So I'm back! I apologize for my little hiatus; I was completing my Medical Nutrition Therapy rotation at a long term care facility and taking an online history class while going home or to see my boyfriend in Connecticut on the weekends! It's been a very busy few weeks and I am hoping to get back completely in the swing of things on here.
In May, I turned 21 (yay!) and that means that I can now legally drink alcohol. Being that I am now legal, I thought I should do a post about choosing your drinks wisely (we actually learn about this in my nutrition classes and in sports nutrition). Did you know that 1 grams of alcohol contains 7 calories?! That's more than protein and carbohydrates and almost as much as fat! And that most alcohol is actually pretty heavy in carbohydrates? That's why after you drink you feel bloated and full.
But just how many calories and marconutrients are in my drink?
Lets take wine as an example
A 5 ounce serving of dry white wine will give you about 123 calories and about 4 grams of carbohydrates. The calories and carbohydrates increase with the sweetness of the wine, so a dry Chardonnay or Merlot will have the least calories and carbohydrates. Check out this infographic I found to give a little more details into each wine and it's nutrition.
Beers
When choosing your beer, light beers and lagers tend to have the lesser amounts of carbohydrates as well as calories compaired to heavier beers like IPAs. Light beers like Bud light, Miller light, Coors Light all are around 100-130 calories with about 5-10 grams of carbohydrates per 12 ounce serving. Having a few really add up calorie and carb wise! Ales, stouts and IPAs calories are about 150-200 calories per 12 ounce serving with around 15 grams of carbohydrates.
Hard Liquors
Hard liquors are all around the same range in calories, but what really packs the nutritional punch is what it is being mixed with. A shot of whiskey has 70 calories, vodka has 64, rum has 64, and tequila has 64. When looking for a mixer for your liquor, choose a calorie free option like seltzer water, diet soda, or club soda. If you're looking to make that fruity drink you love, go for the no sugar added mixers or low in sugar ones. The higher the sugar content the worse the hang over will be the next day!
Remember, for women it is acceptable to have 1 alcoholic drink a day and for men it is acceptable to have 2 alcoholic drinks a day and no you cannot save up all week to binge drink on the weekends!
Choose the healthier option.
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