I have found that Crystal Light has a great variety of flavors that mix well with vodka. Since it has about 5 calories per serving it is a good substitute for sugary juices. Try lemonade with blueberry vodka! Very tasty!
Living Large with Lower Calorie Cocktails
Photo: Colangelo PR
Has living larger over the holidays left you larger as well? I'm with you. Following are my favorite ideas and ingredient picks to cut calories, sugar and other yucky stuff while still allowing you to enjoy a daily indulgence or two at the home bar.
Vegetable juice
Whether it's V-8, basic tomato, or your own homemade concoction, making a conscious effort to include veggie based juices with your vodka drinks instead of always going with the fruit version can really cut down on your sugar intake. Sex it up with Tabasco or Worcestershire, and some fresh cracked peppercorns. Can you say zippy?
Fat free half and half
I love this stuff! Whenever I want to indulge in a super yummy cream based drink, but am watching fat grams, this is what I make sure to pick up at the grocery store. To my knowledge, Land O' Lakes is the only company that makes it. Great for those Kahlua and vodka based white Russian cocktails. Did I mention I'm a vodka girl?
Find juices without high fructose corn syrup
There may be entire brand lines out there that skip this ingredient (and PLEASE post if you know of any). Speaking as someone who usually sticks to the generic versions, I've found that the frozen concentrates for things like grapefruit and apple juice usually don't have this obnoxious ingredient. Apple is a bit sweet, but it is fun for mulled cider in the fall, and this is an affordable way to enjoy a yummy warm rum drink. Grapefruit juice is great for mixing up vodka for a frozen slushy freezer drink.
Celebrate seltzer
Great for thinning out a fruit juice and spirit cocktail, and much healthier than regular soda. It's also great for wine spritzers, another reduced calorie lunch beverage idea.
Agave nectar
Gurus galore have been gushing about the glycemic benefits of this stuff. I still love honey, but I have to admit this stuff is pretty tasty and WAY easier to pour and use. Bonus? It doesn't crystalize. Here's a fun recipe using Partida tequila, a product I've reviewed before and enjoyed.
The Look Better Naked Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1.5 Ounces Partida tequila
- 1/2 Ounce Sambazon organic Acai Smoothie pack (available at Whole Foods)
- 3/4 Ounces agave nectar
- One 4-inch sprig rosemary (top inch reserved for garnish)
- 1/2 ounce organic egg white
- 1 fresh squeezed lime
Directions:
- Rim with equal parts of organic salt and fresh cracked organic green peppercorns
- Remove rosemary leaves from the woody stem. Muddle in a 16 ounce pint glass until aromatic.
- Add liquid ingredients through a strainer and float a one inch rosemary sprig on top.
There you have it. My favorite picks for cutting calories while still enjoying my home bar. As usual, I welcome any and all other ideas. It's five o'clock somewhere!
Best of Wise Bread
And then, for the non-vodkaphiles, there's rum and diet pop (or soda if you prefer). One shot of Bacardi Superior, I believe, is around 65 kcal per 30 mL. Add a wedge of lime or a splash of grenadine and it's hard to tell that the pop is diet (even without those, it's still hard). I've been drinking Diet Pepsi Max since it came out in the US and I can hardly taste the difference between it and regular: alone, that is! Assuming that you would have used Pepsi and that all else remain the same, you avoid almost 51 kcal per drink (assuming you use a 4:1 ratio of pop to rum with 30 mL rum).
Also, for the truly economical, consider using about half as much Bacardi 151 in place of the Superior: it is 122 kcal per 30 mL with almost twice the alcohol. I believe it generally goes for slightly less than twice Superior's cost. I'm not sure if they always run at a fixed disparity, so it's conceivable that 151 be cheaper per drink than Superior. Of course, taste is an issue too!
