5 Steps to a Healthier Happy Hour
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is “What’s the best drink to order during a night out at the bar?”
My answer to that is: There is no miracle drink. Like anything else when it comes to health, the key is moderation. Losing or maintaining weight doesn’t mean you have to give up your social life, but the same approach you take with food can be applied to your alcohol intake: Avoid the temptation of overindulging, and learn to listen to our bodies.
Let’s start by taking a look at the calorie breakdown in our favorite beverages…
BEER
Regular 12 oz beer: 150 calories
Light 12-ounce beer: 100 calories.
WINE:
White wine 6 oz: 120 calories
Red wine 6 oz: 128 calories
Rose 6 oz: 128 calories
Sweet dessert wine: 270 calories
CHAMPAGNE
Champagne 6.5 oz: 163 calories
LIQUOR:
1.5 oz shot of any 80-proof liquor (vodka, rum, tequila, gin, etc): 100 calories
100 proof: 124 calories
Simply Savor Tips for Staying Fit Without Giving Up Your Social Life:
1. Say Hello to No-Calorie Mixers
A shot may have only 100 calories, but add in those sugary mixes, sodas and juices and you’ve almost doubled or tripled your calorie intake (hellooo 400 calorie daquiris!) My best advice is ALWAYS go for the no-calorie mixes. My favorites include: club soda (with some fruit or a splash of cranberry juice for sweetness), diet soda, light juice, and Crystal Light On the Go Sugar-Free Drink mixes.
(Note: Tonic water is not calorie free!)
2. Compensate for the Extra Calories
Remember that drinks DO have calories, so it’s important to balance out the extra cals throughout the day if you’re trying to maintain/lose weight. If you know you have a fun night of drinking coming up, eat a lighter lunch or grab a smaller snack than you normally would that day. Now I’m not advocating that alcohol should be a healthy replacement for nutritious, whole foods, but for the occasional night out, I say enjoy yourself!
3. Pace Yourself
Sometimes we get so caught up in socializing that we’ve downed 3 drinks without even realizing it. Instead, try drinking your cocktail slowly to get a better idea of whether you really want that next round of drinks. Setting a drink limit for the night is also a great way to keep your intake in check.
4. Fake it
Hit your drink limit but don’t want to get called out for being the only one without a drink in their hand?? Just order a drink without the alcohol (ie: just club soda), add a slice of lime, and continue to sip on it! Trust me, you can still be the life of the party without the alcohol, and no one will even notice!
5. Friends Do Let Friends Drink and Dance:
If you’re going to be going out partying, why not get in a little extra exercise and burn off those cocktail calories? Go salsa dancing, hit the local bar and get down to some great music, or just turn on that IPOD at the next house party…who doesn’t love a dance party? Another idea: Invite some friends over and get zen with a little Vinoyoga a la Gina, the Fitnessista! 
Here’s a toast to your next, healthier happy hour! 
Question for you:
What are some of your favorite cocktails? And if you’re under 21, what are your favorite virgin drinks?
great post! I know some people get very confused as to what to order out there and like you said there is no miracle drink. typically if i go to a bar with friends I will stick to vodka and soda water with extra lime slices. If I am oyut to dinner I will go with either white or red wine. I am not a beer drinker at all
I love mojitos! They are loaded with sugar, so I love them in moderation.
I love me some wine – mainly Chardonnay! On occasion a mojito is an awesome treat, and I definitely get my fair share when I go on cruises
I don’t like any alcohol drink at all . Lucky me!
I’m a wine or beer type of girl. If I do decide to drink liquor, it’s usually a french martini mmm:)
ooh i’ve never had one of those before–what’s in it?
Hi Kristen! These are some great ideas.
I just drink wine; hard alcohol is expensive and not good for you, but red wine has antioxidants! So that’s what we like. And what we do to maintain balance is have a couple bottles a week, then stop.
