Here are some options if you feel like treating yourself but are keeping an eye on the calories.
1. Red Wine (125 Calories for 5 Oz)
Enjoying a glass of red wine with dinner has long been considered a healthy move because of its purported heart-health benefits — an idea that can be traced back to the 1980s.
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And though long-term randomized trials haven’t proven some of these claims, a dry red wine (like cabernet sauvignon) is one of the lower-calorie alcoholic beverages you can reach for, says Lori Zanini, RD, a certified diabetes educator based in Dana Point, California.A glass with 5 ounces (oz) of red wine has about 125 calories.
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2. Light Beer (100 Calories for 12 Oz)
If you’re in the mood for beer, go light. It’s another low-calorie option, Zanini says. You’ll save about 50 calories in 12 oz compared with a regular beer of the same size.
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3. Booze on the Rocks (100 Calories for 1.5 Oz)
Whether you’re into vodka or tequila, gin or whiskey, there’s no real difference in calories or carbohydrates — all are low-calorie alcohols, with about 100 calories in 1.5 oz.
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Your best bet when sipping alcohol is to have it straight or with sparkling water or club soda, Zanini suggests. That’s because a whiskey drink, for example, can quickly go from 100 calories to 300 or more when you add sugary, high-calorie mixers.
4. Champagne (85 Calories for 4 Oz)
You’ll save about 80 calories by choosing 4 oz of champagne over a sweet wine — that single glass of bubbly has about 85 calories.
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While that might not sound like much, you may feel fuller and turn down a second drink as a result of the carbonation, which may help keep food in your stomach longer than nonbubbly beverages, too.
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