Healthy Happy Hour!... Yes with Alcohol!

Life is all about balance!  Let’s face it, dieting all your life is not maintainable and miserable.  Finding that balance of enjoying outings, holidays and time with family and friends is key!  Part of this may include happy hour or the upcoming St. Patrick's day bar crawl.

Alcoholic drinks can be very high in calories and can even temporarily alter your metabolism to not burn fat but focus more on carbs and protein, inhibiting muscle repair and growth! 

Below we list some drinks you can opt for that will at least not blow out your calories for the day and some tips to cut calories in other drinks you love.

5 Already Lower Calorie Drinks

1. Rum and Diet Coke
2. Gin and Diet Tonic
3. Sparkling Wine
4. Light Beer
5. Hard Seltzer

Tips to Lower the Calories in Your Favorite Drink

1. Add Flavor! Use fruit to add sweetness and color to drinks.  Be brave and add the bold taste of ginger or other spices. Some examples are ginger and mint, or try something with basil or rosemary. 
2.  Make it frozen! Try adding frozen fruit for flavor and color, plus a bit of nutrition. Drop frozen blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, or melon cubes into your drink for a flavor burst-ice cube mix.
3. Make it sparkle by using diet tonic or sparkling water.  This will make it fun and festive!
4. Remember serving sizes.  Standard serving size of a beer is 12 ounces, wine is 5 ounces, and liquor is 1.5 ounces (a shot glass).  If the drink is in a large glass you can be having multiple servings, meaning double or triple the calories!
5. Skip the ingredients below which only add unnecessary calories!

• Simple syrup and sugar
• Fruit juices and pre-made drink mixes, like ones for margaritas, daiquiris, and pina coladas
• Salt
• Bacon
• Maraschino cherries and other jarred or canned fruits drenched in syrup

Just making a few changes to your drinks can save you 100s or calories while still allowing you to enjoy yourself and find that balance!