Group · Drinks
Beer
Beer is the most widely drunk alcoholic drink in France after wine. The values below correspond to an everyday beer of 4 to 5% alcohol by volume, the most common strength.
On the nutrition side, it provides 39 kcal per 100 g, with 3.12 g of carbohydrate, 0.39 g of protein and no fat. Most of its energy comes not from sugar but from alcohol: 3.57 g per 100 g, or about 25 kcal, nearly two thirds of the total. It also provides a little potassium (36.6 mg) and vitamin B9 (5.64 µg).
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 ml
| Calories | 39 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 163 kJ |
| Protein | 0,4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 3,2 g |
Micronutrients per 100 ml
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Vitamin B30,74 mg5 %
- Vitamin B60,05 mg4 %
- Vitamin B95,64 µg3 %
- Phosphorus14 mg2 %
- Magnesium7,2 mg2 %
- Potassium36,6 mg2 %
- Vitamin B20,03 mg2 %
- Iodine1,88 µg1 %
See the other 7 nutrients
- Vitamin B120,02 µg1 %
- Calcium6,05 mg1 %
- Vitamin B50,04 mg1 %
- Vitamin B10,01 mg0 %
- Copper0 mg0 %
- Manganese0,01 mg0 %
- Iron0,01 mg0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
Alcohol, not sugar. This is the point most often misunderstood. Alcohol provides 7 kcal per gram, against 4 for carbohydrate: a beer that is « low in sugars » is not low in calories if its strength is unchanged. Conversely, an alcohol-free beer comes down to only around 30 kcal.
Think in glasses, not 100 g. A 25 cl glass provides about 98 kcal, a 50 cl glass about 195 kcal. That is the order of magnitude of a pastry, and it is added to the meal without filling you up. Our alcohol calorie calculator works it out for a whole evening.
Weight watching. The body metabolises alcohol first, which puts fat use on hold. Two to three regular beers a week are enough to explain a plateau in an otherwise well-run move to a balanced diet.
Drinking guidelines. Santé publique France recommends not exceeding 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 2 a day, with alcohol-free days. This guideline applies to all alcoholic drinks, beer included.
