Americans have maintained relatively stable coffee consumption over the past two decades, but the number of calories they consume through the beverage has increased, largely because of greater use of non-dairy creamers. A new study by researchers at Tufts University’s Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy found that while overall coffee consumption remained steady between 2003 and 2018, the average daily energy intake from coffee rose significantly.
The study, published online in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, analysed dietary intake data from approximately 30,000 US adults aged 20 and older. Researchers found that average coffee consumption remained around 13 ounces per day during the period examined, while calories consumed through coffee increased from 43 kilocalories (kcal) per day in 2003 to 60 kcal per day in 2018.
By 2018, non-dairy creamer, sugar or syrup, and dairy milk were the most significant contributors to calories added to coffee.
“Coffee consumption has been associated with several health benefits. However, coffee is often accompanied by the addition of sugar and cream, which can contribute to an increased consumption of calories from added sugar and saturated fat,” said Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study and Neely Family Professor at the Friedman School.
“The more we know about what people are consuming, the better we can understand the link between nutrition and overall health.”
The researchers said understanding what people add to their coffee is important for assessing the relationship between dietary habits and overall health.
Non-dairy creamers account for the largest share of added calories
The study examined data from eight consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), covering 2003 to 2018. The nationally representative sample included around 30,000 adults aged 20 and older, each of whom provided two 24-hour dietary recalls.
Researchers divided coffee-containing beverages into two categories: coffee consumed without additions and coffee containing additions. The latter category included dairy milk, half-and-half, dairy cream, non-dairy milk, non-dairy creamer, sugar or syrup, sugar substitutes, and other additions such as alcohol and cocoa powder.
To estimate the quantities of additions in premixed coffee beverages and powders reported by participants, the team used cycle-specific data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Database for Dietary Studies and its linked Standard Reference codes.
The findings showed that consumption of total coffee and coffee without additions remained stable among US adults between 2003 and 2018. However, the consumption of non-dairy additions increased during the same period.
In 2018, the most commonly consumed coffee additions by weight were dairy milk, at 21.4 grams per day; non-dairy creamer, at 8.1 grams per day; and sugar, at 4.4 grams per day. Consumption of dairy milk and sugar or sugar substitutes did not change significantly compared with 2003.
By contrast, average consumption of non-dairy additions rose from 3.65 grams per day to 10.5 grams per day. Within this category, non-dairy creamer consumption increased from 3.37 grams per day to 8 grams per day, while non-dairy milk consumption rose from 0.27 grams per day to 2.45 grams per day. Other coffee additions also recorded a small increase, with average consumption rising by 0.5 grams per day.
The calorie estimates showed a similar trend. In 2018, non-dairy creamer contributed the most calories added to coffee, at 18.5 kcal per day, followed by sugar at 16 kcal and dairy milk at 11 kcal. In comparison, non-dairy creamer contributed an average of 7.71 kcal per day in 2003.
“We found that non-dairy creamer being added to coffee has now passed both sugar and dairy for its contribution to the total energy consumed from coffee. Non-dairy creamers can be high in saturated fat, which is calorie dense. This could explain the increased calories that non-dairy creamer is contributing,” said Yongyi Pan, the study’s lead author and a Ph.D. candidate at the Friedman School.
“Even though it has been on the market since the 1950s, non-dairy creamer has increased in popularity in recent years as consumers seek plant-based or dairy alternatives.”
Sleep and working hours also influence coffee consumption
The researchers also examined how coffee consumption varied according to sleep duration, working hours and overall diet quality.
At the population level, adults who slept fewer hours or worked longer hours consumed more coffee than those who slept more or worked shorter hours. However, coffee consumption was similar among individuals with high and low overall diet quality.
These findings suggest that coffee consumption patterns may be associated with daily routines, although the study does not establish that shorter sleep or longer working hours directly cause higher consumption.
The researchers also acknowledged limitations in the data. Dietary recalls rely on participants reporting what they consumed, which can introduce measurement errors because food and beverage intake varies from day to day. The team took steps to improve the estimates, but self-reported data remains a limitation.
The study highlights a distinction between how much coffee Americans drink and how much energy they obtain from it. Although overall consumption remained stable during the 15-year study period, the growing contribution of non-dairy creamers helped increase the average calories consumed through coffee.
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