Alcoholic Drinks With Fewer Calories To Order Next Time You're Out

Who doesn't like cracking open a cold one after a long day? There's no shame in enjoying the occasional alcoholic drink. But when it comes to weight loss, you should consider not only what you are eating, but what you're drinking, too.

Whether you're trying to lose weight or want to avoid growing the classic beer belly, it's important to remember that alcohol contains calories — and depending on your beverage of choice, sometimes, it's a lot. Alcohol is often considered empty calories because it has little nutritional value but a high calorie count. One pint of beer at 5% alcohol contains an average of 239 calories, which is the same as eating a Mars candy bar (via the National Health Service). Most alcohol is made by fermenting natural starch and sugar, which contributes to its calorie load. On top of that, many cocktails have added sugar in them, which causes the calorie count to skyrocket. 

But don't worry: You don't have to swear off booze altogether. The key is being mindful about what you order. Let's explore some alcoholic drinks you can enjoy without consuming the equivalent caloric count of a giant piece of chocolate cake. 

We've all been led to believe that drinking wine is good for us, but what about its calorie count? 

If you are having a hard time choosing between red or white wine, the latter generally has fewer calories than the former, but not by much (via Healthline). A glass of white wine with a standard 5-ounce pour has about 121 calories, while the same amount of red wine contains about 125 calories. In addition, try to choose dry wines over sweet ones, because those tend to have more calories. On average, a dry wine has less than one gram of sugar per ounce, while sweeter wines can contain more than double that, at 2 grams of sugar per ounce. And more sugar, of course, means more calories. 

The next time you pop a bottle, go for a dry white wine like Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio (via Esquire). 

A tasty, low-calorie way to get that wine calorie count down is to add sparkling water. Just don't add too much — after all, you don't want it to taste watered down. 

A wine spritzer is typically made by adding club soda or sparkling water to chilled white wine, with ice and other added garnishes like fresh herbs or citrus peels. The traditional "lighter" ratio is equal parts wine and seltzer water (via Masterclass). It's a classic summer go-to beverage, but you can drink one any time of year to embrace those summertime vibes. 

To add some more flavor, you can throw in some citrus juice or fresh fruit like raspberries, blackberries, pomegranate, or mango. However, if you really want to add fruit juice, opt for a splash, since most are packed with sugar. Depending on how you make it, a wine spritzer can average about 100 to 125 calories per glass (via Taste of Home). 

The gin and tonic is considered a classy and classic cocktail — but what many people don't know is that it comes packed with calories. 

Tonic water contains quinine, an extract from the bark of a tree in Peru, which is naturally quite bitter. Typically, high fructose corn syrup is added into the tonic water to cut that bitterness and make the drink taste better (via Healthy Living). But high-fructose corn syrup is all sugar and bursting with calories. A 12-ounce glass of tonic water contains 124 calories — and that's without the gin. 

So next time you get a gin and tonic craving, swap the tonic water for diet tonic, which has 0 calories per serving (via Healthline). A gin and diet tonic with a 2-ounce shot of gin is about 128 calories. And if you want the calorie content even lower, you can order it with less gin and more ice and diet tonic water. 

If you crave that beer flavor but don't want all the calories, nutritionist Amy Gorin recommends choosing light beer over traditional beer (via Women's Health Magazine). While the official calorie count of a beer depends on the type and brewer, generally speaking, a 12-ounce serving of traditional beer has about 150 calories, while light beer contains anywhere from 50 to 100 calories. Also, keep in mind that a classic pint equals 16 ounces.

"Calories in beer come from two components — alcohol and carbohydrates (starches and sugar from unfermented grain)," says dietitian Tricia Leininger (via Unity Point Health). "The calories in beer are mostly influenced by the alcohol content. Light beer has fewer calories via less alcohol content." 

So how do you know if a beer is "light"? It's usually in the name. Some of the best light beers to choose from include Kona Light Blonde Ale, Miller Lite, and Omission Brewing Co's Ultimate Light Golden Ale.

You can think of a paloma as kind of a low-calorie margarita without the added sugar. That's because this drink involves tequila and some of the flavors that are in a traditional margarita (like lime), but skips the addition of the sugary margarita mix. 

A popular Mexican cocktail, the name paloma comes from the Spanish word for grapefruit, "pomelo" (via Texas Monthly). Typically, a paloma is made by mixing tequila, grapefruit juice, and lime juice. Sometimes club soda or even fruit-flavored soda are included, and sugar is often added as well. For this reason, make sure when you order a paloma at a bar to specify no added sugar. Also, it's a good idea to request fresh squeezed fruit over fruit juice to help keep calories down (via Women's Health Magazine). You can also add a garnish of a lime or grapefruit wedge, and even line the rim with salt for that classic Mexican cocktail taste and look. 

Another classic cocktail, rum and Coke packs quite the caloric punch, mainly due to the Coke. According to the company's official website, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola has 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar — that's nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar, following the conversion guidelines from Michigan State University. Try swapping the Coke with Diet Coke for a lower-calorie option with less sugar. 

An 8-ounce glass of rum and Coke is a hefty 185 calories (via MedlinePlus). Meanwhile, the same size glass of rum and Diet Coke only comes in at 100 calories — that's the same amount of calories as a can of hard seltzer. Alternatively, if you want to go all-natural, you can try nixing the soda altogether and drink your rum with unsweetened black tea; think of it as a healthier rum and Red Bull. One cup of unsweetened black tea contains only 2 calories (via Women's Health Magazine).   

Ultimately, alcohol isn't necessarily considered high-calorie on its own. However, it's the high-sugar drinks that are typically added into cocktails that are the culprit (via Women's Health Magazine). When ordering out, opt for drinks with low-sugar content — and when in doubt, ask the bartender if they can make it sugar-free. 

Also, some people might wrongly assume that drinking a single drink with a high alcohol content will help cut calories compared to drinking two drinks with a lower alcohol content. The reality is that the higher the alcohol percentage, the higher the calorie content. For example, if you're choosing vodka because it's one of the lowest-calorie hard liquors out there, keep in mind what percentage alcohol you're choosing. A bottle of 80-proof vodka — that's 40% alcohol — has 64 calories in 1 ounce, while a bottle that's 100-proof (or 50% alcohol) contains 82 calories per ounce (via Esquire).