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How Many Calories Will You Drink Over The Holidays?

December 18, 2015 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

HolidayDrinksGraphic

A glass or two of celebratory cheer – a toast to the New Year …

Just a heads up: all of those drinks can really pack a caloric punch. So, just like drinking wisely (and of course, not driving), don’t forget to factor in all those calories.

A Drink Is …

A standard alcoholic drink (in the US) is a drink that contains the equivalent of 14.0 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol.

That’s the amount of pure alcohol usually found in:

12 ounces of beer
8 ounces of malt liquor
5 ounces of wine
1.5 ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey, etc.)

Will A Cocktail Affect You More Than Beer Or Wine?

A 12-ounce bottle of beer has about the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. Since it is the amount – not the type — of alcohol in your drink that affects you the most, it is not safer to drink beer or wine rather than liquor if you are consuming the same amount of alcohol.

In other words, whether you have two 5 ounce glasses of wine, two 12 ounce bottles of beer, or two 1.5 ounces of liquor either straight or in a mixed drink — you are drinking the same amount of alcohol.

How Many Calories Are In Alcohol?

Alcohol doesn’t fill you up the way food does because it doesn’t register as “food” in your GI tract or brain. Even though it doesn’t fill you up, alcohol does have calories — 7 calories a gram – more than carbs and protein, which clock in at 4 calories a gram and a little less than fat which has 9. It may not feel as though you’re putting calories into your body, but the fact is you can drink a lot of calories and still not feel stuffed (perhaps drunk, but not stuffed).

In General:

12 ounces of beer has 153 calories and 13.9 grams of alcohol
12 ounces of lite beer has 103 calories and 11 grams of alcohol
5 ounces red wine has 125 calories and 15.6 grams of alcohol
5 ounces of white wine has 121 calories and 15.1 grams of alcohol
1 1/2 ounces (a jigger) of 80 proof (40% alcohol) liquor has 97 calories and 14 grams of alcohol

Alcohol And Mixers

The higher the alcoholic content (proof), the greater the number of calories:

80-proof vodka (40% alcohol, the most common type) has 64 calories/1oz
86-proof vodka (43% alcohol) has 70 calories/1 ounce
90-proof vodka (45% alcohol) has 73 calories/1 ounce
100-proof vodka (50% alcohol) has 82 calories/1 ounce

When you start adding mixers, the calories in a drink can more than double.

club soda has no calories
8 ounces of orange juice has 112 calories
8 ounces of tonic has 83 calories
8 ounces of ginger ale has 83 calories
8 ounces of tomato juice has 41 calories
8 ounces of classic coke has 96 calories
8 ounces of cranberry juice has 128 calories

Mixed drinks and fancy drinks can significantly increase the calorie count. The following calories are approximate – bartenders, recipes, and the hand that pours all vary. Use these figures as a guideline.

Plain martini (2.5 ounces): 160 calories
Mimosa (4 ounces): 75 calories
Gin and Tonic (7 ounces): 200 calories
Mojito: (8 ounces): 214 calories
Cosmopolitan (4 ounces): 200 calories
Skinnygirl margarita (4 ounces): 100 calories
Green apple martini (1 ounce each vodka, sour apple, apple juice): 148 calories
Bloody Mary (5 ounces): 118 calories
Coffee liqueur (3 ounces): 348 calories
Godiva chocolate liqueur (3 ounces): 310 calories
Vodka and tonic (8 ounces): 200 calories
Screwdriver (8 ounces): 190 calories
White Russian (2 ounces of vodka, 1.5 ounces of coffee liqueur, 1.5 ounces of cream): 425 calories
Rum and Coke (8 ounces): 185 calories
Chocolate martini: (2 ounces each of vodka, chocolate liqueur, cream, 1/2 ounce of creme de cacao, chocolate syrup): 438 calories
Jumbo and super-sized drinks with double shots and extra mixers could add up to 1,000 calories or more (a single giant glass of TGI Friday’s frozen mudslide has around 1,100 calories)
An 8 ounce white Russian made with light cream has 715 calories
An 8 ounce cup of eggnog has about 343 calories and 19 grams of fat thanks to alcohol, heavy cream, eggs, and sugar
Mulled wine, a combination of red wine, sugar/honey, spices, orange and lemon peel, has about 210 to 300 calories in 5 ounces, depending on how much sweetener is added
One cup (8 ounces) of apple cider – without any additives – has 115 calories
One hot buttered rum has 218 calories
One Irish coffee has 218 calories
One cup of coffee with cream and sugar runs at least 50 calories (more if it’s sweet and light)

Calories and Alcohol In Beer: How Many and How Much?

