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Drinks

Cola

Each 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of cola has 42 kcal and 9.9 g of sugars, and as a drink those calories tend to fill you up less than the same calories from solid food.

USDA description: Cola, regular

  • Low energy density
  • Hydrating
  • May cause bloating

Estimated satietyHow it is calculated

Starting point+1
Very low energy density+2
It is a liquid (less filling than an equivalent solid)−1
Sugar in liquid form−2
Sum0
Raised to the minimum of 11

Our own estimate from the values per 100 g: useful for comparing foods with each other, not a measurement in people. Holt index (1995): this food was not measured.

Prepared by
Last updated
Next review
Sources
10 primary and 1 supporting
Data
USDA FDC 174852

No clinical review. No advertising from drug companies and no affiliate links.How we work

Nutrition facts

Calories
139 kcal per serving
42 kcal per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
Protein
0 g per serving
0 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
Carbohydrates
34.3 g per serving
10.4 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
of which sugars
32.8 g per serving
9.9 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
Fiber
0 g per serving
0 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
Fat
0.8 g per serving
0.3 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
of which saturated
0 g per serving
0 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
Water
295 g per serving
89.4 g per 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)

Source: USDA FoodData Central: Beverages, carbonated, cola, regular (FDC ID 174852), accessed September 23, 2026.

A typical 330 ml (11 fl oz, about 1 1/2 cups) serving provides about 139 kcal, 0 g of protein, and 0 g of fiber.

The typical serving (330 ml (11 fl oz, about 1 1/2 cups)) is a common amount used for the math, not a recommendation. Ounces and cups are rounded US equivalents; the values come from the database entry cited in the sources. For drinks, 1 ml is treated as about 1 g.

What it is and how to eat it

The DLE, the Spanish-language dictionary, defines refresco as a non-alcoholic refreshing drink usually made with plant extracts, and gaseosa as a refreshing, fizzy, non-alcoholic drink; the Diccionario de americanismos records gaseosa in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina for a bottled refreshing drink in various flavors, with or without gas. This page covers regular cola, sweetened with sugar, according to USDA, with 42 kcal and 9.94 g of sugars per 100 g and no protein or fiber. According to USDA it also has 9 mg of caffeine per 100 g.

A 330 ml (11.2 fl oz) can weighs about 344 g using the density USDA gives for a 12 fl oz can (355 ml, 370 g), so it provides about 145 kcal, 34.2 g of sugars and 31 mg of caffeine (my calculation). The 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy advises avoiding sugar-sweetened drinks, and the NIDDK, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, notes that doctors may recommend avoiding or limiting fizzy drinks to reduce gas, while the Wegovy (semaglutide) label classifies belching, flatulence and abdominal distension as common adverse reactions in its 68-week trials. If you feel like one now and then, a small glass with a meal gives you the taste with less sugar and less fizz than the whole can.

What the evidence says

WHO counts added sugar as free sugar and recommends keeping it below 10% of daily energy, about 50 g on a 2,000 kcal diet, so a can, with 34.2 g, covers more than two thirds of that maximum (my calculation). Its 31 mg of caffeine per can is far from the 200 mg per dose and 400 mg a day EFSA considers safe for healthy adults, or the 200 mg a day during pregnancy. With USDA's figures and Mexico's NOM-051, I calculate that a can would carry the "EXCESO CALORÍAS" (excess calories) seal, because its sugars provide about 40 kcal per 100 g, slightly more per 100 ml, well above the 8 kcal of free sugars per 100 ml the standard sets for drinks, and "EXCESO AZÚCARES" (excess sugars), because they provide 95% of the energy, plus the "CONTIENE CAFEÍNA EVITAR EN NIÑOS" (contains caffeine, avoid in children) warning if caffeine is added. As for sugar-free versions, since 2023 WHO has recommended not using non-sugar sweeteners to control weight or to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases, a conditional recommendation that does not apply to people who already have diabetes.

The sources for this section are listed under "Sources" at the end of the page.

Satiety

The 1 to 5 score is our own estimate: it starts at 1 point, adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for the water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is useful for comparing foods with each other; it is not a measurement in people.

What to keep in mind on a GLP-1 medication

Low energy density
It has 100 kcal or less per 100 g: plenty of volume for few calories, which helps you feel full. On a GLP-1 medication, which already reduces your appetite, make sure these foods do not push protein foods off your plate.
Hydrating
It has 85 g of water or more per 100 g, so it contributes to hydration. That helps because with a smaller appetite people also tend to eat and drink less, and not drinking enough can make constipation worse.
May cause bloating
Beans and other legumes, cruciferous vegetables, onions, and carbonated drinks cause gas in some people. Because GLP-1 medications slow down stomach emptying, that bloated feeling can be more noticeable. This is an editorial judgment: many people tolerate these foods well in moderate servings.

Frequently asked questions about cola

How much protein does a 330 ml can of cola have?

None: 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of cola has 0 g of protein, so a 330 ml (11 fl oz) serving does not provide any either.

How many calories are in a 330 ml can of cola?

A 330 ml can of cola, our reference serving of 330 ml (11 fl oz), has about 139 kcal. 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of cola has 42 kcal. That is a very low energy density.

How filling is cola?

Barely filling for the calories it provides: our estimated satiety score is 1 out of 5. It is based on: very low energy density; it is a liquid (less filling than an equivalent solid); sugar in liquid form. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.

Is cola a good choice on a GLP-1 medication?

Based on our tags, this is what matters about cola on a GLP-1 medication. “Low energy density”: plenty of volume for few calories; make sure it does not push protein foods off your plate. “Hydrating”: a lot of water, which contributes to hydration when you eat and drink less. “May cause bloating”: it can cause gas or bloating in some people, and on a GLP-1 medication that feeling can be more noticeable. These are general guidelines, not medical advice: everyone tolerates foods differently.

How many milliliters or fluid ounces are in a serving of cola?

We use 330 ml (11 fl oz) as a typical serving, roughly a 330 ml can of cola or about 1 1/2 cups (1 ml is treated as about 1 g). That amount provides about 139 kcal, 0 g of protein, and 0 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.

See all foods

Sources

Sources for the data on this page, with the access date.

  1. Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Beverages, carbonated, cola, regular (FDC ID 174852).accessed .
  2. InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "refresco" (in Spanish).accessed .
  3. InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "gaseoso, gaseosa" (in Spanish).accessed .
  4. InstitutionAssociation of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE).Diccionario de americanismos (Dictionary of Americanisms): "gaseosa" (in Spanish).accessed .
  5. Clinical guidelineObesity (Wiley).Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity. 2025;33(8):1475-1503. doi:10.1002/oby.24336.accessed .
  6. InstitutionNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH).Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Gas in the Digestive Tract.accessed .
  7. Drug labelEuropean Medicines Agency.Wegovy (semaglutide): EU Summary of Product Characteristics, section 4.8 (undesirable effects), current version.accessed .
  8. InstitutionWorld Health Organization.Healthy diet (fact sheet, section on free sugars).accessed .
  9. RegulatorEFSA Journal.EFSA NDA Panel. Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal. 2015;13(5):4102. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4102.accessed .
  10. RegulatorDiario Oficial de la Federación (Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Health, Mexico).Modificación a la Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 (Mexico's labeling standard for prepackaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages), Diario Oficial de la Federación, March 27, 2020; sections 4.5.3 and 7.1.4, Table 6 and second transitory article (in Spanish).accessed .
  11. PressWorld Health Organization.WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline (May 15, 2023).accessed .