ALCOHOL
Tips to reduce weekly units
- Aim to have a few alcohol free days across the week, and enjoy a couple of small drinks on two or three days.
- Try alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks if out for an evening, to help reduce your overall intake of alcohol units.
- Choose singles and small measures whenever possible, and take your time to enjoy the drink.
Why track alcohol calories?
- Calories in alcoholic drinks are all too often overlooked as many people forget that liquid calories count too! What’s more, alcoholic drinks provide what we call ’empty calories’ – meaning they contribute significantly to our daily energy intake, but provide no nutritional value. In fact, did you know that alcohol is the second most calorie dense nutrient after fat, with 7 calories per gram versus 9 for fat? Carbs and protein by comparison provide 4 calories per gram.
- Then there’s additional calories from sugar or flavoured syrups in drinks such as cocktails, plus sugar sweetened mixers and beer, and you can end up with as many calories in your glass as you might consume in a donut! Thee Nutracheck app has an alcohol tracker which allows you to see at a glance how many of your daily calories are coming from alcoholic drinks alone. You can then decide what may be necessary to change to reduce your intake to help stay within your daily allowance.
Tips to save calories
- Choose diet mixers with things like gin, vodka and rum.
- Avoid cocktails that are made using fruit juice or creamy drinks such as a pina colada.
- Opt for ‘light’ versions of beer where possible to reduce overall alcohol and calorie
Calories in Alcohol (average)
Alcohol BEERS & Lagers
- Bitter 1 pint 170 Cals
- Lager 1pint 136 Cals
- Larger Shandy 1 pint 131 Cals
- Lager alcohol free per can 79 Cals
- Cider dry 1 pint 204 Cals
- Cider low alcohol 1bottle 140 Cals
SPIRITS—LIQUEURS—SHOTS
- Brandy single 25ml 56 Cals
- Gin single 25ml 52 Cals
- Port double 50ml 79 Cals
- Rum single 25ml 52 Cals
- Vodka single 52 Cals
- Whisky/Bourbon 25ml 56 Cals
- Baileys 50ml 164 Cals
- Pimms 25ml single 43 Cals
- Schnapps fruit flavour 25ml 61 Cals
- Tequila single 25ml 53 Cals
- Tequila Rose 27 Cals
Alcohol Wine & Champagne
- low alcohol 6% med glass 175ml 51 Cals
- Wine Red med glass 175ml 133 Cals
- Wine Rose or sparkling med glass 138 Cals
- Wine White Dry or Med med glass 175ml 131 Cals
- Wine White sweet med glass 175ml 219 Cals
- Prosecco Flute 93 Cals
- Bottles wine Red Wine per bottle 570 Cals
- Rose or sparkling per bottle 593 Cals
- White wine dry or medium per bottle 563 Cals
- White wine sweet per bottle 938 Cals
- Prosecco Bottle 555 Cals
- Champagne 1 flute 125ml 95 Cals
- Champagne bottle 750ml 570 Cals
- Sherry dry or med double 50ml 116 Cals
- Sherry Sweet double 50ml 136 Cals
Instead of having alcohol why not try one of these low calorie MOCKTAILS instead?
MOCKTAILS
Nojito
- 4 tsp sweetener
- 100ml lime juice
- 28g fresh mint, leaves picked and washed, reserving a few sprigs to garnish
- 20 ice cubes, crushed
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 1 litre soda water
Rhubarb and Star Anise (FREEBEE) – Serves 4
- 2kg rhubarb stems, roughly chopped
- 2 large oranges
- 8 whole star anise
- 4tbs sweetener
Put the rhubarb in a large pan and add 1½ litres cold water. Peel 4 strips of orange skin from each orange and add to the pan with the juice from both oranges and the star anise. Bring the rhubarb to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer gently until soft. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Pour the rhubarb and juice into a large sieve over a large bowl and allow the juice to drip through overnight. Pour the strained juice into a pan and add the sweetener. Stir over a low heat until dissolved. Allow the cordial to cool. Store in the fridge and dilute to taste.
Pineapple and Lime Mocktail
- 1 tsp clear honey
- Edible gold glitter
- Small bunch of coriander leaves
- Juice of 1 lime
- 750ml pineapple juice
- Handful of ice
- 400ml slim line tonic
Dip a pastry brush in the honey and paint a line down one side of 4 tumblers. Sprinkle some edible gold glitter over the honey, dust off any excess, then put the glasses in the fridge.
Chop the coriander leaves and place in a cocktail shaker with the lime juice, 100ml pineapple juice and a handful of ice. Shake together until the outside of the shaker feels cold. Strain into the glasses, add extra ice cubes and divide 650ml pineapple juice and the tonic water between the glasses
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EASTER SUNDAY – DINNER AND CHOCS
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