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I am doing a public health challenge right now, and my target is about 2,000 calories a day or less. I am not a dietitian, a doctor, or a nutrition expert. I am a regular guy counting calories and reading a lot of labels.

The first thing I noticed is how fast drinks add up. A sweet coffee here, a soda there, and you have spent a chunk of your day on stuff that did not fill you up at all. So I started looking for low calorie drinks, the ones that cost me zero calories or close to it.

This post is what I found. I am calling it a low calorie list on purpose. Some of these drinks are truly zero calorie on the label, like Hint, Zevia Energy, and Ultima. Others are not zero. Celsius Fizz Free is about 10 calories a can and V8 +Energy is 50, and I will give you those real numbers plainly. Every number below comes from the product label or the company's own product page, and I link the source so you can check it yourself. Labels change and flavors differ, so always check the can or bottle you are actually holding.

Quick note before we start. Artificial sweeteners, stevia, and caffeine affect people differently. If you have a health condition, take medication, or are pregnant, talk to your doctor before adding energy drinks or anything new to your routine.

Why drinks matter when you are counting calories

When you count calories, you figure out quickly that food is not the only thing on the list. Drinks count too, and they are easy to forget because they do not feel like a meal.

The upside is that drinks are also one of the simplest swaps you can make. You do not have to change what is on your plate. You just change what is in your cup. If a drink has zero calories on the label, it does not touch your daily number at all. If it has 10 or 50, you just log it and move on.

That is the whole idea of this list. These are low calorie drinks that let me have something with flavor, or a little caffeine, without spending much of my calorie budget on it.

Start with the basics that are truly zero calorie

Before I get to any brand, the honest answer is that the best low calorie drinks are the boring ones.

  • Plain water. Zero calories, cheap, and always the first choice.
  • Sparkling water. Plain unflavored sparkling water gives you the fizz with zero calories. Flavored versions vary, so check the label.
  • Black coffee and unsweetened tea. On their own, these are very low in calories. The calories show up when you add sugar, cream, or syrups.

If you are happy drinking those all day, you may not need anything else on this list. I am not always happy with that, which is why the rest of this post exists.

Hint water, zero calories and no sweeteners

Hint is flavored water with no sweeteners at all. According to Hint's FAQ, it has no calories, no sugar, and no sweeteners. Hint says it uses fruit essences and plant-derived natural flavors.

On the Hint Classic Variety Pack page, the ingredients are listed as purified water and natural flavors, with 0 calories, 0 grams of carbs, and 0 milligrams of sodium per 16 fluid ounce bottle.

Why it is worth a look: if you want something that tastes like more than water but you do not want stevia, sucralose, or any other sweetener, this is the cleanest option here. Just know that "unsweetened" means it does not taste like juice. It tastes like water with a hint of fruit, which is the point of the name.

Hint also makes sparkling versions. Hint's FAQ says Hint Sparkling has no sweeteners either and includes electrolytes. Check the label for your flavor.

See Hint Water Full On Flavor Variety Pack on Amazon

Zevia Zero Sugar Energy, a zero calorie caffeine option with stevia

Zevia is best known for zero sugar soda, and it also makes energy drinks. The link in this post is for the Zevia Zero Sugar Energy Fruity Fuel Variety Pack, so that is the one I am covering here.

On Zevia's own product pages, like the Zevia Energy Classic Variety Pack, Zevia Energy is listed as zero sugar and zero calories with 120 milligrams of caffeine per can. The ingredients on that page are carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, stevia extract, and caffeine.

Zevia's FAQ says its drinks are sweetened only with stevia extract and do not contain erythritol. It also says the caffeine in its energy drinks comes from tea leaves.

Flavors in different packs can vary, so check the can for your flavor's exact numbers.

Why it is worth a look: if you want an energy drink with zero calories and you prefer stevia over sucralose, Zevia Energy fits. At 120 milligrams it is a middle-of-the-road amount of caffeine compared with the others on this list.

See Zevia Zero Sugar Energy Fruity Fuel Variety Pack on Amazon

Celsius Fizz Free at about 10 calories, which I bought

This one I actually bought. I picked up a 12-pack of Celsius Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade. Fizz Free means it is not carbonated, which is nice if bubbles are not your thing.

Can of Celsius Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade on a kitchen counter, front label reading ZERO SUGAR

Here is the important part. Celsius Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade is low calorie, not zero calorie. The nutrition panel on my can says 10 calories per can, with 0 grams of total carbohydrate and "zero sugar" on the front.

Nutrition Facts panel on a Celsius Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade can showing 10 calories per can and 0 grams total carbohydrate

Ten calories is low enough for my purposes, but it is not zero, and if you drink several a day, those calories still count.

Caffeine is the bigger number to watch. The product listing for this can lists 200 milligrams of caffeine in a 12 fluid ounce can. That same listing shows sucralose in the ingredients, along with green tea extract, guarana seed extract, and caffeine. You can also see the flavor on Celsius's site.

Why it is worth a look: it is a low calorie option with no sugar if you want a stronger caffeine drink. Just respect that 200 milligram number. I talk more about caffeine below.

See Celsius Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade on Amazon

V8 +Energy at 50 calories, which I bought

I also bought a pack of V8 +Energy Peach Mango. I am including it because I bought it and because it is a good example of why you have to read labels. This drink is not zero calorie. It is 50 calories a can.

