• Drinks on Us: Low-Calorie Cocktails

  Filed under Eating Healthy, Recipes, Tips

  3 Comments
  Aug 21
  Just when you thought, you would have to sober up to lose weight Fitness Magazine gives us 9 Low Calorie Cocktail recipes. These low cal drinks range from 100-250 calories, which is half of their regular calorie counterparts. Some of the recipes listed are even low-cal versions of your favs like the Pina Colada Cooler, Mojito Makeover, and the Wasaberita ( aka Margarita).

  After reading through the recipes, I noticed a few common substitutes that Fitness Mag used to cut the calories. Adopting some of these simple changes can probably help cut calories in other drinks as well.

  • Replace simple syrup with light agave nectar
  • Use low calorie fruit juices and sodas
  • If you must have simple syrup, makes it with Splenda or keeps Da Vinci SUGAR FREE Sweetener Syrup
    handy.
  • Replace half and half or cream with nonfat milk

  Now remember, just because we have these Low Cal options doesn’t mean we get to over indulge. Even if it is only 100, empty calories are still empty calories so remember to still stick to a 1-2 drink minimum. But all in all THANKS FITNESS MAGAZINE FOR SAVING MY SATURDAY NIGHTS.

   Here’s the article and a few of the recipes

  Drinks on Us: Low-Calorie Cocktails

  Originally published on FitnessMagazine.com, July 2009.

  When FITNESS learned that Americans drink about 20 percent of their total calories on average, we immediately thought of one sinister culprit that tends to lurk near social gatherings: the cocktail. We tapped the experts — top mixologists and dietitians – and with a few tweaks to basic drink recipes and some creative interpretations of high-calorie favorites, we believe we’ve found a few recipes that’ll let you imbibe on occasion and maintain a trim waistline. Read on for drink recipes that go down easy.

  Pina Colada Cooler
  Registered dietitian Carolyn O’Neil can’t understand why a pina colada was ever paired with a bathing suit. “It is one of the most caloric drinks you can imagine consuming,” she tells us. An 8-ounce pina colada can pack in 640 calories — over 100 calories more than a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. O’Neill slimmed down this dangerously delicious drink for us — phew! — and the results are just as refreshing as the original.

  1 1/2 ounces coconut-flavored rum
  3 ounces pineapple juice
  4 ounces sparkling water
  1 tablespoon of Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut Lite (found in the drink mixers section of many supermarkets)

  Pour ingredients over ice and stir.

  Calories: 165

   

  Blueberry Lemon Breeze
  Using agave nectar in place of simple syrup “adds the perfect sweetness to a drink along with complexity of flavor,” says Stephanie Ruhe, bar manager at Atlanta hot spot Neo. We love agave for its low glycemic index (meaning it won’t send your blood sugar soaring) and because there’s a light version that cuts calories. In this drink, which on Neo’s menu is titled “Demise of Ms. Beauregarde” after the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character, fresh berries and lemon juice blend harmoniously with the flavors in the gin. But what makes this cocktail so special, says Ruhe, is the champagne that’s poured on top!

  10 blueberries
  3/4 ounce light agave nectar, such as Wholesome Sweeteners, available at Whole Foods or other natural foods stores
  1 1/2 ounces gin
  3/4 ounce lemon juice
  Splash of champagne (about 1 ounce)

  In a shaker, muddle* together blueberries and agave. Add the gin and lemon juice, then shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain contents of shaker into a martini glass and then top with champagne. Garnish with 3 blueberries on a cocktail stick.

  Calories: 205

  *A muddler is a bartending tool used to grind ingredients. Purchase online at amazon.com ($9.99) or make do with the end of a wooden spoon.

   

  Mimosa Lite
  Brunchtime cocktails don’t have to break the calorie bank, says Andrea Giancoli, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. At a recent Sunday gathering, she mixed up a less-indulgent mimosa without tossing out any of this bubbly beverage’s taste. Her secret: low-calorie fruit juices, such as Minute Maid Light, which contain half the calories of regular juice.

  2 ounces Minute Maid Light Orange Tangerine Juice
  4 ounces champagne
  Juice of 1/2 medium-size orange, or 1 to 2 ounces

  Add several ice cubes to a tall glass. Squeeze the juice of the orange into the glass. Pour in orange tangerine juice, followed by champagne. Stir. Garnish with fresh orange rinds, curled.

  Calories: 120

   

  Blended Raspberry Cocktail
  Let ice be your ally this summer. By blending drinks with fruity flavors you ultimately consume fewer calories, says Giancoli. Another sip tip: Using tall glasses (10 ounces and above) means you’ll refill — and fill up on calories — less often.

  1/2 cup ice or several ice cubes
  8 ounces Minute Maid Light Raspberry Passion
  1 1/2 ounces vodka

  Combine ingredients in a blender. Garnish with several fresh raspberries.

  Calories: 115 

   

  Click Here to see these Additional Recipes

  Strawberry-Citrus Vodka Cocktail

  Mojito Makeover

  Skinny Wasaberita

  Choco-lite Cocktail

  Grapefruit Basil Martini

  

  

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3 Responses to “Drinks on Us: Low-Calorie Cocktails”

1. 

   The Actors Diet said on August 22nd, 2009 at 7:25 pm

   thanks for stopping by our blog! i don’t drink but these are great tips for those who do!

2. 

   Clemento said on August 24th, 2009 at 6:47 am

   I added your blog to bookmarks. And i’ll read your articles more often!

3. 

   debbie said on August 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pm

   These sound incredible!
   Dropped by from SITS.

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