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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Diet-Friendly Alcohol Choices

Choose Wisely to Stay On Track

A key to any successful lifestyle change is moderation. While you may be sticking to a healthier eating plan on most days, certain occasions call for a bit of relaxation, oftentimes in the form of an alcoholic drink. 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.

Even if you are careful about your alcohol consumption, all drinks are not created equal on the dieting scale and some choices are better than others. Here's a short guide to the calorie contents of different types of alcohol. Use it as a quick resource so you can make the best alcohol choices while sticking to your dietary goals.

The Most Diet-Friendly Drink Choices
 

 
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Wine: The Most Diet-Friendly Choice
If you’re going to drink, wine is the most calorie-friendly selection with a typical 20 calories per ounce. Each 5-ounce glass would then be 100 calories with no cholesterol, sodium or fat. This is true for both red and white wine, from merlot to chardonnay. Sherry, a sweet, fortified wine runs a bit higher with 32 calories per ounce but it is usually served in smaller portions as an after-dinner drink.

Here is the nutritional information for some popular wines:

 
Wine
Calories Per Ounce     
CarbsPer 5-oz Serving
Chardonnay200.4 g100 calories, 2 g carbs
Pinot Grigio200.4 g100 calories, 2 g carbs
Zinfandel® White Wine200.4 g100 calories, 2 g carbs
Cabernet Sauvignon200.8 g100 calories, 4 g carbs
Merlot Red Wine200.8 g100 calories, 4 g carbs

Hard Liquor: Easy on Your Diet
Hard liquor is higher in calories per ounce than wine, and is often mixed with soda, which increases the calorie count. If you’re going to drink liquor, use calorie-free mixers like diet soda or diet tonic water. One shot glass or mixed drink will contain about 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

Here is the nutritional information for some favorites:

 
Hard LiquorCalories Per OunceCarbsPer 1.5-oz Serving
Vermouth320.2 g64 calories, 0.4 g carbs
Coconut Rum515.3 g77 calories, 8 g carbs
Beefeater® Gin650 g98 calories, 0 g carbs
Rye Whiskey690 g104 calories, 0 g carbs
Scotch Whiskey690 g104 calories, 0 g carbs
White Rum690 g104 calories, 0 g carbs
Vodka690 g104 calories, 0 g carbs
Cognac692 g104 calories, 3 g carbs
Tequila695.3 g104 calories, 8 g carbs
Gilbey’s® Gin790 g119 calories, 0 g carbs

Once you start mixing liquor with juice and other sweeteners to create cocktails, both calories and carbs can go up significantly.

Here is the nutritional information for some favorites:
 
CocktailCalories Per OunceCarbs Per  Ounce      Per Typical Serving
Martini61.1135 calories/
2.2 oz
Cosmopolitan533.3213 calories/
4 oz
Mojito404240 calories/
6 oz
Margarita462.1153 calories/
3.3 oz
Manhattan391.1130 calories/
3.3 oz
Whiskey Sour463.9162 calories/
3.5 oz
Daiquiri562.1224 calories/
4 oz
PiƱa Colada557.1245 calories/
4.5 oz
Beer: Raise Your Glass with Care
Beer is the next best choice for dieters with, about 150 calories per 12-ounce serving. Choosing light beers will drop your caloric intake without sacrificing much flavor, but keep in mind that it can be hard to estimate your intake when pouring from a pitcher or into an oversized beer mug.

Here is the nutritional information for different types of beer:

 
BeerCalories Per OunceCarbsPer 12-oz Serving
"Light" Beer90.5 g108 calories, 6 g carbs
Draft Beer121.1 g144 calories, 13.2 g carbs
Lager141.1 g168 calories, 13.2 g carbs
Ale181.1 g216 calories, 13.2 g carbs

Liqueur: Small but Potent
Sometimes the words "cordial" and "liqueur" are used interchangeably since both drinks are flavored, very sweet and often served as (or with) dessert. Liqueurs can be served alone, over ice, with coffee, or mixed with cream or other mixers. Adding mixers will increase the calorie and fat content of your drink. Whether served alone or in a cocktail, one liqueur serving is about 1.5 ounces. While tasty, liqueurs pack the most calories per ounce, so enjoy them sparingly.

Here is the nutritional information for common liqueurs:

 
Liqueur
Calories Per Ounce   
CarbsPer 1.5-oz Serving
Chocolate Liqueur10311 g155 calories, 17 g carbs
Mint Liqueur10311 g155 calories, 17 g carbs
Peppermint Liqueur10311 g155 calories, 17 g carbs
Strawberry Liqueur10311 g155 calories, 17 g carbs

If you budget your calories carefully, you can safely afford to have a drink or two on a special occasion. But beware—drinking loosens your inhibitions and may make you eat without thinking. From a health standpoint, calories aren't the only thing to consider. Practice moderation (no more than one drink daily for women and no more than two drinks daily for men) and consider other potential health benefits of different types of alcohol.

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.

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