How Non-Dairy Creamers Doubled Coffee’s Calories For Many Americans

4 min read

For years, the average amount of coffee Americans drank barely changed. But the drink’s calorie count moved upward—and a new analysis points to what people were adding to the cup.

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The coffee stayed; the additions changed

The headline number is a nearly 40% increase in calories from coffee beverages, from an average of 43 calories a day in 2003–04 to 60 in 2017–18. Meanwhile, reported coffee intake was broadly steady: about 373 grams a day at the start of the period and 378 grams at the end, roughly 1.67 eight-ounce cups in the final survey cycle. The average increase was about 17 calories per day—not a dramatic change to any one cup, but a measurable shift across the population.

Why creamer rose to the top

In 2017–18, adults reported more dairy milk by weight than non-dairy creamer: 21.4 grams a day versus 8.1 grams. Yet creamer contributed the most calories among the additions measured, averaging 18.5 calories per day. Sugar or syrup contributed 16 calories and dairy milk about 11. The creamer figure was roughly 7.7 calories a day in 2003–04, so its contribution more than doubled over the study period.