Non-alcoholic beer runs about half the calories of regular beer. Half, not zero.
It earns its place when you are cutting back on drinking. It does not belong in the water slot.
A 500 ml can is 60 to 120 kcal
| Per 500 ml | Alcohol | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Regular beer | 4.5% | 210 kcal |
| Non-alcoholic beer | 0.05% or less | 60–120 kcal |
| Zero cola | 0% | 0–10 kcal |
| Sparkling water | 0% | 0 kcal |
The calories dropped along with the alcohol. What remains is carbohydrate from the malt.
Some products carry more carbohydrate than regular beer, because that is how they put the sweetness back.
A 2025 study split by type
A study in healthy young men compared types of non-alcoholic beer. The mixed and wheat beers raised fasting glucose, triglycerides and insulin.
Pilsner and water did not. The researchers pointed at sugar and calories rather than polyphenols.
Pilsner styles are the safer pick over radlers and fruit flavors. The carbohydrate grams on the back settle it right away.
It does help you drink less
Alcohol carries 7 kcal per gram, second only to fat at 9 kcal.
A bottle of soju is 400 kcal and 500 ml of beer is 210 kcal. Add the food that comes with it and one sitting clears 1,000 kcal easily.
Swap two drinks for non-alcoholic ones and you cut both the alcohol and the calories, and you slow down how fast you work through the food.
"0.00" and "alcohol-free" can mean different things
- •Non-alcohol: under 1% alcohol. A trace can still be in there
- •Alcohol-free: 0.00% alcohol, either never fermented or fully stripped
- •If you are pregnant or must avoid alcohol entirely, look for the 0.00% mark
It is a stretch as a recovery drink
Non-alcoholic beer gets marketed on electrolytes and polyphenols, but milk at the same calories brings protein too.
500 ml of milk is 330 kcal with 16 g of protein. 500 ml of non-alcoholic beer is 100 kcal with 1 g.
Sources · Nutrients (2025) study on the metabolic effects of non-alcoholic beer · Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety alcohol labeling standards · food nutrient database