You’re at your favorite cocktail lounge or nightclub unwinding with friends after work. You’ve already eaten dinner and now you look forward to enjoying good friends, laughter, and your favorite cocktail drink.
Before you order your next mojito or margarita, stop and think about the number of calories hiding inside that cocktail glass. That’s right - calories. If you are health conscious, or on a weight loss plan, your favorite drink might not be so friendly towards your waistline.
It’s entertaining to watch the bartender mix up a drink and pour it into a fancy glass, but what exactly is in that cocktail shaker?
Unfortunately, the answer is plenty of sugar and calories. Did you know that some cocktail drinks are as fattening as eating a Big Mac? The reason for this is that alcohol and the mixers added to it, contain lots of calories.
A one ounce serving of 80-proof alcohol contains 90 calories. Now think of what happens when you add sugar-laden cola, simple syrup, pre-made mixes, and flavored cream. Most likely, you and your friends will have more than one of these fattening drinks during your evening out.
If you enjoy cocktails regularly, you are unknowingly packing on the pounds. How much? Well, here’s a list of the top 10 most fattening drinks from the cocktail menu:
1) Long Island Ice Tea - 780 calories. What makes it fattening? Five kinds of alcohol (vodka, tequila, rum, gin, triple sec), sweetened premix and cola.
2) Margarita - 740 calories. What makes it fattening? Tequila, triple sec, sweetened premix.
3) Pina Colada - 644 calories. What makes it fattening? Rum, coconut milk, sweetened premix.
4) White Russian - 425 calories. What makes it fattening? Vodka, coffee liquer, heavy cream.
5) Mai Tai - 350 calories. What makes it fattening? Two kinds of rum (light and dark), crème de almond, triple sec, pineapple juice, sweetened premix.
6) Champagne Cocktail - 250 calories. What makes it fattening? Champagne, cognac, sugar.
7) Fog Cutter - 225 calories. Four kinds of alcohol (rum, gin, brandy, sherry), orange juice, orgeat syrup.
8) Gin/Vodka and Tonic - 200 calories. What makes it fattening? Gin or vodka, sugar-laden tonic water.
9) Mojito - 160 calories. What makes it fattening? Rum, sugar, club soda, sugar water.
10) Cosmopolitan - 150 calories. What makes it fattening? Vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime syrup.
To cut down on cocktail calories, keep things simple. For instance, you can order a vodka on the rocks with a splash of soda water or fresh squeezed juice. Ask your bartender for low calorie drink suggestions. Enjoying a drink or two doesn’t have to ruin your figure.
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