Nutrition Facts panel on a V8 Energy Peach Mango can showing 50 calories, 11 grams total sugars and 0 grams added sugars

The nutrition panel on my can, which matches the V8 +Energy Peach Mango page from Campbell's, shows:

  • 50 calories per 8 fluid ounce can
  • 12 grams total carbohydrate
  • 11 grams total sugars, including 0 grams added sugars
  • 50% juice

The sugar comes from the vegetable and fruit juice in it. Campbell's lists the caffeine as 80 milligrams from black and green tea, and the ingredient list includes sucralose. Campbell's itself notes on the page that it is "not a low calorie food."

So why is it on this list at all, when Campbell's itself says it is not a low calorie food? Because it still fits a calorie budget if you plan for it. Fifty calories is a lot less than many sweet coffee drinks, and the can is a smaller 8 ounces. I just log it like I would log a snack, instead of pretending it is free.

Why it is worth a look: lower caffeine than the other energy drinks here, and a juice-based taste. Count the 50 calories.

See V8 +Energy Peach Mango on Amazon

Ultima Replenisher, a zero calorie electrolyte powder

Ultima Replenisher is an electrolyte powder you mix into water. On Ultima's Grape electrolyte drink mix page, the nutrition facts show 0 calories, 0 grams of total carbohydrate, and 0 grams of sugar per stickpack or scoop, with 55 milligrams of sodium and 250 milligrams of potassium.

Ultima says its powders are sweetened with Rebaudioside A from organic stevia leaf. Its FAQ also says the core electrolyte flavors are caffeine-free, while a few specialty lines have some caffeine, so check the specific product you buy.

Why it is worth a look: if plain water gets old, a scoop of powder gives it flavor with zero calories listed on the label. It is also handy to keep in a bag or desk drawer.

See Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder on Amazon

Watch the caffeine

Three of the branded drinks on this list have caffeine, and the amounts are very different:

  • V8 +Energy Peach Mango: 80 mg per 8 oz can
  • Zevia Energy: 120 mg per can
  • Celsius Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade: 200 mg per 12 oz can

The FDA's page on how much caffeine is too much says that for most adults, it has cited 400 milligrams a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects. The FDA also says people vary a lot in how sensitive they are, and that certain conditions and medications can change that. It advises against energy drinks for kids and teens.

So add it up. Two Celsius cans alone get you to 400 milligrams before you count any coffee. If you are not sure what is right for you, ask your doctor. That is not me being careful for the sake of it. Caffeine really does hit people differently.

Sweeteners and how your body handles them

These drinks get their sweetness in different ways:

  • Hint: no sweeteners at all
  • Zevia and Ultima: stevia
  • Celsius Fizz Free and V8 +Energy: sucralose is in the ingredient list

Some people do fine with all of them. Some people do not like the taste of stevia, and some people notice stomach issues with certain sweeteners. I am not going to make any health claims about sweeteners. My practical advice is simple. Try one at a time, see how you feel, and stick with what works for you.

Tips for using these drinks to stay under your calories

Here is how I am actually using this list during my challenge:

  1. Read the full label, not just the front. "Zero sugar" is not the same as zero calories. Celsius is 10 calories and V8 +Energy is 50.
  2. Log everything. Even 10 calorie drinks get logged. It keeps me honest.
  3. Check the serving size. V8 +Energy is an 8 ounce can, Celsius is 12 ounces, and Hint's numbers are for a 16 ounce bottle.
  4. Check your flavor. Numbers can differ between flavors and packs.
  5. Keep plain water as the default. These drinks are for variety, not a replacement for water.
  6. Set a caffeine cutoff. I try to keep caffeine to earlier in the day so it does not mess with sleep.

My picks

These are the Amazon links for the drinks in this post. These are Amazon affiliate links.

Final thoughts

If you are counting calories, low calorie drinks are the easiest win you have. Water, sparkling water, black coffee, and plain tea will always be the baseline. After that, Hint, Zevia Energy, and Ultima give you flavor with zero calories on the label, while Celsius Fizz Free is about 10 calories a can and V8 +Energy is 50.

None of these drinks will do the work for you. They just make it easier to keep your daily number where you want it. Read the label, watch the caffeine, log what you drink, and talk to your doctor if you are unsure about anything.

I will keep sharing what I learn as I go on this health challenge.

FAQ

What is the best low calorie drink?

Plain water is the best low calorie drink because it has zero calories. If you want flavor, Hint water lists zero calories and no sweeteners. Zevia Energy and Ultima Replenisher also list zero calories on their labels, while Celsius Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade is about 10 calories a can and V8 +Energy Peach Mango is 50.

Which drinks on this list are truly zero calorie?

Plain water, plain sparkling water, Hint water, Zevia Energy, and Ultima Replenisher list zero calories on their labels or product pages. Black coffee and unsweetened tea are very low. Celsius Fizz Free and V8 +Energy are not zero.

Is Celsius zero calories?

Not the Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade I bought. Its nutrition panel shows 10 calories per can and zero sugar. Other Celsius flavors can differ, so check the label for your flavor.

How many calories are in V8 +Energy?

The V8 +Energy Peach Mango can I bought shows 50 calories per 8 ounce can, with 11 grams of total sugars and 0 grams of added sugars. The sugar comes from the fruit and vegetable juice.

Does zero sugar mean zero calories?

No. Zero sugar means the drink has no sugar, but it can still have a few calories from other ingredients. Celsius Fizz Free Blue Razz Lemonade is zero sugar and 10 calories per can.

How much caffeine is too much in a day?

The FDA says it has cited 400 milligrams a day for most adults as an amount not generally associated with negative effects, but sensitivity varies a lot. If you have a health condition, take medication, or are pregnant, ask your doctor.

Are drinks with stevia or sucralose okay when counting calories?

They can fit a calorie budget because they add little or no calories. Sweeteners affect people differently, so try one at a time and see how you feel. Check with your doctor if you have concerns.