July 17, 2014 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

Have you ever noticed that alcohol doesn’t fill you up the way food does? Here’s why: it doesn’t register as “food” in your GI tract or your brain.

The bad news: it doesn’t fill you up but it does have calories — 7 calories a gram – more than carbs and protein which have 4 calories a gram and fat which has 9. So, even though it might not seem as though you’re putting calories into your body, you could be taking in a lot of calories and not feel stuffed (perhaps drunk, but not stuffed).

How Much Alcohol is in Beer?

A standard drink in the United States is equal to 14.0 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol. Generally, that’s the amount of pure alcohol found in:

12 ounces of beer
8 ounces of malt liquor
5 ounces of wine
1.5 ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey)

Is Beer or Wine Safer to Drink than Liquor?

No. Don’t be fooled. One 12-ounce beer has about the same amount of alcohol as one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. It’s the amount of alcohol consumed that affects a person most, not the type of alcoholic drink.

How Many Calories Are in Your (12 ounce) Beer Bottle?

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale: 330 calories
Samuel Adams Boston Lager: 180 calories
Guinness Extra Stout: 176 calories
Pete’s Wicked Ale: 174 calories
Harpoon IPA: 170 calories
Heineken: 166 calories
Killian’s Irish Red: 163 calories
Long Trail: 163 calories
Molson Ice: 160 calories
Samuel Adams Brown Ale: 160 calories
Budweiser: 144 calories
Corona Light: 105 calories
Coors Light: 102 calories
Heineken Light: 99 calories
Budweiser Select: 99 calories
Miller Light: 96 calories
Amstel Light: 95 calories
Anheuser Busch Natural Light: 95 calories
Michelob Ultra: 95 calories
Miller MGD 64: 64 calories
Beck’s Premier Light: 64 calories

Calorie Saver:

Analyze your beer choice. Since there’s a very wide variation in the calories in beer, can you be satisfied with one of the lower calorie brews?

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Holiday Cheer Can Pack A Big Punch

December 27, 2013 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

Holiday toasts and festive drinks are a big part of the holidays and can be a big – and hidden – calorie hit. With a little bit of forethought and planning you can enjoy holiday cheer and still keep your calories and buzz under control.

A standard drink (in the US) is 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer (each drink contains about 14 grams of alcohol).

Alcohol, regardless of the type, has 7 calories per gram. It doesn’t register as “food” in your GI tract and brain so it doesn’t fill you up the way food does. You can drink a lot and not feel stuffed (perhaps drunk, but not stuffed).

Is It Safer To Have Beer Or Wine Instead Of A Cocktail?

A 12 ounce bottle of beer has about the same amount of alcohol as a 5 ounce glass of wine or a 1.5 ounce shot of liquor. It’s the amount – not the type — of alcohol in your drink that affects you the most, so it’s not safer to drink beer or wine rather than liquor if you’re drinking the equivalent amount of alcohol.

In other words, whether you have two 5 ounce glasses of wine, two 12 ounce bottles of beer, or two 1.5 ounces of liquor either straight or in a mixed drink – you’re drinking the same amount of alcohol.

