A trip to the pub is usually the ultimate test of a dieter’s convictions. Can their willpower hold firm when all the voices of those bottles and pumps are screaming “DRINK US!” so loudly? Fortunately, this isn’t an either/or situation, there’s plenty of low-calorie options when you hit the local boozer and many of them will allow you to have a drink without breaking the scales.
Before we kick-off, there is a corollary to this – the drinks might be under 100 calories but the nuts, kebabs and next-day-all-you-can-eat-breakfasts almost certainly won’t be. That’s why we’re advocates of planning your boozing well in advance so you can have good healthy snacks in and you can plan activities that will keep you occupied somewhere other than the drive-in-queue at McDonalds.
Cheers!
1 – Gin and Slimline Tonic
The perfect hot weather drink and with less than 100 calories (just – it’s around 97 calories in total) this feels like a good reward for all your hard work during the day. The pro tip is to get it served in a big glass – most pubs are doing these large goblet style gins these days and ask for two slimline tonics. You’ll end up with nearly a pint of liquid and the sharp, dry taste of the tonic will make those calories go a long way. Bonus points if you get a large slice of orange that you can chomp on afterwards.
2 – BrewDog Lightspeed
There are a couple of notable 330ml cans which not only have a reasonable ABV, but also perform unexpectedly well on calorie count. Those wizards over at Brewdog have hit the ball out of the park with this one though – a full-flavoured IPA that tastes similar to their Hazy Jane drink. Other notable low-calorie cans include Beavertown Nanobot (99 calories, 2.8 ABV) and Bud Light (80 calories, 4.2 ABV)
3. A Glass of Champagne
If you’ve got something to celebrate then champagne is the way to go. It’s also a reasonable (if expensive) option for a low-calorie drink. There’s around 80 calories per glass for most brands and the high carbonation of champagne means that if you try and neck it quickly you tend to get bubbles up your nose. There are even studies that show that regular, low-level consumption of champagne helps to improve short-term memory.
4. A Bloody Mary
There’s a vogue at the moment for embellishing Bloody Marys with strips of bacon, gherkins and, even chicken wings. Needless to say if you put much more than a straw in your Bloody Mary then it’s not going to hit the calorie limit. But, a typical 200ml bottle of tomato juice clocks in around 40 calories and a decent pour of vodka is around 6o calories. Despite the urban myth the celery won’t take away calories from the drink.
5. Malt Whisky
A decent dram of whisky, which we’re saying is around 40ml, can just about squeak in under the 100 calorie limit. If you can take the flak of the purists around you then you can get it served with water or ice and enjoy it as a longer drink too. At 45% ABV, most whisky will certainly leave you feeling like you’ve not missed out. If you’re limiting yourself to one then you can also ensure that you get maximum bang for your buck by choosing one of the many excellent Scottish malts and then dwelling on the flavour notes as you sip your drink. Ours is a Lagavulin – and no, not just because Ron Swanson drinks it. Ok, maybe it’s a bit because of that.
