Comparison of Energy-Giving Power of a Pint of Tea, Coffee and Cocoa
| Kind of Beverage | Water | Protein | Fat | Carbohydrates | Fuel value per lb. |
| % | % | % | % | Calories | |
| Tea (0.5 oz. to 1 pt. water) | 99.5 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.6 | 15 |
| Coffee (1 oz. to 1 pt. water) | 98.9 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.7 | 16 |
| Cocoa (0.5 oz. to 1 pt. water) | 97.1 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 65 |
These figures place cocoa, as a food, head and shoulders above tea and coffee. The figures are for the beverages made without the addition of milk and sugar, both of which are almost invariably present. A pint of cocoa made with one-third milk, half an ounce of cocoa, and one ounce of sugar would have a fuel value of 320 calories, and is therefore equivalent in energy-giving power to a quarter of a pound of beef or four eggs.
Cocoa is stimulating, but its action is not so marked as that of tea or coffee, and hence it is more suitable for young children. Dr. Hutchison, an authority on dietetics, writes: “Tea and coffee are also harmful to the susceptible nervous system of the child, but cocoa, made with plenty of milk, may be allowed, though it should be regarded, like milk, as a food rather than a beverage properly so called.”