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- The lowest calorie alcohols are liquors like whiskey, tequila, gin, and vodka.
- Low-calorie alcoholic beverages include vodka soda, light beer, and tequila with lime juice.
- To reduce the calories in alcoholic beverages, skip sugary cocktails and simple syrups.
- Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.
Watching what you eat is a big part of losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle – but watching what you drink can be just as important.
Alcoholic beverages are typically high in calories, with the average cocktail containing about 222 calories. And even if you skip sugary cocktails like Margaritas, pure alcohol still contains about seven calories per gram, which equates to roughly 207 calories per fl. oz.
Drinking in moderation, planning out your alcohol (and therefore calorie) consumption, and choosing alcoholic drinks with fewer calories can help you enjoy adult beverages while still maintaining a healthy weight.
Here's a look at the best alcoholic drink options for weight loss.
What are the lowest calorie alcohols?
Some of the lowest-calorie alcohols include liquor like vodka or gin, whereas liqueurs are some of the highest calorie options.
|
Calories per serving |
|
|
Vodka |
97 calories per 1.5 fl. oz. |
|
Whiskey |
97 calories per 1.5 fl. oz. |
|
Tequila |
97 calories per 1.5 fl. oz. |
|
Gin |
97 calories per 1.5 fl. oz. |
|
White wine |
125 calories per 5 fl. oz. |
|
Red wine |
121 calories per 5 fl. oz. |
|
Liqueurs |
165 calories per 1.5 fl. oz. |
You can still drink alcohol and lose weight despite its high-calorie content, says Nicole Avena, PhD, an assistant professor in neuroscience at Mount Sinai Medical School.
When choosing cocktails, you can make a few simple adjustments to your normal order or simply opt for a mixed drink that you know has fewer calories. Here are some of the best options:
1. Tequila with fresh lime juice
Calorie count: About 150 calories for eight fluid ounces.
This drink is a lower-calorie take on a margarita, which has about 330 calories for eight fluid ounces. Avena suggests looking for a tequila that is 100 percent agave, meaning it doesn't have many common additives, like sugar or corn syrup, which can increase calories.
2. Vodka soda
Calorie count: About 100 calories for eight fluid ounces.
Soda water is a great alternative to sodas as it's carbonated and bubbly but with zero calories. Fresh fruit juice can add flavor to your drink, though they do come with a few extra calories - but not nearly as much as syrup. For example, one fluid oz of orange juice contains about 15 calories whereas one tablespoon of simple syrup has 35.
Drinking soda water can also help keep you hydrate, which is especially important when drinking alcohol, Gaston says. That's because alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it causes you to urinate more, making your body lose fluids and electrolytes which can dehydrate you.
3. Light beer
Calorie count: About 103 calories for 12 fluid ounces.
If you like to drink beer, light beer is a great alternative to regular beer, which has about 153 calories per 12 fluid ounces. Some examples of light beers include:
- Bud Light
- Coors Light
- Miller Light
4. Mojito minus the syrup
Calorie count: About 100 calories for eight fluid ounces.
A classic mojito is made with rum, club soda, lime, mint, and sugar or simple syrup. Holding the syrup can save you anywhere from 40 to 70 calories, Avena says, depending on the size of the drink and the type of syrup used.
Mint is great in mojitos and can also add a punch of flavor in the absence of syrups or juices, Avena says. Mint is also rich in nutrients, like vitamin A (about 17% DV per two tablespoons), and may also help relieve indigestion.
5. Diet tonic and gin
Calorie count: About 100 calories for eight fluid ounces.
A gin and tonic is a classic cocktail, but tonic water is high in calories - about 83 calories for 8 fluid ounces. Simply swapping diet tonic for regular can easily cut the calories of this drink in half.
You can make a gin and tonic more flavorful without adding too many calories by adding fresh lemon or lime juice and throwing in some fresh herbs like rosemary or mint, Gaston says.
You could also use a stevia-based water flavor enhancer, like Stur or Sweetleaf, to boost the sweetness for very few additional calories.
6. Hard Seltzer
Calorie count: About 100 calories for 12 fluid ounces.
Hard or spiked seltzer is essentially carbonated water combined with alcohol and fruit flavoring. Spiked seltzers have gained popularity in recent years, making up about 10% of the beer and flavored malt beverage market.
Some common brands of hard seltzers include:
- White Claw
- Truly
- Bon & Viv
- Wild Basin
Insider's takeaway
Alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories, but you can still drink alcohol as part of a healthy lifestyle. Drinking in moderation and choosing lower-calorie options, like vodka and soda water or a diet gin and tonic, can help you keep calories and sugar to a minimum.