Who doesn’t love a cool cocktail by the pool in the summer? I sure do—in moderation, of course, but too many mid-afternoon margaritas will not only leave you feeling tipsy, they can also leave your scale tipping in the wrong direction. Switching to water after one or two is always best, but there are some easy ways to cut calories and still enjoy an adult beverage. Here are 5 easy tricks to lighten up some of those popular summertime cocktails:
When it comes to fruit juice, trade a glass for a splash Fruit juices are popular mixers—particularly for vodka drinks, but those concentrated sugars add up to extra calories. Instead of filling an entire glass with the sweet stuff (I’m looking at you, cranberry juice cocktail), opt for hydrating seltzer water and just a splash of juice instead. Calories saved per drink: 95
Make your own margarita mix Just one half-cup (or 4 ounces) of store-bought margarita mix can pack on 26 grams of sugar. This homemade skinny margarita made with fresh orange juice has only 8 grams—which just goes to show, fresh is best. Calories saved per drink: 72
Sip on a mimosa spritzer No champagne? No problem. Combine 1 ounce of orange juice and 4 ounces of white wine with 1 ounce of seltzer for crisp, low-cal mimosa this summer. Calories saved per glass: 25
Have a chocolate martini instead of a mudslide If you prefer your cool, summer dessert in a glass, opt for a chilled chocolate martini instead of 8 ounces of a traditional mudslide, which is typically made with whole milk or ice cream. Calories saved per drink: About 270
Lighten up your piña colada Traditional piña coladas can pack over 500 calories per drink. Try swapping out the coconut cream and coconut milk for hydrating coconut water, which has zero fat and fewer calories. To make your own lightened up piña, mix 2 ounces of coconut rum with 5 ounces of coconut water and 2 ounces of pineapple juice. Calories saved per cocktail: At least 300
Got a slimming trick for your favorite summer cocktail? Share it with us in the comments!
