Everyone’s entitled to go a little silly in the spirit of the holiday season, for many this means dabbling in the abundance of alcoholic beverages available.
While wine may be the poison of choice for some, others may reach for a beer, vodka mixer or milky cocktail without a second thought.
Undoubtedly each have their unique flavor and alcoholic content profiles, but there’s obviously a lot that separates them in terms of nutritional value.
As with many other things we consume, it is very easy to underestimate the number of calories in each drink along with the toll it has on our bodily functions and organs.
Most know it’s better to opt for non-alcoholic drinks, but this is understandably a bit of a wild concept when we’re talking about the festive season.
White wine
Ladies, no one blames you for reaching straight for the sweet cocktails, but chances are you already know they’re not an ideal choice. While they might be delicious, your gut and overall health are not likely to agree. Consider swapping out your sugary choices for a lovely white wine, try one with fresh notes of passionfruit and citrus, and make sure you drink it nice and chilled. Dieticians tend to recommend dry whites, rosé and red wine, as they have less severe effects on the body, and some research suggests red wine can even be beneficial to health due to its antioxidant content.
Champagne
You’re already in the mood for celebrating, so why not pop open a bottle of Champagne, or a “knock-off” sparkling white. These bubbly beverages contain fewer calories than standard white wine, and when mixed with orange juice to make a mimosa, will even come with slight nutritional value. Mixing it with juice will also mean you’re consuming less alcohol per glass.
Vodka, lime and soda
Mixing a spirit like vodka with a sugar free option like soda water and a squeeze of lime will not only be refreshing, but a particularly low-calorie option to indulge in, so long as you’re not being too heavy-handed you watch how much vodka you’re pouring into each glass
Light beers
Beer by default is both high in carbs and sugar, so obviously not an ideal choice to be consuming all summer long. It’s lower carb alternative however, in the form of light beer, makes for a slightly better option. The light options are less dense in calories, sugar, carbs and of course alcohol.
