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)

The post How Many Calories Will You Drink Over The Holidays? appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.

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?

Road trip: is there one in your future?

The Summer issue of Eat Out Eat Well Magazine is ready to help you eat well when you’re in the car or grabbing some food at rest stops or roadside diners.

Get it now from iTunes or the Google Play Store for $1.99 an issue or $4.99 for a yearly subscription (four seasonal issues).

The post Calories and Alcohol In Beer: How Many and How Much? appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.

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.

The post Holiday Cheer Can Pack A Big Punch appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.

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?

Want more information like this? My newest book: 30 Ways to Have Low-Calorie Fun in the Sun: Your Guide to Guilt-Free Eating at Picnics, Amusement Parks, Barbecues & Parties available on Amazon.

The post How Many Calories Are In Your Beer? appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.

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

The post How Many Calories Are In Your Favorite Summer Drink? appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.

Calories You Drink Don’t Fill You Up

When you drink your calories your body doesn’t actually feel satisfied. Except for perhaps milk or other protein drinks, fluid intake doesn’t typically trigger production of the hormones that tell your brain that you’ve fed your stomach.  Most liquid calories don’t produce “satiety” or the feeling of “being full,” which your brain takes as the cue to stop eating.

This is especially true if you’re slowly sipping your drink — but research has shown that even if the temporary bloat you feel after rapidly downing a beer is no substitute for satiety.

(FYI: even if you don’t feel full, the alcohol you’ve drunk still has 7 calories per gram compared to 4 calories per gram for carbohydrates and protein and 9 calories per gram for fat.)

Beer:  Light Or Not

Even light beer – although a calorie saver – still has calories that add up. Light beer isn’t like diet soda – calorie and fat free. It does have fewer calories than regular beer but it still has, on average, 100 or more calories for 12 ounces (yes, there are light beers with fewer calories – these are average calorie counts).  Regular beer ranges from about 140-200+ calories, depending on the type of beer.

Alcohol And Mixers

An average shot (1.5 oz) of 80-proof alcohol has around 96 calories. The higher the alcoholic content (proof), the greater the number of calories.

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

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

• 8 oz of orange juice has 112 calories
• 8 oz of tonic has 83 calories
• 8 oz of ginger ale has 83 calories
• 8 oz of tomato juice has 41 calories

How Full Is Your Wine Glass?

Unfortunately, the standard serving of wine (5 oz)  and liquor (1.5 oz) is probably smaller than you think.

Most standard servings of wine have 125-150 calories, but the calories can double depending on the size of the glass and how far it’s filled up.  Sweet and dessert wines are more caloric than table wine and champagne.

Try filling up a glass –using water—to simulate the amount of wine you would usually pour, and then measure that amount in a measuring cup.  You might be shocked to find that the serving you’re used to pouring is double the standard serving size.

Fancy Cocktails May Be The Equivalent Of Dessert

Highly caloric, extremely creative, and often quite large cocktails can actually be desserts in disguise. Chocolaty, creamy, rim coated with sugar cocktails may be delicious, but they’re loaded with calories (even if they have fruit in them).

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), so don’t forget to factor them in.

The post Do Your Drink Calories Equal The Calories In A Meal? appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.

Shortly after this big, burly guy dug into his chili – with gusto, I might add, he was sitting glassy eyed, rivulets of sweat dripping off of his bald head, practically unable to speak.  The waitress, obviously having seen this reaction before, came running over with a glass of milk with orders to, “Drink up.”

Have you ever had this reaction to very spicy food — maybe from that dish you made when you got a little too zealous with the chili powder? Or perhaps, like this guy, from being a little too macho and ordering “hottest” after assuring everyone that you love really hot and spicy food.  Or maybe when you accidentally grabbed the wings known as red hots at a Superbowl party.

What Causes The Burn?

Capsaicin is mostly responsible for the “heat” in chili peppers.  To stop the mouth flames you need to neutralize capsaicin’s burning heat that binds to your taste buds. Capsaisin is soluble in both alcohol and fat so full fat dairy and alcohol are solutions.

What To Do To Tame The Flame

What do you do as your mouth is sending a five-alarm signal, your face is on fire, and you are sweating enough to water every plant in the room?  Here are some solutions that are easy – even when you’re in a restaurant or someone else’s home.

• The most common flame relievers are full fat dairy, acid, and sugar – although some people also swear by nut and seed butters  (peanut, almond, tahini).  They may all have some degree of effectiveness.
• Ice and water will feel pretty good, but only temporarily. The burning pain will come roaring back. Because capsaicin is soluble in alcohol and fat, sometimes beer is suggested as a solution. The alcohol helps neutralize the capsaicin molecules.  But beer is about 95% water and won’t really neutralize the capsaicin clinging to your tongue.
• High fat dairy products like milk, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, and ice cream coat your mouth and can break the bonds capsaicin forms with the nerve endings – and, since they’re cold, they feel good, too. Aha! An explanation for why spicy Mexican food is often served with sour cream.
• Sugars bind to pain receptors more readily than capsaicin so sweet things may work, too.   Sugar, fruit, honey, molasses, even carrots have all been used.  Highly sweetened non-carbonated drinks may work.  Try some sweet tea.   Hoisin may work for Asian dishes, Lassi (sweet and dairy combination) if you are in an Indian restaurant.
• Acid can cut through the heat so use vinegar, lemon or lime juice, anything acidic that doesn’t mess with the taste.  Beer with lime?

