Alcoholic beverages provide calories and few nutrients. Among several negative effects, alcohol consumption can contribute to unwanted weight gain.
Doctors suggest that reducing the amount of alcohol you drink and choosing low-calorie options will help with weight control and overall health.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 state that moderate consumption is up to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women.
Some alcoholic beverages contain high amounts of calories, almost the amount of a full meal, but without the nutrients.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines a standard drink as a drink that contains approximately 14 grams of pure alcohol. This amount can be found in:
12 ounces of regular drink, which is usually 5% alcohol
5 ounces of wine, which is usually about 12% alcohol
1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is approximately 40% alcohol
5 Lowest Calorie Alcoholic Beverages
1. Tequila and other distillates
Distillates such as tequila are alcoholic beverages with the least amount of calories. In a drink (1.5 ounces-45 ml) of gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, tequila there are 97 calories.
2. Light beer
Light beers are among the alcoholic beverages with fewer calories. A 12-ounce or 355 ml light beer contains about 105 calories or less.
Beers that have a higher alcohol content number will have more calories.
Be careful with craft beers, they often contain more calories than commercial beers. This is because they can have more carbohydrates and additional ingredients that give it a richer flavor and more calories.
3. Sherry wine
In 2 oz (59 ml) of sherry there are 75 calories.
4. Champagne
Champagne is a variety of sparkling white wine that is low in calories compared to other alcoholic beverages. A 4 oz (118 ml) drink has 85 calories.
5. Dry vermouth
In a 3 oz (88 ml) drink of dry vermouth there are 105 calories.
The worst alcoholic beverages to watch your weight are cocktails or mixed drinks, those to which juice, tonic, or syrups are added. A 9 oz pina colada can provide 490 calories.
Medline, via the National Library of Medicine, shares that if mixed drinks are preferred, it’s best to choose cool mixed drinks with low-sugar sweeteners, herbs, whole fruit, and vegetable blends.
Keep reading:
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