Friday, 29th March 2024
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What Is In A Cocktail?

After a busy day or week at the office, going for drinks with friends isn't such a bad idea. That is unless you are on a weight loss or fitness journey and you are tracking your calories. Cocktails are not bad if you have them few and far apart. But consuming them every weekend can…

After a busy day or week at the office, going for drinks with friends isn’t such a bad idea. That is unless you are on a weight loss or fitness journey and you are tracking your calories.

Cocktails are not bad if you have them few and far apart. But consuming them every weekend can hamper your fitness goals. Of all the evils of alcohol, weight gain is probably the least discussed.

To be sure, there are many far worse results of alcohol abuse, but many people are still ignorant of the danger alcohol poses to their waist size.

For people who exercise regularly and are in reasonably good physical shape, drinking a few sangrias on a Friday night out won’t be such a big deal. But for anyone trying to lose weight, it isn’t a great idea.

This article will help you identify the calories in the most popular cocktails.

Note: The calories in these cocktails vary depending on the size and ingredients used.

Long Island Iced Tea
This mixed alcoholic beverage contains gin, rum, tequila, triple sec and vodka. Long Island Iced Tea contains no tea but is also made with a sweet and sour mix and a splash of cola.

Because of the large number of ingredients, a Long Island can be high in calories. That amount comprises about 14 per cent of your daily calories if you’re on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Frozen Daiquiri

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri. Photo: Pinterest

A strawberry daiquiri is basically pure sugar, with four ounces of fruit and artificial syrup as a mixer to each ounce of alcohol. It narrows in at about 500 to 600 calories. If you’re craving a daiquiri, it’s better to make it at home and skip the extra sweeteners. Blend together unsweetened strawberries, ice and rum for a skinnier version of this classic.

Sangria

Cocktails with friends. Photo Pinterest

Sangria is a mix of wine, fruit and possibly other alcohols and fruit juice. A four-ounce serving of a typical sangria made with red wine, brandy or orange liqueur and fruit contains about 115 calories. Adding fruit juice and sugar results in a drink containing about 260 calories per eight-ounce glass.

Use lemon-lime soda instead of sugar and add some triple sec and your eight-ounce drink will have about 285 calories. A six-ounce glass of sangria will have about 256 calories if you switch the lemon-lime soda for club soda and add lemon juice.

Frozen Margarita

This sweet, creamy beverage contains tequila, sour mix, triple sec, lime juice and sugar. Though it seems light and refreshing, frozen margaritas are laden with calories. A 16-ounce glass could pack a whopping 448 calories. You can make yourself a lighter margarita at home by replacing sugar with stevia.

Squeeze ripe limes for a bright, fresh flavour and use just one ounce of tequila. Pour the drink over ice or blend it with crushed ice cubes. A skinny margarita will only cost you around 150 calories.

Piña Colada

A Piña Colada on average has about 680 calories. It may take about 65 minutes of a HIIT workout to burn close to 600 calories. A traditional piña colada contains rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice.

Rum has approximately 100 calories per shot. Coconut cream has about 55 calories per ounce. Pineapple juice has 15 calories per ounce. You may consume more calories in one glass than you would by indulging in shawarma.

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