories, and chaas is light at about 80 kcal a glass. The calories hide in sugar and full-fat milk: two cups of sweet chai a day add up to about 130 kcal, and a glass of juice has nearly as much sugar as a cola.
Per 100 g, the top five are Water (plain) (0 kcal), Black Tea (no milk, no sugar) (1 kcal), Green Tea (plain) (1 kcal), Sugar-free / Diet Soda (1 kcal), Black Coffee (no sugar) (2 kcal). Values are from INDB, IFCT 2017 (NIN-ICMR) and USDA FoodData Central.
Water, black coffee, green or black tea without sugar and nimbu pani without sugar have almost no calories, and buttermilk (chaas) is light at about 80 kcal a glass. Swapping one sugary drink a day for one of these can save 100–200 kcal a day.
Knowing the right foods is step one. Get an Indian diet plan with your exact portions and targets, built by NASM-certified Coach Himanshu.