Nothing is worse than waking up in the morning after a long night of partying with your head pounding and your stomach churning – except for realizing just how many calories you consumed in drinks. I have been told time and time again “don’t drink your calories, it is the easiest way to gain weight.” Amen.
Collegiettes can consume up to 500 calories in a night of drinking (or more if you are only drinking beer). Unfortunately, this number does not include chasers or drunk eating. If you stopped drinking all together you could save yourself over 1,000 calories a week! That equals two Cookout milkshakes. But realistically we are in college, so rather than cutting cold turkey, the key is to drink smarter.
As Spring Break is just several days away, it’s time for us all to start thinking about what we are drinking. A book I recently found called Skinny Cocktails by Jaclyn Wilson Foley & Ray Foley provides the ultimate guide to staying fit while drinking. The authors provide over 250 low-cal cocktail recipes, many just under 100 calories! Don’t sweat another night out and indulge in these 7 skinny cocktails to help maintain your beach bod for Spring Break.
*Image from Ocean Spray
1. The 5-0 Cosmo: 50 calories
3 oz. Ocean Spray diet cranberry juice drink
¾ oz. Absolut raspberry vodka
Squeeze of lime
Lime twist for garnish
2. The Bikini: 55 calories
3 oz. ocean spray diet orange citrus juice drink
¾ oz coconut flavored rum
Orange slice for garnish
*Image from Haute and Hungover
3. Cramosa: 70 calories
2 oz champagne
1 oz orange juice
½ oz. ocean spray light cranberry juice
4. Memphis Iced Tea: 70 calories
3 oz. club soda
1 oz. Crown Royal whiskey
½ oz. low-calorie iced tea
Lemon slice for garnish
*Image from Shaun the Bartender
5. Havanna Cocktail: 79 calories
2 oz. pineapple juice
¾ oz. Bacardi light rum
1 tsp. lemon juice
Lemon peel for garnish
6. Gin & Tonic: 103 calories
3 oz diet tonic water
1 oz Tanqueray gin
7. Cherry bomb lite: 104 calories
4 oz diet coke
1 ½ oz Three Olives cherry vodka
While there are some recipes in the book that require a cocktail shaker, these recipes can be made simply in your dorm room without all the fancy equipment! Good luck, collegiettes, as you work your way toward (and maintain) your Spring Break bod!
All recipies found in Skinny Cocktails by Jaclyn Wilson Foley & Ray Foley. You can buy the book here.