Diet Drinks: Tips for Healthy Drinking

Diet Drinks: Tips for Healthy Drinking

After spending a month (or two) indulging in food and drink, the new year brings grand resolutions to eat better, be healthier and lose weight. If you’re like us, that definitely doesn’t include cutting out drinking altogether. However, three or four cocktails at happy hour can easily rack up 800–1,000 calories or more, derailing even the best laid plans.

So how do you incorporate a night at the bar into your new lifestyle without resorting to some of the terrible concoctions we used to create in college (hello Slimfast + peppermint schnapps milkshake)? Put down the SkinnyGirl margaritas and read on.

The Basics

First, it helps to know what you’re dealing with. Unlike other food and drink, your bottle of Scotch doesn’t come with a handy nutrition information label, making it that much easier to justify multiple glasses.

Most 80-proof liquors like vodka, whiskey, rum, or tequila have about 96 calories per 1 1/2-oz. serving (a shot). As the proof of the liquor increases, so do the calories. For example, 100 proof vodka or whiskey comes in at 123 calories per 1 1/2 ounce. So vodka any better, diet-wise, than whiskey — if the proof is the same the calories are the same, so you can all go back to your booze of choice.

Sadly, most liqueurs like triple sec, amaretto and Irish creams can cost you close to 150 calories per 1½ ounces. When you start adding fruit juices, sodas and these flavorful liqueurs to a cocktail, a single drink can easily reach over 250 calories

On the other end of the drinking spectrum, a standard 5-oz. glass of wine has between 120–125 calories, and a (non-light) glass of beer starts at 146 calories, with richer and more alcoholic beers coming in upwards of 250-350 or more per serving.

Depending on how often and how much you drink, you can see how the calories can easily start adding up after several weeks of a busy holiday season. So how do you prevent weight gain without sacrificing a fun night out with friends?

Tips for Drinking at Home

The key to making lower calorie cocktails is to rely on the flavor of the spirit itself and fresh ingredients like herbs and fruit. Pick higher quality base spirits and you won’t need mixers to cover up the flavor! In general, stay away from anything that involves a pre-made mix from a shelf-stable bottle. Also, syrups and shrubs — even homemade ones like simple syrup — are all sugar based and will up the calorie count of a drink very quickly. It’s best to stick to basic spirits and hunt down fresh ingredients at the grocery store.

If you’re making drinks at home, you know exactly what’s going into your drink, so it’s easy to avoid high sugar ingredients. Below are some twists on classic drinks that can easily fit into a healthier lifestyle.

Mojito (153 calories)

2 oz. light rum (130 calories)
4 mint leaves (n/a)
1 oz. fresh lime juice (8 calories)
1 tsp. sugar (15 calories)
Club soda

Place mint leaves and sugar at the bottom of a rocks glass. Add lime juice and bruise the mint leaves. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the rum and ice and stir until chilled. Top with club soda. Experiment by adding seasonal berries or fruit and muddle with the mint.

Whiskey Sour (153 calories)

2 oz. whiskey (130 calories)
1 oz. fresh lemon juice (8 calories)
1 tsp. sugar (15 calories)
Optional: 1 egg white (17 calories)

While the optional egg white adds 17 calories, it also adds a dash of protein. Combine whiskey, lemon juice, sugar into a shaker. If adding egg white, add now and shake without ice vigorously for one minute.  Then add two ice cubes and shake again. Pour into a rocks glass over ice or a coupe glass without.

Bloody Mary (155 calories)

2 oz. vodka (130 calories)
4 oz. tomato juice (20 calories)
Dash of worcestershire sauce (5-10 calories)
Dash of tabasco
Dash of horseradish
Dash of old bay seasoning
Dash of celery salt
Dash of pepper
Celery stalk
Pickle spear

The key to making this this classic brunch cocktail healthier is the size of the glass. Most restaurant style bloodies are made in pint glasses, packing in double the serving size of tomato juice (and calories). This low-cal bloody uses an 8–10 ounce highball glass. Add all ingredients to a highball glass. Stir, add ice, and stir again. Garnish with a slim pickle spear and celery stalk.

Tips for Drinking Out

If you’re at bar, it’s likely your bartender won’t have access to fresh herbs, fruit and other concoctions you might have at home. However, there are a few key things to remember. If you like a stiffer drink, get your whiskey or rum on the rocks without any additional booze. As a bonus, you’ll be able to appreciate the spirit a bit better (as long as you’re not drinking well liquor) and you won’t be left wondering what else is mixed into your glass.

If you’re more of a cocktail or mixed drink person, stay away from drinks that have additional juices, like cranberry or orange, or fortified wines like vermouth and port. Screwdrivers and martinis can easily rack up over 250 calories per drink.

Instead, you can fall back on the classic rum or Jack and Diet Coke (130 calories). If you’re already out of college and have a more refined palette, become friends with soda water. It will add a bit of fizz to your drink without any added sugars and it has zero calories. However, beware of soda water’s evil step-sister, tonic water! Tonic is NOT a low-calorie liquid —  it runs about 124 calories per 8-oz. serving. If you must have tonic water, stick to diet.

