Calories of Regular Beer vs. Light Beer

Whether you're headed out for a night on the town or planning to catch a ballgame, sipping a regular or light beer might add enjoyment to your experience. Regardless of your choice, you're contributing to an industry that's expected to have a global value of nearly $500 billion in 2014, according to an article on JSOnline.com, the online version of the "Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel."

Close up of several glasses of beer being raised to toast. (Image: tomorca/iStock/Getty Images)

Sip the Calories

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, regular beer contains 153 calories per 12-ounce can, while light beer has 103 calories per 12-ounce serving. In addition to fewer calories, light beer has fewer than half the carbohydrates of regular beer. Regardless of the brand, light beer has fewer calories than regular beer. For example, a 12-ounce serving of Budweiser contains 146 calories, and the same size serving of Bud Light has 103 calories.