Smart Alcohol Choices

Okay, so we all know that alcohol serves no place in clean eating. It is a chemical – a fermented version of sugars from various sources, be they potatoes, agave plants, grapes, molasses, berries, barley, whatever.

The fermented version of these sources is, in fact, considered a “foreign substance” inside the body. It does not provide nutritional benefit. It does not provide sustenance. It does not fill up the body. It does not provide energy. BUT I do know that you will drink in college. Let's face it.

So if you choose to indulge in the "Devils Nectar", then here are some "healthy" beers that have both taste and a good buzz. Below there is a list of more common (draft, domestic) beers that come in at around 100 calories or less. You might have to sacrifice taste based on your personal preference.

Guinness Draught
Type: Stout
Alcohol Content: 4%
Calories: 126
Carbs: 10 grams

Sam Adam’s Light Lager
Type: Lager
Alcohol Content: 4%
Calories: 119
Carbs: 9.7 grams

Other Notable Mentions

• Bud Select 55- 55 calories
• MGD 64 Lemonade; Miller Genuine Draft 64- 64 cal per 12 oz
• O’Douls- 65 calories per 12 oz c
• Natural Light- 95 calories per 12 oz
• Michelob Ultra Amber; Michelob Ultra Amber- 95 calories per 12 oz
• Miller Light- 96 cal per 12 oz
• Heineken Light- 99 cal per 12 oz
• Corona Light- “                     ”
• Budweiser Select- “           ”
• Coors Light- 102 cal per 12 oz

If you’re going to drink liquor, use calorie-free mixers like tonic water. One shot glass or mixed drink will contain about 1.5 ounces of hard liquor

• Vermouth- Martini Rosso Vermouth- 66 calories per shot
• Captain Morgan- Long Island Iced Tea- 67 calories per shot
• (a lot of the Skinnygirl vodkas come in at under 75 calories per shot, but I did not think men would be interested in that)
• Malibu Rum- 81 calories per shot
• Captain Morgan Original and Parrot Bay Caribbean Coconut each come in at 87 calories per shot
• Jose Cuervo Especial Gold and Silver come in a t 96 calories each
• Bacardi, Jack Daniels, and Patron Silver each come in 99 calories

If you want to make the choice as simple as possible, go with wine or liquor. Note that I said liquor, not mixed drinks. As WebMD points out:
"It's the mixers, syrups, and sodas that really get people into calorie trouble, because most drinks start with 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits that only have around 96 calories, but mixologists can easily turn that into a drink with hundreds of calories,"

However, if you want to get super drunk, a shot of Everclear comes in at around 234 calories. This should be all you need for the night.

The recommended drink allowance is one drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men. As always, please drink responsibly and have a designated driver with you.

-Eating Clean in College