Fanta and Coke are two of the most popular soft drinks in the world and Coke is well-known to be bad for you but what about Fanta? Is Fanta better or worse than Coke? How do these two drinks compare in terms of sugar content and calories? Which drink is healthier? In this article, we look at their ingredients and nutritional values in detail to answer these questions.
Fanta vs Coke – Ingredients
Firstly, let’s examine how the ingredients of Fanta and Coke stack up:
| DRINK | INGREDIENTS |
| Coca Cola Original Taste | Carbonated water, Sugar, Caramel Colour (E150d), Phosphoric Acid, Caffeine, Natural flavours |
| Fanta | Carbonated Water, Sugar, Orange Juice from Concentrate (3.7%), Citrus Fruit from Concentrate (1.3%), Citric Acid, Vegetable Extracts (Carrot, Pumpkin), Sweeteners (Acesulfame K, Sucralose), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Malic Acid, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Stabiliser (Guar Gum), Natural Orange Flavourings with Other Natural Flavourings, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid). |
Both drinks contain carbonated water and sugar but this is where similarities end.
Coca Cola has a very short list of ingredients while Fanta’s ingredient list is much longer. This doesn’t mean Coke is any healthier of course.
One reason why Fanta has a longer list of ingredients is due to its flavour. Its fruity flavour is achieved with several ingredients such as orange juice from concentrate, citrus fruit from concentrate, natural orange flavourings and other natural flavourings.
The other notable difference between Coke and Fanta is the type of sweetening agents they use to make them sweet. In the case of Coke, only sugar is used, but in Fanta, there are also artificial sweeteners.
The other difference worth mentioning is caffeine. Coke has caffeine but Fanta doesn’t have any.
At first look, Fanta seems to be healthier as at least it contains some fruit-based ingredients but how healthy is it really? It’s difficult to judge based on the ingredients so we need to look at the nutritional values as well.
Fanta vs Coke – Nutritional values
Here’s how Fanta and Coca-Cola measure up nutritionally per 100 ml:
| DRINK | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | SUGARS | PROTEIN | SALT |
| Coca-Cola Original Taste | 42kcal | 0g | 10.6g | 10.6g | 0g | 0g |
| Fanta | 19kcal | 0g | 4.6g | 4.6g | 0g | 0g |
Neither of the two drinks offers significant nutritional benefits. They contain zero grams of protein and fat and are predominantly carbs.
The primary nutritional difference between Coke and Fanta lies in their sugar content and calorie count. Fanta has fewer calories and less sugar.
Fanta vs Coke – Calories
Per 100 ml, Coca-Cola contains 42 calories, while Fanta has just 19 calories. This is less than half the caloric content of Coca-Cola, making Fanta seem like the more diet-friendly choice in this regard.
When we examine the caloric content in a standard 330 ml can of each beverage, the difference is even more stark. A can of Coca-Cola packs around 139 calories, whereas a can of Fanta has approximately 63 calories.
One reason Fanta is lower in calories is due to its use of artificial sweeteners, Acesulfame K and Sucralose, which substitute some of the sugar content. This not only reduces the amount of sugar but also the overall caloric content, making Fanta appear a slightly healthier choice in terms of calorie intake.
However, it’s essential to note that calories are not the only determinant of a drink’s healthiness. The type of calories and the nutritional content also play vital roles. Moreover, the artificial sweeteners used in Fanta have their own set of potential health concerns, despite their role in reducing caloric content.
Sugar in Fanta vs Coke
Coke has considerably more added sugar than Fanta. Fanta contains 4.6g of sugar per 100ml, equating to just over 1 teaspoon, while Coke has 10.6g, amounting to around 2.5 teaspoons.
However, the sugar content doubles when consuming 200ml of each drink, leading to a total of 5 teaspoons of added sugar in Coke and slightly over 2 teaspoons in Fanta.
Drinking a whole can of Coca-Cola (330ml) results in the consumption of at least 35g of sugar, exceeding the daily recommended intake of 30g. In contrast, a can of Fanta provides 15g of sugar, still a considerable amount, representing half the daily recommended intake.
Fanta vs Coke: Which one is healthier?
While Fanta’s lower sugar and calorie content might suggest it as a healthier choice, it’s not quite so straightforward.
To reduce Fanta’s calories and sugar content, the brand is using artificial sweeteners which are considered safe but come with drawbacks. For example, they can disrupt the balance of bacteria in your gut and also come with other health concerns.
So, does that mean that Coke is healthier? No, Coke is full of sugar which is associated with a host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
So what does that mean? This means that none of the drinks is healthy but if you need to choose, have Fanta as an occasional treat as it is lower in calories. This will not have a big impact on your health.