Enjoy Low-Calorie Adult Beverages this Summer: Part 1
Angela Jenkins
| 3 min read
Brewha; brewski; tropical paradise; bay breeze; sea breeze; margarita. As you know, there are so many adult beverages out there that can satisfy many different palates.
But remember: even when you’re drinking in moderation, the calories can really creep up on you. So, here are some low-calorie choices if you care to indulge this summer.
Pass Me a Cold One
Beer is one of the world’s oldest beverages. As time elapsed, choices of beer increased drastically. There are so many to choose from, so it can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. Let me help:
For 12 ounces of beer:
- Bud Select 55 – 55 calories
- MGD 64 – 64 calories
- Bud Select – 99 calories
- Aspen Edge Lager – 94 calories
- Natural Light – 95 calories
- Michelob Ultra – 95 calories
- Milwaukee’s Best Light – 98 calories
- Yuengling Light – 98 calories
- Miller Light – 99 calories
- Various brands of light beer average 110-120 calories for 12 ounces
Wine Me
We have heard that drinking a glass of red wine on occasion is good for our health and protects the heart. While statistics show this to be true, it doesn’t mean that it is calorie-free. On average, white wine has 80-90 calories and red wine – on average – has 90-100 calories.
Always double-check the label because Ruby and White Ports have 175-185 calories per serving. The catch with drinking wine is that a serving size is only 4 ounces. Enjoy that glass of wine but be conscious of how much you are pouring into your glass.
Shaken or Stirred
If you do not like beer or wine, mixed drinks are a summer-y alternative. Again, the calories can add up very fast with these multi-ingredient drinks. Here are some suggestions to cut out some of the calories:
Here is a breakdown on liquor per ounce:
- 80 – proof vodka (40% alcohol, the most common type) has 64 calories per 1 ounce
- 86 – proof vodka (43% alcohol) has 70 calories per 1 ounce
- 90 – proof vodka (45% alcohol) has 73 calories per 1 ounce
- 100 – proof vodka (50% alcohol) has 82 calories per 1 ounce
The bottom line is the higher the alcohol content, the more calories it will have.
Mix it Up
The mixers can be the challenge because they add extra calories. Keep these tips in mind when ordering your next drink:
- Use zero calories mixers (link to Summer Drinks Part 1)
- Diet pop or tonic (0 calories)
- Low sugar/Light juices (varies 40-135 calories per 8 ounces)
- Coffee or tea (0 calories)
- Baja Bob’s sugar-free margarita or sweet ‘n’ sour mix (0 calories)
- Lemon or lime juice (10 calories per ½ ounce)
- DaVinci or Torani’s sugar-free syrups (0 calories)
- Skinny Girl Margarita Mix (100 calories for 4 ounces of mix)
Blended Delights
There’s no doubt that a frozen drink will cool you off on a hot summer day. These drinks may be delicious, but you can end up paying for it in the long run with the amount of calories in each drink. Here are some recipes for a frozen adult beverage for fewer than 200 calories:
What is your favorite summertime drink?
Photo credit: TowerGirl Resources: www.webmd.com; www.fitnessmagazine.com
