How Many Calories in Pint of Stella Artois

Stella Artois is one of the UK’s most recognisable lagers, often ordered by the pint in pubs and restaurants. While it’s known for its crisp taste and full-bodied feel, it’s also important to consider the calorie content — especially if you're watching your weight or tracking your daily intake. Here’s a full breakdown of how many calories are in a pint of Stella Artois and what that means for your overall nutrition.

Calories in a Standard Pint of Stella Artois

A standard pint (568ml) of Stella Artois (4.6% ABV) contains approximately 227 calories. This puts it in the mid-to-upper range for lagers. By comparison, lighter lagers often sit closer to 160–180 calories per pint, while stronger or craft beers can exceed 250.

The calorie count is mostly made up of carbohydrates and alcohol. A single pint of Stella contains around 17 grams of carbs and no fat or protein. This makes it energy-dense but not very filling — typical of alcoholic drinks.

Nutritional Breakdown

Stella Artois, like most lagers, is made from water, barley malt, maize, hops, and yeast. Its calories come primarily from ethanol (alcohol) and the residual sugars from fermentation. It contains:

• Roughly 17g of carbohydrates per pint
• Zero grams of fat or fibre
• Negligible amounts of protein
• No vitamins or minerals in significant quantities

Because alcoholic beverages don’t require full nutritional labelling, many people underestimate their impact. Stella doesn’t offer any meaningful nutritional benefit beyond hydration and taste — it’s essentially empty calories.

Health Benefits of Stella Artois

From a nutritional standpoint, there are no significant health benefits to drinking Stella Artois. However, moderate alcohol consumption is sometimes associated with reduced stress, social connection, and temporary relaxation, which can support mental wellbeing when managed responsibly.

That said, the key word is moderation. Regular or excessive consumption of Stella, like any alcohol, increases the risk of weight gain, liver damage, sleep disruption, and other long-term health issues.

Downsides of Drinking Stella Artois

One of the main downsides of Stella Artois is how easy it is to drink without realising the calorie impact. Two or three pints in a single night can add 450 to 700 calories — the equivalent of a full meal — with little satiety. Alcohol also stimulates appetite and lowers inhibition, often leading to poor food choices or snacking after drinking.

Frequent drinking, even if moderate, adds up. A few pints a week can quietly contribute to weight gain and elevated blood sugar levels, especially if accompanied by carb-heavy pub meals or late-night takeaways.

How Stella Artois Affects Your Diet

If you're counting calories, a pint of Stella Artois should be treated like any other snack or drink — it has an energy cost that needs to be accounted for. For those on a weight loss plan, alcohol can stall progress, not just through added calories but by slowing fat metabolism. The body prioritises alcohol as a fuel source, putting fat burning on hold while it’s being processed.

For people following low-carb, low-sugar, or intermittent fasting plans, Stella Artois is typically not suitable, as the carbs and calories break a fast and spike insulin levels. However, if factored into your daily total and consumed in moderation, it can still fit into a flexible eating plan.

Glycaemic Index Rating

Beer, including Stella Artois, has a moderate glycaemic index, estimated to be around 60–70. This means it can cause a noticeable rise in blood sugar, especially when consumed without food. For people with insulin resistance or diabetes, regular beer drinking can complicate blood sugar control, making it advisable to limit intake or choose lower-carb alcohol options.

How Stella Artois Is Made

Stella Artois is brewed using traditional methods with a combination of barley malt, maize, water, hops, and yeast. The fermentation process converts sugars into alcohol, and the beer is then filtered and carbonated before bottling or kegging. While the ingredients are relatively simple, the refinement and brewing methods give Stella its distinctive crispness and clean finish.

Ingredients in Stella Artois

The core ingredients in Stella Artois are: water, barley malt, maize, hops, and yeast. It contains gluten, making it unsuitable for coeliacs or those with gluten intolerance. It also contains no fat or sugar as ingredients, though the fermentation process does leave behind residual carbohydrates.

