how do i count my coffee or tea?

ljbouse

if i drink plain black coffee and hot flavored green tea with nothing added, i have counted those as part of my water intake since there are no calories. but once i add my creamer for coffee or honey for tea then i move them to my meal or snack category. is that the correct way to keep track of them?

funkyspunky871

That's exactly what you should do. If you just have plain tea or coffee, don't even bother logging it. If you add a tablespoon or two of creamer though, log the creamer.

daryls

Coffee or tea with caffeine should not be counted as water. Black coffee I usually do 5 calories per cup and 0 for plain tea.

Caffeine will dehydrate you and is a diuretic, meaning you would benefit from drinking 2 glasses of water for every 1 cup of caffeinated drink you have.

StephieAmber

Personally I've always counted coffee in my meals but tea for some reason I include in water. I have no scientific reasoning why I do this...

I don't think anyone ever got fat from coffee (or tea!!) so I'd say that whatever you feel is best, is best! You're counting the higher calories items (i.e. creamer or honey) so I'd say you're doin' it right!

Really the diary is there for you. As long as you can decipher it at the end of the day, then anyone elses' opinion is just that - an opinion.

Best of luck out there! And keep up with the great food logging

hadl0032

I completley agree with Daryls!!

Alioth

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beverages/3898/2 Here's the nutritional info for coffee. However, you have to realize it also has some fiber value, despite the fact that this website doesn't show it. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beverages/3967/2 Here's the nutritional value for tea. I only count coffee as a food entry because I drink anywhere from 2.5-6 cups a day. But one cup's worth of calories is negligible.

Oh yeah. Definitely carefully measure the honey or cream you put in either one. A teaspoon out of your flatware set and a teaspoon from a measuring spoon can be radically different. The sugar in coffee or tea really does add up!

ljbouse

Thanks, Daryls. This is a very good point i was not aware of. I have replaced coffee with creamer for the cappuchinos i used to drink and normally have 1-2 cups a day. Tea on the other hand is a favorite, especially the flavored green teas. But it is so hard to find my absolute favorite which is raspberry in the decaff. so i will have to search some more or make sure i add in the water to compensate.

ljbouse

Yes i do carefully measure my honey. and creamer. i like the flavored teas best as i can drink those strait with no additions.

Alioth

You're better than me. I can't drink tea without dumping all kinds of junk in it. :drinker: I'll have to try raspberry.

catcrazy

If you are used drinking caffeine coffee/tea you can carry on drinking it without worrying about dehydration, its another blown up myth. It only holds true if you are not a regular drinker. Water is also a diuretic, to about the same degree as coffee and tea in a seasoned caffeine drinker. Alcohol on the other hand does require extra fluids per alcoholic beverage.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12187618

http://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/Abstract/2003/08000/Caffeine_and_Exercise.8.aspx

ljbouse

Thanks for the info catcrazy. That makes me feel so much better. In winter time I have problem getting down 16 oz of water, let alone adding more. I have drank cappuchino and tea for many years, i recently discovered the flavored creamers so dropped the cappuchinos, which has reduced my calorie intake quite a bit in that area.

Alioth, same brands are better than others but for me, any brand with raspberry never gets any additional addings. i like to get the boxes with the mixed flavors in them. that is how i found the raspberry.