Have a great week!
haha maintaining balance is always a good thing
I love wine but OMG I didn’t realize how many calories were in Reisling!
When I’m not drinking wine I either go for Vodka & Club Soda w/Lime OR Vadka & Sugar Free Red Bull!
i also had no idea there were that many in Reisling until I did this post!
I like beer & wine, but if I drink anything else I do a vodka water with lime or a gin gimlet. If I’m at brunch, I’ll have some whiskey in my coffee or a bloody mary. It really depends on who I’m with, what I’m eating, and what else I have going on that day. I make allowances for special occassions, just like with sweets and fried foods.
This trick may seem pretty silly, but when I go out and party with friends, I put a set number of rubberbands or bracelets on one wrist and then switch them to the other for each drink. (Some things like long island iced teas or big margaritas count as two.) When I’m out of bracelets, I’m done drinking. Sometimes if a friend buys a round of shots or someone busts open a bottle of champagne at a bachelorette party, you forget that you had it. Plus, it’s so easy to get caught up in the moment or give into peer pressure if you’ve knocked a few back. This definitely helps me.
wow this is a great idea that i’ve never heard of before, thanks kaytee!
Hey Kristin! Just wanted to say hello, and that I adore your blog! Found it rummaging through someone else’s blogroll, and I’m definitely adding it to my favorites
I love daquiri’s – and pina colada’s, mmm! I wish they made healther versions at restaurants, though
Enjoy your Monday!
Meg
Hi Meg! So glad you like the blog! That would be a great idea if restaurants made healthier versions of their drinks…hopefully that’s next!
You know…I never knew how many calories were in those little shots. I knew the serving size equivalencies between all the alcohol types but never bothered checking the nutrition content.
I really think if you bring up the caloric content to a freshman class, the freshman 15 can be avoided. Good way to reduce underage arrests too. …just saying
haha we should start a campaign about this
Great post, Kristen! I usually stick to vodka soda with lime; I drank tonic all through college thinking it didn’t have calories!
I am a Huge fan of Pina Coladas. Ever since my my honeymoon in Cuba, two years ago, I have been addicted to them. They are definitely not the healthiest of drinks, but they are super yummy
white wine and gin and tonics are my drinks of choice! but you are right about tonic….it has a surprising amount of calories in it! i was shocked the first time i realized this. and bars never ever have diet tonic. dancing while drinking is a good way to burn calories plus i swear i feel less hung over the next day if i end my night dancing! (and its just fun!)
great post! i’d like to add just one more tip: resist the late night drunk munchies! you will regret eating cheese fries and pizza in the morning! hangover + stomach ache = no fun!
ooh yes great point, i actually plan to do a post about this in the future! thanks girl!
Great post! Luckily I hate the taste of alcohol so I don’t have to worry about this (I stick to diet coke when I go out!) but I do have to worry about my drink calories when it comes to coffee — those latte calories can add up, especially when they are flavored!
Margaritas and I are good friends. Corona Light joins the party too! When I am home making margaritas, I juice my own limes, lemons and oranges and mix with Patron so at least I know I am not getting added sugar. Ole!
Your post is great, but I have to ask, where did you find the calorie information for the wines? Riesling is not typically classified as a dessert wine and should clock in at about 115 calories for a 5 oz glass, more like an average white wine. A dessert wine is thicker and sweeter, more like port.
you are so right Kim, my mistake I meant to put Reisling under the white wine category, thanks for pointing this out
whoo hoo for vinoyoga!!! best way to burn some calories and get in some heart healthy antioxidants
favorite cocktail: bloody mary, all the way
I love anything pomegranate flavored! I had a pomegranate margarita recently that was divine! I can only drink alcohol if it’s sweet, so I keep my margaritas to the bare minimum…usually only every few months.
Love the tip on faking it! I also talk a lot to keep the conversations going and take pictures, so people usually don’t even notice I’m not drinking
yumm! i had a pomegranate martini on my birthday! but a margarita sounds ahh-mazing