Can someone explain to me how Carrie Bradshaw tosses back six Cosmos in one sitting and still manages to fit in this season’s must-have handkerchief-sized Versace cocktail dress?
In honor of the Sex and the City 2 premier this weekend, this entry is all about slimming down your pre-movie cocktails (or your post-movie cocktails…or both…who are we kidding?). Ladies, get ready to shine up your favorite pair of Manolo Blahniks (or reasonable facsimile you found on sale at TJ Max) and hit the bar!
So what makes cocktails SO full of calories, and how can you curb them?
1) The proof of your booze
Let’s start with the base of a Cosmo and see:
• 80-proof vodka (40% alcohol; the most common type) has 64 calories per 1oz
• 86-proof vodka (43% alcohol) has 70 calories/1 oz
• 90-proof vodka (45% alcohol) has 73 calories/1 oz
• 100-proof vodka (50% alcohol) has 82 calories/1 oz
And the same goes for the proof of your beer, wine, or other liquors—the higher the proof, the more calories you are drinking.
A serving of 80 Proof Liquor is 1.5 fl. oz. (or one shot) and has an alcohol percent by volume of 40. A serving of beer is 12 fl. oz (or one can) and has an alcohol percent by volume of 5. A serving of table wine is 5 fl. oz. (or one glass) and has an alcohol percent by volume of 12.
In honor of the Sex and the City 2 premier this weekend, this entry is all about slimming down your pre-movie cocktails (or your post-movie cocktails…or both…who are we kidding?). Ladies, get ready to shine up your favorite pair of Manolo Blahniks (or reasonable facsimile you found on sale at TJ Max) and hit the bar!
So what makes cocktails SO full of calories, and how can you curb them?
1) The proof of your booze
Let’s start with the base of a Cosmo and see:
• 80-proof vodka (40% alcohol; the most common type) has 64 calories per 1oz
• 86-proof vodka (43% alcohol) has 70 calories/1 oz
• 90-proof vodka (45% alcohol) has 73 calories/1 oz
• 100-proof vodka (50% alcohol) has 82 calories/1 oz
And the same goes for the proof of your beer, wine, or other liquors—the higher the proof, the more calories you are drinking.
A serving of 80 Proof Liquor is 1.5 fl. oz. (or one shot) and has an alcohol percent by volume of 40. A serving of beer is 12 fl. oz (or one can) and has an alcohol percent by volume of 5. A serving of table wine is 5 fl. oz. (or one glass) and has an alcohol percent by volume of 12.
So opt for the light beer instead of the regular beer because of the lower proof. Choose the 80-proof vodka over the 151-proof rum (Bacardi-you should be ashamed! This stuff has an alcohol content of 75.5% by volume). And choose the Cabernet or Pinot Noir (11-14% alcohol by volume) over the Zinfandel (17-22% alcohol by volume).
2) Mixers can be the DEVIL
Have you noticed lately how every drink menu has about a hundred different “martinis” these days? If by martini they mean secret dessert. Often laden with fruit juices, cream, or chocolate, these guys can turn a pretty innocent jigger of Vodka into a big, sugary catastrophe. So KNOW your mixers!
Have you noticed lately how every drink menu has about a hundred different “martinis” these days? If by martini they mean secret dessert. Often laden with fruit juices, cream, or chocolate, these guys can turn a pretty innocent jigger of Vodka into a big, sugary catastrophe. So KNOW your mixers!
The Good
Diet soda or diet tonic: 0 calories
Light orange juice (8 oz): 50 calories
Light cranberry juice (8 oz): 40 calories
Light lemonade (8 oz): 5 calories
Coffee, tea: 0 calories
Sugar-free margarita, daiquiri, or sweet 'n' sour mix: 0 calories
Lemon or lime juice (1/2 oz): 10 calories
DaVinci or Torani's sugar-free syrups: 0
Diet soda or diet tonic: 0 calories
Light orange juice (8 oz): 50 calories
Light cranberry juice (8 oz): 40 calories
Light lemonade (8 oz): 5 calories
Coffee, tea: 0 calories
Sugar-free margarita, daiquiri, or sweet 'n' sour mix: 0 calories
Lemon or lime juice (1/2 oz): 10 calories
DaVinci or Torani's sugar-free syrups: 0
The Bad
Regular soda (8 oz): 93 calories
Orange juice (6 oz): 84 calories
Lemonade (8 oz): 99
Regular soda (8 oz): 93 calories
Orange juice (6 oz): 84 calories
Lemonade (8 oz): 99
The Ugly
Cream (2 oz): 78 calories (look at the serving size, people!)
Margarita Mix (4 oz): 100 calories
Sweet'n'Sour mix: (4 oz): 140 calories
Whole milk (6 oz): 112 calories
Cranberry juice cocktail (8 oz): 136 calories
Cream (2 oz): 78 calories (look at the serving size, people!)
Margarita Mix (4 oz): 100 calories
Sweet'n'Sour mix: (4 oz): 140 calories
Whole milk (6 oz): 112 calories
Cranberry juice cocktail (8 oz): 136 calories
And don’t forget that it takes more than 1 sugary component to make a cocktail. Make sure you account for the calories in the flavored liqueurs that make your adult beverage a COCKTAIL.
For instance, Kahlua has 53 calories per 1 oz shot; Blue Curacao has 72; Grand Marnier has 101; and Godiva Chocolate liqueur has 103.
Here are some of the most outrageously caloric drinks on the market today:
El Presidente Margarita from Chili’s has approximately 460 calories
Applebees Red Sangria has 484 calories
Your standard Long Island Ice Tea has at least 507 calories
A “giant” glass of TGI Friday's frozen mudslide contains 1,100 calories
And let me tell you, you won’t find the calorie count for cocktails on anyone’s nutritional information. Take it from one who spent way too much time looking for them to no avail!!!
Margarita/daiquiri/hurricane fanatics, have no fear! There are some sugar-free or low-carb alternative mixers like Baja Bob, Zilch, and Sinless Cocktails. Or you can always use REAL fruit and Splenda or Agave nectar and make them yourself.
3) Size matters!
My friend, Keri, makes fun of my wine glasses that comfortably fit 3 servings of wine. They were a wedding gift (what does that say about the bride?! HA!), so I simply can’t get rid of them! But I know that even when I conservatively fill my wine glass, I need to account for two servings of wine instead of one. Do NOT fool yourself. Just because it fits in a cup doesn’t mean it is a 1 cup serving!!!
My friend, Keri, makes fun of my wine glasses that comfortably fit 3 servings of wine. They were a wedding gift (what does that say about the bride?! HA!), so I simply can’t get rid of them! But I know that even when I conservatively fill my wine glass, I need to account for two servings of wine instead of one. Do NOT fool yourself. Just because it fits in a cup doesn’t mean it is a 1 cup serving!!!
Now on to the recipes!!!
I found a bounty of great recipes for some low carb and lower calorie drinks, so just find your favorite and go bananas (or lime or strawberry…pick your poison!).
You mean wine's not supposed to come 2 glasses to a bottle? ;>
ReplyDelete(this is Keri, bee tee dubs.)
We must have registered for the same wine glasses! If I fill my wine glasses they hold 16 oz (I've recently measured it out). So now I've gone to red wines and a measuring cup so that know better. They shouldn't make the glasses that big though if you weren't meant to fill them.
ReplyDeleteWhen i FINALLY MEASURED 4 OZ GLASS OF WINE IN MY WINE GLASS, iT IS BARELY A SWALLOW!MOST DAYS I SAY ITS NOT EVEN WORTH IT, CAUSE I WANT MORE!
ReplyDelete