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A Calorie-Sensible Approach to Getting, Ahem, Saucy
By Jen Wolfe | August 5, 2007
By Jen Wolfe
It’s happy hour! Imagine you are at your favorite watering hole, pub, bar or nightclub. The server approaches and asks what you would like to drink … and now the agony begins. What can you order that won’t balloon your butt or inflate your thighs? And just so you know, a six-pack of beer won’t help you keep those six-pack abs.
So what can you drink that won’t pack on the pounds and will keep your happy hours happy? Well, here’s a simple guideline … if the drink tastes sweet, then it’s a good bet it’s loaded with sugar and carbs and lots of calories — that applies to both the alcohol and the mixer you use. Let’s take a look at a couple of popular examples:
THE ULTIMATE MARGARITA
Let’s say you decide to rationalize and order just one larger drink to last you through the night — you know, the margarita that comes in the soup-bowl size glass. Check out the calorie count in just one ultimate margarita.
6 oz tequila 414 calories
4 oz lime juice 28 calories
2 oz sugar 218 calories
2 oz orange juice 28 calories
1 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur 160 calories
Total 848 calories
APPLETINI
Okay, so how about something simple like the currently popular Appletini or a Strawberry Daiquiri? They can’t have too many calories, can they?
2 oz citrus vodka 200 calories
1/2 oz DeKuyper® Sour Apple Pucker schnapps 36 calories
1/2 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur 40 calories
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice 7 calories
Total 283 calories
STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI
1/2 oz strawberry schnapps 36 calories
1 oz light rum 69 calories
1 oz lime juice 7 calories
1 tsp powdered sugar 110 calories
1 oz strawberries 6 calories
Total 228 calories
So for a little less than 1/5 of your daily caloric intake (assuming a 1,500 calorie a day diet), you can have one Appletini or a Strawberry Daiquiri.
Now I know what you are thinking — you’ll just skip lunch or dinner to make up for the calories you’ll be drinking at happy hour, right? That’s one mistake you shouldn’t make. Alcohol will thwack you more quickly and strongly on an empty stomach — a full stomach slows down the absorption of alcohol, whereas an empty stomach allows the alcohol to hit your system hard and fast. You’ll definitely need a designated driver if you drink dinner over eating it!
LOWER CALORIE ALTERNATIVES
So let’s look at some alternatives that allow you to keep the pounds off and still enjoy a “happy” happy hour. Your best bet is to drink your hard liquor neat — no mixers or fancy stuff, just straight up or on ice. For example, a simple shot (1 ounce) of gin or vodka is only 69 calories. Here’s a terrific alternative to those sugar- and calorie-loaded drinks
DIRTY MARTINI
1½ oz gin 103 calories
½ oz dry vermouth 32 calories
1½ tbsp olive juice 10 calories
2 olives 15 calories
Total 160 calories
Another way to make hard liquor more palatable and avoid all those extra calories is to mix it with diet soda or soda water. A splash of fruit juice can add extra flavor as well.
RUM AND DIET COLA
2 oz rum 138 calories
4 oz diet soda 0 calories
Total 138 calories
You can look up the recipe and calorie count of your favorite drink at this website: http://www.drinksmixer.com. Forearmed with this information, you’ll know what to ask for when the server takes your order, and you won’t pack on those pounds. Party hearty, but keep it safe and low calorie!
Liquor Diet Guide
|
Alcohol |
Amount |
Protein |
Carb |
Fat |
Calories |
|
Light Beer |
(1) 12-ounce bottle |
1.0 grams |
5.2 grams |
0 grams |
103 |
|
Regular Beer |
(1) 12-ounce bottle |
1.1 grams |
10.0 grams |
0 grams |
139 |
|
Wine dry white |
6 ounces |
0.6 grams |
3.3 grams |
0 grams |
131 |
|
Wine red |
6 ounces |
0.3 grams |
1.8 grams |
0 grams |
128 |
|
Tequila |
1 ounce |
0 grams |
0 grams |
0 grams |
69 |
|
Gin 80 proof |
1 ounce |
0 grams |
0 grams |
0 grams |
69 |
|
Rum 80 proof |
1 ounce |
0 grams |
0 grams |
0 grams |
69 |
|
Vodka 80 proof |
1 ounce |
0 grams |
0 grams |
0 grams |
69 |
|
Whiskey 80 proof |
1 ounce |
0 grams |
0 grams |
0 grams |
69 |