Bud Light is one of America’s most popular beer. Bud Light has surfed the wave of calories consciousness among beer drinkers that has made light beers the dominant category in the beer market accounting for more than 40% of all beer sales.
So how many calories are there in Bud Light Original and the other Bud Light variants?
Bud Light has 110 calories per 12oz can. You may not know it but there four other Bud Light variants on the market. Bud Light Platinum, which is higher alcohol beer in a distinctive blue bottle, has 170 calories.
Bud Light Next, the zero-alcohol version, has 80 calories per 12 fl. oz. Then you have the fruit flavored Bud Light variants, Bud Light Peels (116-149 calories) and Bud Light Chelada (151-182 calories) which tend to be more packed with calories.
How Many Calories in Bud Light Original (4.2% ABV) Explained
Bud Light Original has 110 calories per 12oz can. The Bud Light web site advises that the beer contains 6.6g of carbohydrates per can and 0g of fat. A can of Bud Light also contains 1g of protein.
Bud Light’s ingredients label says it is made from just four ingredients: water, barley, hops and rice. Unlike many light beer brands, Bud Light doesn’t use corn syrup.
In fact, Bud Light attracted controversy in 2019 with a Superbowl ad that poked fun at major rival Miller Lite for using corn syrup. Like many beers, Bud Light instead uses rice to help the fermentation process.
The ad angered US corn farmers and exposed Bud and its parent company Anheuser-Busch, to a tit-for-tat attack from Miller, who tweeted out: “Hey Bud Light, thanks for including us in our first Super Bowl ad in over 20 years. You forgot two things though… we have more taste and half the carbs! #itsmillertime.”
How Many Calories in Bud Light Platinum (6% ABV)
Bud Light Platinum is a heavier beer than Bud Light Original, both in terms of alcohol content and calories. Platinum is made in a different way (it does include added sugar) resulting in a higher calorie count.
Bud Light Platinum contains 139 calories per 12 fl oz can, align with 5.1g of carbohydrates and 1g of sugar. It also contains 1g of fat and 1g of protein.
How Many Calories in Bud Light Peels
Bud Light Peels are fruit flavored variants of Bud Light original. There are four flavors: Lime, Lemonade, Orange and Grapefruit.
Here is the nutritional breakdown of the four flavors.
With the exception of the lime flavor, they are all heavier in calories and carbs than the Original and most other light beers.
| Bud Light Peels | Calories | Carbs (grams) | ABV (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | 142 | 14.3 | 4.2 |
| Lime | 116 | 8 | 4.2 |
| Lemonade | 149 | 16g | 4.2 |
| Grapefruit | 145 | 15 | 4.2 |
How Many Calories in Bud Light Next (4%)
Bud Light’s zero carb variant is also much lower in calories (80 per 12oz serving) and has a slightly lower alcohol content (4%).
How Many Calories in Bud Light Chelada – And What the Hell is It?
Bud Light Chelada is a blend of the beer itself with Clamato, a tomato-based cocktail.
There are another three variants of this drink: Extra Lime, Mangonada, Chile Limon Tajin.
The standard version has 151 calories, 15.6g of carbs and 0.9g of protein. The same figures hold true for the Mangonada flavor.
Extra Lime has 157 calories, while the Tajin (which is a little spicy) has 151 calories,
How Many Calories in Bud Light Original compared to other Light Beers
This neatly leads us on to our comparison of Bud Light versus it’s main light beer rivals on calories and carbs. The table below on general nutrition advice is for a standard 12oz serving.
| Beer | Calories | Carbohydrates (g) | ABV (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bud Light | 110 | 6.6 | 4.2 |
| Miller Lite | 96 | 3.2 | 4.2 |
| Michelob Ultra | 95 | 2.6 | 4.2 |
| Keystone Light | 104 | 5 | 4.1 |
Does Bud Light contain sugar?
No, there is no sugar in Bud Light. Bud Light uses rice, which contains glucose, a form of sugar. But this sugar is only used to aid in fermentation and is consumed by the yeast during the brewing process and converted into alcohol. None of it is left in the resulting product.
Is there fat in Bud Light
No, there is no fat in Bud Light
Is Bud Light Keto Low Carb
The general range for a drink to be considered “low carb” is 5-10 grams of carbohydrate per 12oz serving. Bud Light sits at the low end of this range, so while it can’t be considered low carb, it is by beer standards with most beers – barring light beers – containing more than 10g of carbs per can.
Is Bud Light a healthy beer?
No beer is healthy really. Beer is something that should be consumed in moderation both to keep alcohol consumption within reasonable limits and to keep your intake of carbs at a healthy level.
But as beers go, it is a relatively healthy beer. As Miller Lite cheekily pointed out though, it does have more carbs and more calories per can than their product.
But, according to our expert beer judge Andy Sparhawk, who did a recent taste test of these two big-selling light beers, Bud Light is the better beer to drink. Andy found it had more body and character and nice balance.
