6 Alcoholic Drinks For When You're Dieting

Brierley Horton
·2 min read

Did you know that most of us drink about 16% of our daily calories from alcohol each day? That turns out to be, on average, about 100 calories a day (typically, men drink more than women). Add that up over the course of a year and it's easily a 10-pound weight gain.*

Here's another drawback to booze: Alcoholic drinks are referred to as "empty" calories. In other words, they deliver calories but very few nutrients.

Get plenty of calories and nutrients right here.

That said, there's research that shows people who frequently drink small amounts (think one drink a day between 3 to 7 days a week) have lower BMIs than people who drink less frequently, but drink more when they do imbibe.

The takeaway? Alcohol doesn't have to be completely taboo if you're trying to lose weight. What's most important is knowing which drinks you should be ordering to keep calories in check.

Here are 6 drinks that are okay to order, plus mixers to blend in with your liquor of choice.

The Lowest Calorie Alcohols to Drink on a Diet**

  • Gin (1 ½ ounces): 38 calories

  • Champagne (4 ounces): 80 calories

  • Vodka (1 ½ ounces): 97 calories

  • Tequila (1 ½ ounces): 97 calories

  • White Claw (12 ounces): 100 calories

  • Cabernet (5 ounces): 122 calories

Mixers to Drink on a Diet

Mix your liquor of choice with a:

  • Diet soda

  • Diet tonic water

  • Club soda

  • Zero-calorie flavored sparkling water

None of these mixers have calories, so you can't go wrong with any of these options!

More interested in knowing what to eat than what to drink? Let us help! Subscribe to the Cooking Light Diet today to start receiving customizable meal plans.

*100 calories x 365 days = 36,500 calories/ 3500 calories per pound (give or take!) = 10.4 pounds
**All via the USDA Nutrient Database: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/344524/nutrients