Some drinkers report that Stella feels heavier than other lagers, which is partly due to the slightly higher alcohol content and the inclusion of maize, which gives it more body.

Healthier Drinking Alternatives

If you’re looking to reduce calories but still enjoy a drink, there are several alternatives to a full pint of Stella. Stella Artois Alcohol-Free contains only around 60 calories per bottle, while many light lagers offer between 100–150 calories per pint. Choosing bottled beer (330ml) instead of a pint automatically cuts calories by 40–50%.

Other lower-calorie alcohol options include spirits with low-calorie mixers (e.g. gin and slimline tonic) or dry white wine, both of which come in around 80–100 calories per glass.

Stella Artois and “Calorie Creep” in Social Settings

The issue with Stella Artois — and beer in general — isn’t usually one pint, it’s the repeat rounds. In a typical social setting, it’s common for people to have two to four pints over a night out. That’s 450 to 900 calories, the same as a large meal or even a small day's worth of food, especially if combined with snacks or takeaway food. These liquid calories often go uncounted, particularly in casual drinking habits

Weekly Totals Add Up Quickly

Drinking three pints of Stella twice a week adds over 1,300 calories weekly — roughly the same as an extra half-day’s worth of food. Over a month, that’s over 5,000 extra calories, enough to potentially gain 1.5 to 2 pounds of body fat, assuming no adjustments are made elsewhere in the diet. This illustrates how regular pub nights can quietly undermine weight loss or maintenance efforts.

Beer Bloat Isn’t Just a Myth

While the term “beer belly” gets thrown around, there’s some truth to it. The carbonation, alcohol, and carbs in beer like Stella Artois can lead to water retention, bloating, and increased waistline appearance — especially in people who drink regularly and consume salty bar snacks alongside it. Unlike spirits or dry wine, beer contributes to visible abdominal distension, even if total fat gain is modest.

Pint vs Bottle: A Simple Way to Save Calories

A 330ml bottle of Stella Artois contains roughly 139 calories — around 90 fewer than a pint. For someone who wants to cut back without quitting, this small change can make a real difference. Ordering bottles instead of pints at the pub or stocking the fridge with bottles instead of cans gives you more control over intake, with minimal impact on satisfaction.

Not All Beer is Equal — Strength Matters

Stella Artois clocks in at 4.6% ABV, which is moderate, but stronger craft beers or continental lagers (like Leffe or Peroni Gran Riserva) can hit 6–8% ABV, pushing calories per pint well above 300. On the other hand, beers under 4% ABV — including session lagers and light ales — often come in under 180 calories per pint. So if you're comparing beers, alcohol content is a key driver of calorie count, not just portion size.

Does Beer Affect Fat Burning?

Yes — drinking Stella Artois, like any alcohol, pauses fat burning. When alcohol enters your system, your body prioritises metabolising it over fats or carbs. This doesn’t mean one pint ruins your progress, but it does slow your metabolism temporarily, and repeated drinking makes it harder to create a calorie deficit, even if your food intake stays controlled.

Drinking and Appetite

Alcohol, especially lager, stimulates appetite. After a pint or two of Stella, you’re more likely to crave salty, fatty, carb-heavy foods like chips, crisps, kebabs, or pizza. This combination — high liquid calories plus food you wouldn’t normally eat — leads to overconsumption and poor dietary decisions. That’s why drinking is often associated with weight gain even when calorie tracking seems accurate.

Summary

A pint of Stella Artois contains approximately 227 calories, making it a moderate to high-calorie lager choice. While it delivers a crisp, refreshing flavour, it offers no real nutritional benefit and contributes to daily energy intake without promoting fullness. Like most alcoholic drinks, it’s best enjoyed in moderation — especially if you're aiming to manage your weight, sugar levels, or overall health. Choosing smaller servings or alcohol-free versions can help reduce your intake without giving up the experience altogether.