Written by Jordyn King, BS Nutrition

How To Order Low Calorie Alcoholic Drinks While On A Budget 

Did you know 80% of adults have no nutrition education or information on alcoholic beverages? Are you one of those 80% adults? Alcohol drinks and cocktails can add up to around 300 and 500 calories to your daily diet if you are not careful, which can be equivalent to running 30 minutes. However, what if there was a way to cut high sugar and carbohydrate levels out of your alcoholic drinks? Most alcoholic drinks do not provide the nutritional information on their product labels. Drinking your calories can easily add up while drinking with your friends and having a good time. Those calories can add up fast. However, being cautious about drinking lower calorie drinks can promote your weight loss change and habits. 

Here are some tips and tricks in cutting out calories with your drinks when you go out.

Try to add more ice or sparkling waters or tonics which have no calories added or topping your drink off with a splash of fresh fruit juice or a squeeze of lime or orange can reduce calorie content. Be mindful of what you drink, such as menu cocktails that are already made up at the restaurants. These can have an unknown high calorie content due to not knowing the exact ingredients. Instead, you should order drinks with ingredients like a vodka lime and soda.  Limit your added ingredient options when ordering a drink of at more 3 ingredients such as a Vodka Soda. Do not add any high amounts of sugary juices or adding processed fruit juice with high calorie content. Adding some artificial sugars or natural sweeteners like Stevia instead of regular sugar or added syrup will help reduce calories as well. 

There are easy quirks to order things at the bars. For example instead of ordering a traditional margarita that can be up to 300 calories, you can order fresh lime juice tequila and a dash of agave syrup on the rocks to keep your sugar and calorie count down while containing 95 calories for your drink. This can keep you drinking while not ruining your diet. 

High calorie alcoholic drinks can impede your weight loss progress. If you're counting calories, just make sure it still fits within your deficit. For example, drinking one glass of wine or beer a day is expected for those stressful weeknights after work. However, having a bottle of white wine can add up to around 600 calories or more. Indulging in binge drinking in alcohol consumption‘s consumption can damage our physical and mental health and bodies over time. Drinking in moderation can help. Drinking moderately and not overindulging on Saturday nights keeps your blood sugar from getting too high and decreases your less likeliness of the temptation of consuming late night snacks. 

This is a list of my favorite low calorie cocktails that can help you stay on track with your weight loss: 

Cocktails and Drinks you should order at the bars or make at home lower than 100 Calories: 

• Vodka lime soda: 3 ounces of soda water 1 ounce of vodka and a splash of lime juice: 96 calories

• Low-calorie Cosmo: Slash of lime juice, splash of cranberry juice 1 ounce of raspberry vodka 2 ounces of soda water: 100 calories

• Light Moscow Mule: Half lime juice 1 ounce vodka and 3 ounces of ginger beer: 115 calories

• Grapefruit and basil gin and tonic : 75 calories 

• Gin and diet tonic with a lime: 75 calories 

• Red bowl and sugar-free vodka: 64 calories 

• Skinny margarita: 1/4 lime juice, 1 oz tequila and a splash of agave syrup on the rocks: 95 calories 

• Seltzer cocktail: 1 can of seltzer and 1 oz of vodka:less than 100 calories 

• “Dry” French champagne- a dry French means less sugar and calories: 95 calories