Whether it’s a party, event, or dinner out, as social 21+ adults, it’s normal to want to enjoy a alcohol beverage!
I know many can get anxiety about hanging out with friends when trying to be fit and healthy but I promise that you don’t have to! Like I preach about all foods ALL DRINKS can be enjoyed without it deterring your fitness goals if it’s done in responsible moderation!
I talk a lot about the 80/20 rule with Nutrition in which I think true balanced health can be achieved with consuming 80% nutrient dense foods and 20% fun foods. Alcohol has no nutrient value so it would be in the “fun” category, so for most this means enjoying 1-2 low calorie drinks! For me, this is plenty to enjoy a social event and stay on track with my fitness and health goals!
Here’s a list of some of my FAVORITE Low Calorie Drinks I like to enjoy when socializing! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to learn how to correctly track alcohol!
WINE
At about 125 calories per 5 oz glass, any type of wine is a great low calorie drink option!
SPIKED SELTZERS
These are SO popular right now and there’s SOOO many great flavors and with most being 90-100 calories these are a great low cal drink!
LIGHT BEER
If you like volume eating then light beer is kind of like a “volume” drink LOL 16 oz light beer (1 pint) is about 125 calories! I’ll choose this often at bars or sports games because it will last much longer than a cocktail!
SPECIALTY COCKTAILS!
Below I’ve listed some of my favorite cocktail recipes! Some other great low calorie mixed drinks are:
-Whiskey Diet
-Vodka Water or Tonic
-Tequila with Lime Juice
HOW TO TRACK ALCOHOL MACROS
Did you know alcohol is actually a macronutrient?! Because it’s SO energy dense with 7 calories per gram, it is considered a macronutrient BUT because it has no nutrient value and is not needed for survival, then it is not included when tracking macros. So how do you correctly track alcohol calories?
You would simply take the calories & divide by 4 to then account for these drink calories as carb calories OR divide by 9 to count them as fats
Example:
100 calorie drink/4=25 (so you would subtract 25g of carbs from your macros to account for this drink)
OR
100 calorie drink/7=14.2 (so you would subtract 14.2g of fats from your macros to account for this drink)
OR
You could also do a combo of both! 9g of carbs & 7g of Fat would be 99 calories (or any other combo that works for you 😉)
Struggling to meet your fitness goals while keeping up with your social life? Let me help! Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves weekly check-ins with optional phone calls.
*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.