Ever over spice something that you’ve cooked?  There are ways to remedy that, too.  Check out my next post.

The post When Your Mouth’s On Fire From Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.

Lazy, Hazy Days Of Summer

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

Just remember – a lot of those cool, refreshing drinks come with a hefty dose of calories.

Check Out The Calories

You might be surprised at the caloric content of a drink you have been having for years.  There is a wide variation in the number of calories even in the same category of drinks.  Do a little research and learn your best choice and then make that your drink of choice.  You often can be satisfied with, for instance, a bottle of beer that has around 100 calories rather than another brand that has around 300.

Of course, there’s always water, plain or flavored (beware the vitamin enhanced kinds with added sugar)!

Non-Alcoholic Drinks:

Water and Sports Drinks

• Gatorade:  12 oz, 80 calories

• Propel:  24 oz, 30 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

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

• Coke Classic:  one 20 oz bottle, 233 calories

• Diet coke:  one 20 oz bottle, 0 calories

• Mountain Dew:  one 20 oz bottle, 290 calories

Alcoholic Drinks:

Beer

• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale:  one 12 oz bottle, 330 calories

• Samuel Adams Brown Ale:  160 calories

• Amstel Light:  95 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

SocialDieter Tip:

According to CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest), carbonated soft drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet.  We tend to forget about the calories in sugared sports drinks and in sweetened ice teas, juices, and alcoholic beverages.  Alcohol has 7 calories per gram  — compared to protein and carbs which have 4 calories per gram and fat which has 9 calories per gram.     Couple the alcohol with sweetened juices, syrups, and, in some cases, soda, and you could be drinking a significant portion of your suggested daily calorie allowance.  There are low and lower calorie choices in each category of cold drinks.  Choose wisely, sip slowly, limit the repeats and/or alternate with water, seltzer, diet soda, or iced tea or coffee.

The post Are You Drinking Your Calories? appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.

Batter Up

Baseball season is in full swing. If you’re going to be at a game – major league, minor league, or little league – it’s become almost a habit to chow down on the food being hawked by vendors or purchased from the food court.

Listed below are examples of some snacks and drinks common to baseball games.  You might be surprised at the calories in some of your favorites.

SocialDieter Tip:

To avoid the caloric onslaught you can:

• Choose your food wisely
• Avoid eating every inning
• Bring some of your own snacks with you
• Drink water or non-caloric drinks
• Eat and/or drink “lite” versions (just be aware that some reduced or fat free foods have just as many calories as full fat varieties – fat has been replaced with sugars

Game Time Food and Drinks

Beer

Bottle of Budweiser:  144 calories, 12.8 carbs, 4.7% alcohol

Can of Bud Lite:  110 calories, 6.6 carbs, 4.2% alcohol

Bottle of Miller Lite:  96 calories, 3.2 carbs, 4.2% alcohol

Bottle of Miller MGD 64:  64 calories, 2.4 carbs, 2.8% alcohol

Non-alcoholic Drinks

Snapple Orangeade (16 oz):  200 calories, 52g sugars

San Pelligrino Limonata (11.15 fl oz can):  1

41 calories, 32g sugars

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

Can of Coke (12 oz):  140 calories, 39g sugars

Bottle of 7Up (12 oz):  150 calories, 38g sugars

Gatorade G Orange (12 oz bottle):  80 calories, 21g sugars

Root beef float (large, 32 oz):  640 calories, 10g fat

Water (as much as you want):  0 calories

Snack Food

Fritos (28g, about 32 chips): 160 calories, 10g fat

Ruffles potato chips (28g, 12 chips):  160 calories, 10g fat

Rold Gold Pretzel sticks (28g, 48 pretzels):  100 calories, 0g fat

Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn (28g, 1 ¾ cups):  160 calories, 10g fat

Cracker Jack (28g, ½ cup):  120 calories, 2g fat, 15g sugars

Curly fries (7 oz)  620 calories, 30g fat

Kettle corn (31/2 cups):  245 calories, 6g fat

Candy

Raisinets (1/4 cup):  190 calories, 8g fat, 27g sugars

Peanut m&m’s (about ¼ cup):  220 calories, 11g fat, 22g sugars

Snickers (1bar, 59g):  280 calories, 14g fat, 30g sugars

Large cotton candy:  170 calories, 0 fat

Ice Cream

Good Humor Chocolate Éclair (1 bar, 59g):  160 calories, 8g fat, 11g sugars

Fudgsicle Fudge Bar (1 bar, 64g):  100 calories, 2.5g fat, 13g sugars

Klondike The Original (1 sandwich, 81g):  250 calories, 17g fat, 18g sugars

Planter’s Dry Roasted Peanuts (1oz):  170 calories, 14g fat, 2g sugars

Blue Diamond Almonds (1oz):  170 calories, 14g fat 0 sugars

Planter’s Nut & Chocolate Trail Mix (1oz):  160 calories, 10g fat, 13g sugars

The post Take Me Out To The Ballgame . . . And Let Me Eat For Nine Innings appeared first on Eat Out Eat Well.