Have you ever looked at your soda or beer and wondered what it's really doing to your body? Most of us grab a drink without checking the label. That stops today.

In this guide, you'll learn how many calories hide in your favorite soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. You'll also find lighter options for each one. Whether you're heading into happy hour or just relaxing at home, knowing these numbers helps you drink with your eyes open.

Key Takeaways

• Soda and juice carry more sugar than most people realize. A single 12-ounce soda can hold close to 10 teaspoons of added sugar, which is close to a full day's limit for most adults.
• Alcohol and soda often land in the same calorie range. A 12-ounce beer, a glass of wine, and a can of soda all tend to fall between 100 and 170 calories, so swapping one for the other rarely solves the problem.
• Small swaps make a real difference over time. Choosing a lighter drink even a few times a week can save thousands of calories a year, and low-dose THC drinks like Wunder offer a way to unwind without the extra sugar or the hangover.

How Many Calories Are in Your Favorite Soft Drinks?

Soft drinks look harmless, but the calories add up fast. Here's what you're really sipping in a standard 12-ounce serving, based on official nutrition labels and USDA-sourced nutrition data:

• Coca-Cola: 140 calories
• Sprite: 140 calories
• Dr Pepper: 150 calories
• Root beer: 150 calories
• Ginger ale: 120 calories
• Lemonade: about 120 calories
• Sweet tea (Gold Peak): 120 calories
• Orange juice: about 165 calories
• Apple juice: about 170 calories
• Vitaminwater: 50 to 70 calories, depending on the flavor

Notice that juice isn't the innocent choice it looks like. Orange juice and apple juice actually carry more calories than a can of Coke, since all their natural sugar is still packed into every sip.

Quick Comparison Chart

A can of soda can carry close to 10 teaspoons of added sugar. The American Heart Association says women should stay under 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day, and men should stay under 9. One can of soda can blow past that limit in a single sip.

How Many Calories Are in Popular Alcoholic Drinks?

Alcohol isn't off the hook either. Here's the calorie count for common drinks in a standard serving, backed by Healthline's nutrition breakdown:

• Bud Light (12 oz): 110 calories
• Coors Light (12 oz): 102 calories
• Michelob Ultra (12 oz): 95 calories
• Regular beer (12 oz): about 150 calories
• White wine (5 oz, the standard pour): about 121 calories
• Red wine (5 oz, the standard pour): about 125 calories
• Hard seltzer (12 oz): about 100 calories

Notice that wine is usually poured in 5-ounce servings, not 12 ounces like beer and soda. If you fill a big wine glass to the top, you could easily double or triple that calorie count without realizing it.

Why Empty Calories Add Up Faster Than You Think

Nutritionists call soda and sugary drinks "empty calories." They fill you up with energy, but give your body nothing else it needs, no fiber, no protein, and no real nutrients.

About half of all U.S. adults drink at least one sugary beverage every day. Men take in an average of 179 calories a day from these drinks alone, while women take in about 113 calories a day, according to the CDC.

Those calories build up fast. One 150-calorie soda a day adds up to more than 54,000 extra calories in a year, or about 15 pounds your body didn't need. A large heart study even found that people who drank the most sugary drinks had a 20 percent higher risk of heart disease than people who rarely drank them.

If you're curious how other people are cutting back, you're not alone. A growing number of millennials are ditching booze for cannabis beverages that carry a fraction of the sugar and calories.

Alcohol's Hidden Costs Beyond the Calorie Count

Calories aren't the only thing you're paying for when you drink alcohol. Alcohol can also cost you sleep, energy, and long-term health.

Alcohol might make you fall asleep faster, but it breaks up your sleep later in the night. People who drink often wake up more during the night and feel less rested, even when their sleep looks fine on paper, according to research from the National Institutes of Health.

Alcohol also carries a cancer risk that has nothing to do with calories. The National Cancer Institute lists alcohol as a known cause of cancer, even at low levels of drinking. You can read more in our breakdown of how alcohol causes cancer.

None of this means you have to give up on relaxing after a long day. It just means the drink in your hand matters more than you might think.

Simple Swaps to Cut Calories Without Losing the Fun

You don't need to sit at home with plain water to cut calories. Small swaps can protect your goals while still letting you enjoy yourself.

Swap soda for sparkling water with fruit.

Add a splash of real juice or a few muddled berries to plain sparkling water. You still get bubbles and flavor, just without the sugar crash.

Swap juice for whole fruit.

Eating an orange gives you the fiber that filters how fast sugar hits your body. Drinking the juice skips that step and lets the sugar rush straight in.

Swap beer or wine for a lighter pour.

If you still want alcohol, choose a light beer or stick to the standard 5-ounce wine serving instead of filling the glass to the brim.

Swap alcohol for a low-dose THC drink.

A low-calorie THC beverage can bring the same sense of ease as alcohol, minus the sugar, the empty calories, and the next-day headache. Our guide on choosing alcohol replacement drinks walks through more options, and this list of sober-friendly ways to relax offers even more ideas.

If you're also watching your carbs, our list of keto-friendly drink choices can help you build a lighter routine that fits your goals.

Making Smarter Beverage Choices

Cutting back on sugary soft drinks is one of the easiest wins for your health. Alcohol deserves the same second look. It adds a heavy calorie load to your day, plus the risk of a rough morning after.

That's where Wunder comes in. Each 12-ounce can holds just 20 calories and 6 grams of sugar, so you get real flavor without the weight of a soda or a six-pack.

Flavors like Lemon Lime and Blackberry Lemon are crafted with low-dose THC, so you can ease into a relaxed mood without the sugar spike or the hangover the next day. If you want to see how cannabis drinks fit into an everyday routine, take a look at the benefits of cannabis drinks for a balanced lifestyle. It's a simple way to win at both taste and wellness.

Frequently Asked Questions About Calorie Count In Popular Drinks

How many calories are in a can of soda?

A standard 12-ounce can of soda usually holds between 120 and 150 calories, almost all of it from added sugar.

Does alcohol have more calories than soda?

Not usually. A 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 12-ounce soda all tend to land somewhere between 95 and 170 calories, so neither one is clearly lighter than the other.

What is the lowest-calorie alcoholic drink?

Plain spirits like vodka or gin have the fewest calories per serving, since distilling removes most of the sugar and carbs. Light beer and a wine spritzer made with soda water are also lower-calorie choices.

How many calories are in a glass of wine?

A standard 5-ounce pour of wine has about 120 to 125 calories. Many people pour more than 5 ounces without realizing it, which can double that number.

Are diet sodas a better choice for cutting calories?

Diet soda does cut out the sugar calories, but it still trains your taste buds to crave intense sweetness. Many people do better long-term by choosing naturally lighter drinks instead of artificially sweetened ones.

How much sugar is in a can of Coke?

A 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains about 39 grams of sugar, which is close to 10 teaspoons.

Why do sugary drinks cause weight gain?

Sugary drinks add calories without making you feel full, so it's easy to drink several in a day without noticing. Over time, those extra calories store as body fat.

Are THC drinks lower in calories than alcohol?

Many low-dose THC drinks, including Wunder, are formulated with far less sugar than beer, wine, or soda, which keeps the calorie count low while still helping you unwind.

How can I cut back on sugary drinks?

Start small. Swap one sugary drink a day for water, sparkling water, or a lower-calorie option, and build from there instead of cutting everything out at once.

What does "empty calories" mean?

Empty calories are calories that give your body energy but little else, no fiber, vitamins, or protein. Soda, sweetened juice, and alcohol are common sources of empty calories.