A tip to remember at the bar — the fewer ingredients your cocktail has in it, the less caloric the drink is likely to be. Also be wary of drinks that have syrups or include sugary fruit or cream based liqueurs. Below are some easy go-to drinks you can order at any bar that won’t run more than around 160 calories:

Gimlet (156 calories)

2 oz. gin or vodka (130 calories)
3/4 oz. Rose’s lime juice (26 calories)

This cocktail simply combines gin or vodka and Rose’s lime juice for a quick and simple drink that is lightly sweetened. Garnish with a lime wheel for class.

Old Fashioned (154 calories)

2 oz. bourbon (130 calories)
2 dashes Angostura bitters (8 calories)
1 tsp. sugar (16 calories)
Orange peel

This boozy drink is surprisingly low in calories, which should be a relief to you health conscious tipplers. As a bonus, it’s also very flavorful.

Black Russian (160 calories)

1 1/2 oz. vodka (96 calories)
3/4 oz. coffee liqueur (93 calories)

The White Russian’s slightly less popular cousin, this drink is a great option if you’re looking for a sweeter drink without all the calories of a giant martini. While we mentioned earlier than most liqueurs should be off limits if you’re watching your weight, the small size and lack of additional ingredients in this drink make it ok.

Tom Collins (162 calories)

2 oz. dry gin (130 calories)
2 oz. lemon juice (16 calories)
1 tsp. sugar (16 calories)
Soda water

This refreshing drink gives you a lovely summery feel and also comes in fairly low on the bad-for-you scale. The fizz of the soda water will fill you up.

Photos by Danya Henninger & Drink Philly


Tags: Cocktails, Spirits
Recent Articles
spacer

Feedback

How are we doing? Tell us what you like or don't like and how we can improve. We would love to hear your thoughts!

*Name:
*E-mail:
*Suggestions:
 
The Shark Week Drinking Game

The Shark Week Drinking Game

This year, one of cable TV's longest-running programs celebrates its 29th anniversary. Enjoy it to the fullest with this handy game. Shark Week starts...read more ›

by The Drink Nation Jun 26, 2016
A Spanish Winemaker is Producing Blue Wine

A Spanish Winemaker is Producing Blue Wine

We've all heard of red wine and white wine. But now, we can get what we've always dreamed of when looking through a wine list: blue wine. ...read more ›

by Ryan Hudak Jun 21, 2016
Devil's Creek Brewery Is Open in Collingswood

Devil's Creek Brewery Is Open in Collingswood

Collingswood's first brewery, Devil’s Creek Brewery, opened its doors recently on May 21 at its new spot on Haddon Avenue....read more ›

by Erica Bauwens Jun 2, 2016
SPONSORED
Drink Nation Store Rectangle
Craft Beer Garden and Restaurant Comes to Cooper River

Craft Beer Garden and Restaurant Comes to Cooper River

Cooper River Park in Pennsauken may be known for weddings and crew races, but a new beer garden is giving craft beer lovers a new excuse to check out ...read more ›

by Erica Bauwens Jun 2, 2016
Tonewood Brewing Is Coming to Oaklyn

Tonewood Brewing Is Coming to Oaklyn

Oaklyn is getting a brand new brewery called Tonewood Brewing, which will be run by two brothers, with a projected opening date of Tuesday, June 7....read more ›

by Erica Bauwens Jun 2, 2016
Medford's Main Street Is Experiencing a Craft Beer Boom

Medford's Main Street Is Experiencing a Craft Beer Boom

Medford in Burlington County will soon be home to two craft breweries along their Main Street drag....read more ›

by Erica Bauwens May 18, 2016
The Inventor of St. Germain, Robert J. Cooper, Has Passed Away at 39

The Inventor of St. Germain, Robert J. Cooper, Has Passed Away at 39

The inventor of St. Germain passed away on Monday, April 25, 2016....read more ›

by Alexander Frane May 2, 2016
Make This Purple Cocktail To Honor Prince's Memory

Make This Purple Cocktail To Honor Prince's Memory

Make this delicious purple cocktail to honor Prince's memory....read more ›

by The Drink Nation Apr 21, 2016
This Late Night L.A. Restaurant is Serving Boozy Bowls of Classic Kids Cereal

This Late Night L.A. Restaurant is Serving Boozy Bowls of Classic Kids Cereal

Grab a boozy, late-night breakfast at L.A.'s newest concept....read more ›

by Alexander Frane Apr 19, 2016
Disney's Tower of Terror Is Getting a Bar

Disney's Tower of Terror Is Getting a Bar

Disney's Tower of Terror is getting its very own bar....read more ›

by Alexander Frane Apr 15, 2016
SPONSORED
View all Articles

Sign up to get weekly drinking news, bar reviews, events and more sent directly to your inbox!

Close