What Is a Good Alcoholic Drink for a Diet
When it comes to dieting, alcohol is a controversial subject. Is it okay to indulge every now and then? Or is alcohol truthfully as bad as they say? Many diets will eliminate all alcohol right off the bat. But, what is the reason behind this rule, and is there a way to incorporate alcohol into your diet in a healthy way Learn how to balance your nutrition and include the occasional cocktail without destroying your progress using this Free Meal Prep Toolkit for Weight Loss. Complete with everything you need to crush your weight loss goals. Your dietary calories are composed of three main macronutrients: protein, fats, and carbs. However, there is one other macronutrient that also plays a role - alcohol. Alcohol is not typically included in traditional macro counting because it is not an essential nutrient. But just like the other macros, alcohol is a source of calories in the diet. In fact, alcohol is almost as high calorie as fat. Protein and carbs both account for four calories per gram, and fat accounts for nine calories per gram. This means that fat is two times as calorie dense as protein and carbs. Alcohol falls somewhere in between these two densities — at around seven calories per gram. Understanding this is crucial to understanding how alcohol works for or against your weight loss goals. Alcohol may contribute to weight gain a few different ways: Many diets will have users completely stay away from alcohol because of the additional calories. However, some users find that an all or nothing approach can be difficult to follow and unsustainable in the long run. After all, learning how to balance the occasional indulgence with a healthy diet, is what moderation means. So if you are going to drink while dieting, drink smart and drink in moderation. Calories from alcoholic beverages can add up quickly and offset your progress, so opting for the lowest calorie options is critical. Avoid drinks made with mixers high in added sugar, like soda, juice, and coconut cream, and limit liquors. Beers can also be high in calories, especially wheat beers, stouts, and IPAs. If you are looking to include some alcohol in your weight loss meal plan, here are a few examples of some of the better drink choices to consider. The best low carb alcohol includes: Looking for cocktails that cut calories and add a little bit of nutrition? Check out our favorite RD-inspired cocktail recipes Calories Per Drink: 145 Rim glass with lime wedge and dip in Tajín or salt. Mix remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour and serve! Strawberry Pina Colada Calories Per Drink: 148 In a blender, mix all of the ingredients on high. Serve in a glass and enjoy! Calories Per Drink: 160 Mix and serve with fresh vegetables as a garnish! Calories Per Drink: 127 Mix and serve with fresh mint, lemons, or limes! Since most of these beverages are intended to be made at home, we also wanted to include some healthier beverages you can order at a bar. Here are some great options: It is extremely important that if you are going to drink while on a diet, not over to do it. While one of the "good" choices in drinks may not derail your progress entirely, the difficult part for most people is limiting your intake to 1-2 drinks. Alcohol can be a slippery slope. Because alcohol impairs your judgment, it may be challenging to only have one or two drinks. Often, poor food choices also follow drinking which could be detrimental to your calorie control. To help make sure that you do not go overboard while drinking, here are some tips. Most people get really off track when drinking on a diet when they do not have a proper plan in place. If you know you are going to be attending a happy hour with your friends or celebrating something special, plan your day accordingly. Beer, wine, and darker alcohols can be higher in carbohydrates, so if you plan to have two glasses of wine, track that into your daily macronutrients. However, it is important not to completely substitute out your carbs for alcohol. Meaning, don't go overboard and think you shouldn't eat carbs for the day so that you can have your fair share of drinks. When you are dieting, you are at a deficit, so your body is relying just a bit more on every nutrient coming from your food. And don't forget to add it to your total calorie intake to make sure you hot your daily calorie goal. If you tend to snack after having a few drinks, it will be in your best interest to plan accordingly. If you know you will be craving food, make sure that you have healthy snack options at home that will allow you to feel satisfied without ruining your diet. It may also incentivize you to avoid the appetizers at happy hour and to get home at a reasonable hour. Try to stick with foods higher in protein or carbs as they will be easier to digest. If you like something sweet: have greek yogurt with berries in your fridge waiting for you. If you like something salty and savory: have some grass-fed beef jerky waiting at home for you. Most importantly, when your diet is slightly shifted due to alcohol, get right back to your plan the next day. Overall, one day off will not hurt your diet, but you will not want to make a habit of it. Like I said before, moderation is the key to making alcohol work in your diet. Try to limit alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per week while dieting. Calories do add up in a big way from alcohol so you wouldn't want to be putting in all of the hard work six days a week only to completely offset that work by the 7th day. When it comes to your diet, you should always be thinking about the bigger picture. Your goal on this diet is to lose weight, so if alcohol compromises your end goal, take that into consideration before indulging in a few too many drinks. All in all, a little bit of alcohol will not throw your entire plan off course. Exercising moderation, having a plan to get right back on track afterward, and accounting for these additional calories in your daily calorie/ macronutrient goal, will ensure that you incorporate any alcoholic beverages in your diet in a healthy way. For an easy way to track your macros and see how alcohol can affect your goals, check out the Trifecta app and see how many calories your favorite drinks have: Drenowatz, Clemens & Hill, James & Peters, John & Soriano-Maldonado, Alberto & N. Blair, Steven. (2016). The association of change in physical activity and body weight in the regulation of total energy expenditure. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 71. 10.1038/ejcn.2016.228. Traversy G, Chaput J-P. Alcohol Consumption and Obesity: An Update. Current Obesity Reports. 2015;4(1):122-130. doi:10.1007/s13679-014-0129-4.
Energy Value of Macronutrients 1g carbohydrate 4 calories 1g of protein 4 calories 1g of fat 9 calories 1g of alcohol 7 calories
Does Alcohol Make You Gain Weight?
Best Alcoholic Drinks for Weight Loss
Low Carb Alcohol
Low-Calorie Alcoholic Drink Recipes
Skinny Margarita
Low Sodium Bloody Mary
Kombucha Moscow Mule
Drinking and Weight Loss
1) Have A Plan
2) Opt for Healthy Snacks
3) Get Right Back To It
The Big Picture
References:
What Is a Good Alcoholic Drink for a Diet
Source: https://www.trifectanutrition.com/blog/best-alcohol-to-drink-on-a-diet