Ok folks. Time to get a post on having fun while trying to be healthy. Here are a few things to help you on your way….
While alcohol is fat-free and low in carbs, it’s important to remember that it’s the calories that count when it comes to weight management. As you know, alcohol and dieting don't mix well-your body processes alcohol first, leaving carbohydrates and fats to get stored as fat instead of getting used as fuel.
Wines
The most friendly drink you can have while on a diet. Here’s a list of some of the more common wines.
Wine | Calories | Carbs | Per 5-oz Serving |
Chardonnay | 20 | 0.4 g | 100 calories, 2 g carbs |
Pinot Grigio | 20 | 0.4 g | 100 calories, 2 g carbs |
Zinfandel® White Wine | 20 | 0.4 g | 100 calories, 2 g carbs |
Cabernet Sauvignon | 20 | 0.8 g | 100 calories, 4 g carbs |
Merlot Red Wine | 20 | 0.8 g | 100 calories, 4 g carbs |
Hard liquor
When drinking hard liquor, mix it with a diet soda or tonic water and go with smaller servings.
Hard Liquor | Calories | Carbs | Per 1.5-oz Serving |
Vermouth | 32 | 0.2 g | 64 calories, 0.4 g carbs |
Coconut Rum | 51 | 5.3 g | 77 calories, 8 g carbs |
Beefeater® Gin | 65 | 0 g | 98 calories, 0 g carbs |
Rye Whiskey | 69 | 0 g | 104 calories, 0 g carbs |
Scotch Whiskey | 69 | 0 g | 104 calories, 0 g carbs |
White Rum | 69 | 0 g | 104 calories, 0 g carbs |
Vodka | 69 | 0 g | 104 calories, 0 g carbs |
Cognac | 69 | 2 g | 104 calories, 3 g carbs |
Tequila | 69 | 5.3 g | 104 calories, 8 g carbs |
Gilbey's® Gin | 79 | 0 g | 119 calories, 0 g carbs |
Beer
Beer has an average of around 150 calories per 12 oz serving
Beer | Calories | Carbs | Per 12-oz Serving |
“Light” Beer | 9 | 0.5 g | 108 calories, 6 g carbs |
Draft Beer | 12 | 1.1 g | 144 calories, 13.2 g carbs |
Lager | 14 | 1.1 g | 168 calories, 13.2 g carbs |
Ale | 18 | 1.1 g | 216 calories, 13.2 g carbs |
The main thing to remember is MODERATION. Drinking will loosen your inhibition and you’ll want to eat more loosely so be careful…� Most health experts recommend the following hierarchy when choosing alcohol based on potential health benefits (such as antioxidant content): choose red wine over white wine; choose wine over beer; choose darker-colored beers over lighter-colored beers; and choose beer over liquor and liqueur.
Some mixers that won’t pack on the pounds include:
- Diet soda or diet tonic: 0 calories
- Orange juice (6 oz): 84 calories
- Cranberry juice cocktail (8 oz): 136 calories
- Light orange juice (8 oz): 50 calories
- Light cranberry juice (8 oz): 40 calories
- Light lemonade (8 oz): 5 calories
- Coffee, tea: 0 calories
- Baja Bob’s sugar-free margarita or sweet ‘n’ sour mix: 0 calories
- Lemon or lime juice (1/2 oz): 10 calories
- DaVinci or Torani’s sugar-free syrups: 0
How Many Calories in Popular Cocktails?
- Pina Colada (6 oz): 378 calories
- Mojito (8 oz): 214 calories
- Cosmopolitan (4 oz): 200 calories
- Chocolate martini: (2 oz each vodka, chocolate liqueur, cream, 1/2 oz creme de cacao, chocolate syrup): 438
- Margarita (8 oz): 280
- Skinnygirl margarita (4 oz): 100
- Green apple martini (1 oz each vodka, sour apple, apple juice): 148
- Martini (2.5 oz): 160
- Port wine (3 oz):128
- Bloody Mary (5 oz): 118
- Red wine (5 oz):120
- White wine (5 oz): 120
- Alcohol-free wine (5 oz): 20-30
- Beer (12 oz): 150-198
- Light beer (12 oz): 95-136
- Ultra-light beer (12 oz): 64-95
- Champagne (5oz): 106-120
- Coffee liqueur (3 ounces): 348
- Godiva chocolate liqueur (3 oz): 310
- Wine spritzer (5 oz): 100
- Eggnog with rum (8 ounces): 370
- Hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps (8 oz): 380
- Hot buttered rum (8 oz): 292
- Spiced cider with rum ( 8 oz):150
- Mulled wine (5 oz): 200
- Vodka and tonic (8 oz): 200
- Screwdriver (8 oz): 190
- Mimosa (4 oz): 75
- Gin and tonic (7 oz): 200
- Long Island iced tea (8 oz): 780
- White Russian (2 oz vodka, 1.5 oz coffee liqueur, 1.5 oz cream): 425
- Mai Tai (6 oz) (1.5 oz rum, 1/2 oz cream de along, 1/2 oz triple sec, sour mix, pineapple juice): 350
- Rum and Coke (8 oz): 185
- Rum and Diet Coke (8 oz): 100
- Mike’s Hard Lemonade (11 oz): 98
Sample Drink Mixes
Well what you’ve been waiting for is here, the drinks. Here’s three…
Sangria Sparkler
- 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine
- 1 cup light orange juice
- 1/4 cup brandy or cognac
- 1/4 cup orange liqueur
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 medium oranges, sliced
- 2 cups club soda, chilled
- Crushed ice and/or orange peel curls (optional)
1. In a large pitcher, combine wine, orange juice, brandy, orange liqueur, sugar, and orange slices. Chill at least 2 hours. Add club soda before serving. Serve over crushed ice and/or with orange peel curls, if desired.
Nutrition Information per serving: 100 calories, 0g protein, 9g carbohydrate, 0g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber
Mojito Fresco
- 2 large limes, cut into pieces (reserve one piece)
- 2 cups water
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup light rum
- Sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- Ice cubes
- Quartered limes and/or mint leaves (optional)
- In a blender combine lime pieces, 2 cups water, and 2/3 cup sugar. Cover and blend about 30 seconds or until limes are chopped; do not puree. Strain through a sieve into a large pitcher. Mix in 2 cups additional water. Cover and chill for 1 to 12 hours.
- Stir rum into lime mixture. Moisten the rims of 8 glasses with the reserved lime piece; dip rims in sugar. Divide mint among glasses. Use a wooden spoon to press mint into the bottom of each glass; press firmly to release flavor. Fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour chilled lime mixture over ice and mint leaves. If desired, add extra quartered limes and/or mint leaves.
Nutrition Information per serving: 95 calories, 0g protein, 21g carbohydrate, 0g fat (0g saturated), 1g fiber
Strawberry-Citrus Vodka Cocktail
- 2 strawberries
- 1 sprig of mint
- 3/4 ounce light agave nectar, such as Wholesome Sweeteners
- 1 3/4 ounces citrus vodka
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
In a shaker, muddle together mint and strawberries, then add the remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously with ice for 20 seconds. Pour entire contents of shaker into a tall glass. (Include all of the mint and strawberry pulp.)
Nutrition Information per serving: 259