Calories In Holiday Cheer

Beer

Beer (on average), 12 ounces: around 153 calories (different brands vary significantly)
Lite beer (on average), 12 ounces: around 103 calories (different brands vary significantly)

Alcohol And Mixers

The higher the alcoholic content (proof), the greater the number of calories:

80-proof vodka (40% alcohol, the most common type) has 64 calories/1 ounce
86-proof vodka (43% alcohol) has 70 calories/1 ounce
90-proof vodka (45% alcohol) has 73 calories/1 ounce
100-proof vodka (50% alcohol) has 82 calories/1 ounce

Mixed Drinks

When you start adding mixers, the calories in a drink can more than double. For one cup (8 ounces):

club soda: no calories
orange juice: 112 calories
tonic: 83 calories
ginger ale: 83 calories
tomato juice: 41 calories
classic coke: 96 calories
cranberry juice: 128 calories

Mixed Drinks

Mixed drinks and fancy drinks can significantly increase the calorie count. The following calories are approximate – bartenders, recipes, and the hand that pours all vary. Use these figures as a guideline.

Plain martini (2.5 ounces): 160 calories
Mimosa (4 ounces): 75 calories
Gin and Tonic (7 ounces): 200 calories
Cosmopolitan (4 ounces): 200 calories
Green apple martini (1 ounce each vodka, sour apple, apple juice): 148 calories
Bloody Mary (5 ounces): 118 calories
Coffee liqueur (3 ounces): 348 calories
Godiva chocolate liqueur (3 ounces): 310 calories
Vodka and tonic (8 ounces): 200 calories
Screwdriver (8 ounces): 190 calories
White Russian (2 ounces of vodka, 1.5 ounces of coffee liqueur, 1.5 ounces of cream): 425 calories
Rum and Coke (8 ounces): 185 calories
Chocolate martini: (2 ounces each of vodka, chocolate liqueur, cream, 1/2 ounce of creme de cacao, chocolate syrup): 438 calories
Hot buttered rum: 218 calories
Irish coffee: 218 calories
Eggnog, 8 ounces: 343 calories and 19 grams of fat thanks to alcohol, heavy cream, eggs, and sugar (recipes vary)
Mulled wine, 5 ounces: 210 to 300 calories from a combination of red wine, sugar/honey, spices, orange and lemon peel

Approximate Calories in Various Wines

Champagne, 4 ounces: 76 calories
Red wine (burgundy, cabernet), 5 ounces: 125 calories
Dry white wine (Chablis, reisling, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc), 5 ounces: 120 calories
Rose, 5 ounces: 100 calories
Sweet white wine (moselle, sauterne, zinfandel), 5 ounces: 140 calories
Port (about 20% alcohol), 2 ounces: 94 calories
Sweet dessert wine (tokaji, muscat), 2 ounces: 94 calories

Remember to drink responsibly.

How Many Calories Are In Your Beer?

July 8, 2013 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN 2 Comments

Have you ever noticed that alcohol doesn’t fill you up the way food does? Here’s why: it doesn’t register as “food” in your GI tract or your brain.

The bad news: it doesn’t fill you up but it does have calories — 7 calories a gram – more than carbs and protein which have 4 calories a gram and fat which has 9. So, even thought it doesn’t feel as though you’re putting calories into your body, you can drink a lot of calories and still not feel stuffed (perhaps drunk, but not stuffed).

How Much Beer Is Equivalent To A Standard Drink?

A standard drink is equal to 14.0 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol, the amount usually found in 12 fluid ounces of beer. The serving size of malt liquor, or beer with high alcohol content, is 8-9 fluid ounces.

There is huge variation between brands and types of beer, but on average:

12 ounces of beer has 153 calories and 13.9 grams of alcohol
12 ounces of lite beer has 103 calories and 11 grams of alcohol

Different types of beer and malt liquor can have very different amounts of alcohol content. Light beers can almost as much alcohol as regular beer – about 85% as much. Put another way, on average:

Regular beer: 5% alcohol
Some light beers: 4.2% alcohol
Malt liquor: 7% alcohol

How Many Calories Are in Your (12 ounce) Beer Bottle?

