Low calorie holiday cocktails or “mocktails”

Did you know that per gram, alcohol contains more calories than carbs or protein? Carbohydrates and protein contain 4 calories per gram, while alcohol contains 7 calories per gram – almost as much as fat, at 9 calories per gram. For this reason, alcoholic drinks can contribute a lot of extra calories, especially when they’re combined with sweetened juices and other sources of sugar. The best approach is to limit your intake and drink plenty of water when you’re consuming alcohol.

Some numbers to consider:

• 4 ounces of wine contain about 100 calories
• 12 ounces of beer contain about 140 calories
• 4 ounces of eggnog contain about 170 calories

Choosing diet soft drinks and seltzer instead are easy ways to cut calories.

If you are planning on celebrating with a drink, here are a few skinny cocktail ideas to keep your drinks on the skinny side.

Cranberry Fizz Recipe

Instead of a cosmopolitan, which has more than 210 calories, try a cranberry fizz:

• 2 ounces cranberry juice
• 4 oz ginger ale
• ½ tsp lime juice
• 1 oz vodka (optional)
• Garnish with mint or lime

Approximate caloric content: 130 calories
If you use diet ginger ale: 95 calories
Without the alcohol: 65 calories

Sparkling Strawberry Recipe:

Instead of mulled wine (180 calories), try a sparkling strawberry:

• 4 ounces sparkling white wine, chilled
• 1 tsp grenadine
• 1 strawberry, frozenGarnish with a candy cane

Approximate caloric content: 105 calories
With sparkling white grape juice instead of wine: 95 calories

These drinks are just as tasty when made without the alcohol! Remember, the recommendation is to limit alchol to one drink per day for women and two per day for men.

How do you limit your alcohol intake over the holidays? Let us know in the comments below!