As flowers are blossoming, clothes are disappearing and the corner fills up, it is hard to ignore that spring is finally here. Walking back from class and seeing the groups of happy drinkers hanging outside Trinity and Boylan makes the temptation to go out for “just a drink,” pile up for any rational person. But with beach week and summer pool sessions right around the corner, you don’t want all the fun to “spring up” (yes I thought it was funny) on your belly. Its hard to think about calories when you’re sipping on a delicious drink, but usually when you’re thinking “I can’t taste ANY alcohol,” its probably because your taste buds are being distracted by the high amount of sugar in the juice and soda. But fear not, because experts have identified the typically highest and lowest calorie drinks. When drinking smart, you can have a blast without stressing about those extra pounds. Here are some things to keep in mind when picking your drink.
1 oz of 80 proof vodka has 64 calories
A glass of wine ranges from 125?50 calories
A 12 oz beer ranges from 64?128 calories
Watch out with wine, as a typical wine drinker’s glass is more than usual when a bottle is poured at a college kids’ leisure. When drinking beer, try to go for light rather than full calorie, as the lighter calorie beer has the same alcohol content but with less carbohydrates.
The mixers that will help cut the calories as much as possible include:
Diet Soda or Tonic: 0 calories
6 oz Orange Juice: 64 Calories
8 oz Cranberry Juice Cocktail: 136 Calories
8 oz Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail: 40 Calories
Light Lemonade: 5 calories Lemon/Lime Juice (1/2 oz): 10 Calories
Now thinking about what popular drink to order? Here are some of the highest and lowest calorie popular drinks:
Martini: 60 Calories
Rum and Diet Coke: 100 Calories
Glass of Red/White Wine: 120 Calories
8 oz Screw Driver: 190 Calories
Cosmopolitan 200 Calories
Vodka Tonic: 200 calories 8 oz
Margarita: 280 Calories 8 oz
Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps: 380 Calories
White Russian: 425 Calories
I’m definitely not advocating obsessing about calories while going out, but its always great to be mindful of what you are putting in your body. As someone who works hard to stay fit, I don’t find it worth it to throw all my efforts away on the weekend. So, just take a second to think about what to say when the hot boy at the bar asks you, “what can I get you to drink?”
Source: www.webmd.com