Alcohol over the holidays

Alcohol itself contains calories, a little known fact when it comes to planning your diet. That’s before you even add that orange juice or Coke to your drink of choice. With 7 calories per gram, this is almost double that in a gram of carbohydrate or protein. All the more reason to make sure that if you choose to have a few for the festive season, you are choosing the best options so that you aren’t totally throwing your diet plan out the window. Below are some easy tips to help you make better choices if you choose to indulge a little.

-Use lemon or lime slices instead of cordial to add flavour.

-Choose soda water or diet soft drinks instead of regular soft drink or juices with spirits.

-Wine can be one of the better choices, at around 70-120 calories per glass, just make sure you are avoiding those sweet varieties, and remember that a glass is 150ml, not a wineglass filled to the brim.

-Try and avoid any creamy or milk based drinks, a Pina Colada can have up to four times the calories of a glass of wine or a beer.

-Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that choosing a low-carb beer means you can get away with drinking more. The difference between a low carb beer and a regular full strength beer is around 25-30 calories (105-126kJ), and about 1g of carbohydrate, as beer doesn’t contain a lot of carbohydrate to start with. The difference in energy content (calories/kJ) between a full strength stubbie and a low carb beer is about half an apple, or a cracker, for a little perspective. Stick to moderation, watch the urge to nibble more as alcohol lowers your inhibitions, and for an added trick if you are choosing a light or mid strength beer rather than full strength, this will cut total calories down more than a low carb beer will, plus your head will throb less tomorrow.