The results are in! What Canada’s 23% drop in beverage calories means for the convenience channel

Rewind back to 2015. Canadians were putting butter in their morning coffee as a part of the high-fat diet trend, consuming charcoal-laced products and eating according to their blood type. None of these behaviours were particularly helpful or healthy. Meanwhile, the Canadian Beverage Association launched its Balance Calories Initiative (BCI). The goal? To reduce the number of calories Canadians consume from non-alcoholic beverages by 20% by 2025. It was an ambitious, voluntary, industry-wide commitment.

Fast forward to May 26, 2026, and the results are in. And they’re both impressive and surprising—and reveal the current state of hydration and beverage consumption among Canadians. The BCI not only met its target but exceeded it, meeting the goal two years earlier than projected. Between 2014 and 2024, Canadians reduced the calories in the beverages they purchased by 23%. And by 2024, lower-calorie beverages accounted for 52.5% of total beverage volumes. Also worth noting, lower-sugar formulations and reduced consumer purchases of juices and carbonates contributed two-thirds of the total calorie reduction.

The report points out that, though Canadians are reducing the number of calories per serving in the beverages they purchase by 20.3%, overall beverage volumes declined by just 3.3%, demonstrating that consumers aren’t turning away from the category, but focusing more on changing their preferences.

The findings of the BCI also show ready-to-drink coffee volumes jumped 624%, enhanced and flavoured waters grew by 145% and still drinks dropped 35%.

This is data that could impact which beverages c-stores offer their customers. CSNC caught up with Erich Schmidt, the Canadian Beverage Association’s senior director, communications and public affairs, to find out more about BCI and what it means at the retail level.

Convenience Store News Canada: What prompted the voluntary, industry-wide Balance Calories Initiative in 2015?   

Erich Schmidt: The Balance Calories Initiative (BCI) was driven by CBA members' desire to respond to changing consumer preferences for lower-calorie options that meet their needs. The success of the initiative shows that progress is strongest when the industry moves collectively and that market forces are driven by innovation and product diversity. 

CSNC: What surprised you most about the results in the published report?   

ES: One of the most notable findings was the sharp decline in calories between 2014 and 2017, when average calories fell by about 5% per year. In that time, Canadians were buying fewer high-calorie drinks like juices and traditional soft drinks and more low-calorie options, which have now grown to over 52% of total beverage volume.

During that period, we saw significant acceleration in reformulation, expansion of low- and no-calorie product portfolios and the introduction of smaller packaging sizes. It was great to see how quickly those changes happened, and at scale, across the industry. It also further demonstrates that voluntary action can deliver measurable results. 

CSNC: What key factors do you attribute to the 20.3% decrease in average calories per serving in purchased beverages?  

ES: Launched in 2015, the initiative set out to reduce total calories from beverages by 20% over 10 years and we accomplished just that. The 20.3% reduction is primarily the result of lower caloric density, driven by reformulation and reduced sugar content in beverages and shifts in consumer purchasing.