Stealthy Calories

‘Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry. It’s also the season for mulled wine, eggnog, holiday punch, and many other seasonal drinks. A holiday celebration too often means a drink with lots of calories from sugar.  Look for low-sugar, low-calorie options. Whenever you can, choose water or a no-calorie drink.

Say no to punch. Typically punch is made with sugar sweetened beverages, fruit, and lots of fruit juice and can have 150 calories per cup. That is a lot of calories spend on something that will not fill you up. If that is not calorie-worthy to you, save those calories to spend on food instead.

Hold your own wine glass. Leaving your wine glass on the table may allow a server or host to keep your glass continuously filled. This makes it harder for you to be mindful of how much you are drinking, and calories being consumed. Pick up your glass as you see the server approaching. Allow it to be filled when YOU are ready.

Stay hydrated. Alcohol can dehydrate you quickly. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your party to ensure that you will feel good the next day.

Order it your way. When ordering or making your own drink, there are ways to make healthy choices by asking for some simple swaps. Keep in mind the amount of calories in alcohol itself- 2 ounces of liquor has about the same number of calories as a glass of white wine.

Beer:

  • IPA or Craft beers (12 oz.): 180-230 calories.
  • Regular beer (12 oz.): 140-180 calories.
  • Light beer (12 oz.) 70-125 calories.

Wine:

  • Red or white: 25 calories per ounce.
  • A 5 ounce glass has about 125 calories.

Liquor:

  • 80-Proof liquor like bourbon or vodka: 100 calories per an 1 ½ ounces, of course this does not include the mixer.
  • Choose low-calorie or calorie-free mixers.
  • Half the amount of simple syrup or substitute a squeeze of lime or orange.
  • Instead of regular soda, trade it out for diet or club soda.

Specialty Drinks:

  • Amaretto or sweet liqueurs can have two to three times as many calories because of the high sugar content.
  • Drinks made with liqueurs average 175 calories per 1.5 ounces.
  • Specialty drinks that have multiple liquors, liqueurs, and mixers can be high in calories. You can look online for how many calories your favorite cocktail might contain. A Pina colada can have  up to 500 calories.