Your local steakhouse bar &grill isn’t usually a place to get a healthy and nutritious meal. That’s especially true when you’re out to spend a good time with friends dining on good food and fine drinks. That’s because alcohol isn’t exactly a health drink. It’s nothing like green tea.
If you’re worried about your health but you still want to loosen up with alcohol, you can limit the number of drinks to just one or two. You can make it seem like you’re drinking more of the stuff if you keep adding ice to your drink. You can also do yourself a favor by sticking to the following drinks:
- Red wine. When you’re in doubt, pick this. It’s usually available, and it’s often the best choice if you’re drinking with a meal. Studies indicate that it contains antioxidants like flavonoids as well as resveratrol. Both are great for the health of your heart.
- White wine. This can also be a great choice, because it even has fewer calories than red wine. Just pick the ones with the lower alcohol content, such as Pinot Gris and Riesling. Just keep in mind that higher alcohol content means more calories.
- What’s a beer doing on a list like this, especially a thick Guinness? You may be surprised to learn that a single serving of this brew is 126 calories. In comparison, a Heineken comes in at 150 calories. Even a Budweiser has more calories at 145.
- Brut champagne. Sparkling wines have sugar because that’s a requirement for fermentation. But the Brut champagne varieties have only very little sugar added. The same is true for US and Spanish (Cava) sparkling wine. Brut nature bubbly champagne in a 5-ounce glass has 120 calories, while the non-brut champagne normally has 175 calories.
- Classic martini.This drink has enjoyed a renaissance due to Mad Men, and it’s also a healthier option than appletinis and Cosmos. This is a gin or vodka martini with dry vermouth, and there are no other fattening ingredients.
- Gin and (very little) tonic. Tonic water contains high fructose corn syrup, and they can contain up to 125 calories per small bottle. So instead, add club soda to the gin, and just put in a tiny splash of tonic water so you can enjoy some sweet fizz.
- Vodka and clubs soda. Again, this offers a low calorie alternative. It may be a bit on the boring side, but then you can make it more interesting with some lime or fresh lemon. A slice of cucumber works too.
- Light beer. The great thing about this drink is that you get lots to drink so at least the alcohol isn’t concentrated in a very small amount. On the other hand, it does contain lots of carbs, and it’s hard to stop with just one beer.
- Bloody Mary. What you need to avoid here is having a premade mix, since those are full of additives and salt. So stick with low-sodium tomato juice with no sugar added. An average glass of Bloody Mary contains just 125 calories in a bigger glass compared to the 150 calories in a mimosa. The tomato juice also contains vitamins A and C as well as potassium.
- The choice of manly men, it’s a flavorful alternative to plain-tasting vodka. Also, a serving of 1.5 ounces contains only somewhere between 97 and 110 calories.
Remember, don’t drink and drive. Don’t mix alcohol with stimulants either, as the stimulants may fool you into thinking you’re fit to drive. Every day, 28 people die in the US because of an accident caused by a drunk driver!