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale: 330 calories
Samuel Adams Boston Lager: 180 calories
Guinness Extra Stout: 176 calories
Pete’s Wicked Ale: 174 calories
Harpoon IPA: 170 calories
Heineken: 166 calories
Killian’s Irish Red: 163 calories
Long Trail: 163 calories
Molson Ice: 160 calories
Samuel Adams Brown Ale: 160 calories
Budweiser: 144 calories
Corona Light: 105 calories
Coors Light: 102 calories
Heineken Light: 99 calories
Budweiser Select: 99 calories
Miller Light: 96 calories
Amstel Light: 95 calories
Anheuser Busch Natural Light: 95 calories
Michelob Ultra: 95 calories
Miller MGD 64: 64 calories
Beck’s Premier Light: 64 calories

Calorie Saver:

Analyze your beer choice. Since there’s a very wide variation in the calories in beer, can you be satisfied with one of the lower calorie brews?

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How Many Calories Are In Your Favorite Summer Drink?

May 30, 2013 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

It’s summer. It’s hot. You’re thirsty. You want some shade and something cool – or maybe ice cold – to drink.

Check Out The Calories

A lot of those cool, refreshing drinks come with a hefty dose of calories. You might be surprised at the number of calories in a drink you’ve been having for years.

Do a little research, figure out your best choice, and then make that your drink of choice. Can you be satisfied with a bottle of beer that has around 100 calories rather than another brand that has around 300 – or water with a hint of flavor instead of a sports drink?

Water and Sports Drinks

Gatorade: 12 oz, 80 calories
SoBe Lifewater: 20 oz, 90 calories
Glaceau Smart Water: 33.8 oz, 0 calories
Vitamin Water: 20 oz, 125 calories
Vitamin Water 10: 20 oz, 25 calories
Perrier Citron Lemon Lime (22 oz bottle): 0 calories
Vitamin Water Focus Kiwi-Strawberry (20 oz bottle): 125 calories, 32.5g sugars

Hint Blackberry (16 oz bottle): 0 calories
Gatorade G Orange (12 oz bottle): 80 calories, 21g sugars
Water (as much as you want): 0 calories

Iced Coffee and Tea Drinks

Dunkin’ Donuts Vanilla Bean Coolatta: 16 oz, 430 calories
Dunkin’ Donuts Sweet Tea: 16 oz, 120 calories
Starbuck’s Coffee Frappuccino: 16 0z (grande), 240 calories
Starbuck’s Coffee Frappuccino, light: 16 oz grande), 110 calories
Tazo Unsweetened Shaken Iced Passion Tea: 0 calories
Iced Brewed Coffee with classic syrup: 12 oz (tall), 60 calories

Soda and Non-Carbonated Drinks

Mountain Dew: one 20 oz bottle, 290 calories
Coke Classic: one 20 oz bottle, 233 calories
Diet coke: one 20 oz bottle, 0 calories
Snapple Orangeade (16 oz): 200 calories, 52g sugar
San Pelligrino Limonata (11.15 fl oz can): 141 calories, 32g sugars
Can of Coke (12 oz): 140 calories, 39g sugars
Bottle of 7Up (12 oz): 150 calories, 38g sugars
Root beer float (large, 32 oz): 640 calories, 10g fat

Beer (12 oz bottle)

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale: 330 calories
Samuel Adams Boston Lager: 180 calories
Guinness Extra Stout: 176 calories
Pete’s Wicked Ale: 174 calories
Harpoon IPA: 170 calories
Heineken: 166 calories
Killian’s Irish Red: 163 calories
Long Trail: 163 calories
Molson Ice: 160 calories
Samuel Adams Brown Ale: 160 calories
Budweiser: 144 calories
Corona Light: 105 calories
Coors Light: 102 calories
Heineken Light: 99 calories
Budweiser Select: 99 calories
Miller Light: 96 calories
Amstel Light: 95 calories
Anheuser Busch Natural Light: 95 calories
Michelob Ultra: 95 calories
Miller MGD 64: 64 calories
Beck’s Premier Light: 64 calories

Wine

Red Wine: 5 oz, 129 calories
White Wine: 5 oz, 120 calories
Sangria: 8 oz, 176 calories

Alcoholic Drinks

Mojito: 7 oz, 172 calories
Frozen Magarita: 4 oz, 180 calories (the average margarita glass holds 12 oz, 540 calories)
Mimosa: 137 calories
Gin and Tonic: 175 calories