Healthy Happy Hour

Of course, we all want to be social and enjoy ourselves at happy hour, but we also don't want to pack on the pounds. Here are a few of my suggestions for a healthy (and low-cal) happy hour:

• Just say no to high-calorie fruit drinks. Most fruity drinks are loaded with calories and sugar-- some have as many as 300 calories per drink! If you have 2-3 drinks over the course of the evening, that's close to 900 calories! (Yikes!) Better options are flavored vodka with soda water or regular vodka with soda water and a splash of fruit juice (approximately 70-80 calories per drink) .
  
  
• In the mood for beer, go light. Most light beers come in around 100-120 calories per bottle, but still have quite a lot of flavor and taste delicious. I've drank so much light beer over the years, I usually prefer it to the "heavy" option. Also, if you order a bottle of beer instead of a draft, you automatically have portion control (just 12 oz).
  
  
• Steer clear of frozen beverages. Similarly to fruity drinks, frozen drink mixes are packed with calories and sugar. If you really want a margarita or pina colada, ask the bartender to make you the "real deal." You'll save quite a few calories, and the original cocktail, in my opinion, tastes a lot better!
  
  
• Alternate water with alcoholic beverages. Water (or soda water) slows your pace when it comes to consuming alcohol. It also hydrates you, making the following morning much more enjoyable. Bonus: If you alternate booze with soda and lime (aka a "mocktail), it almost feels like you are enjoying a cocktail (for zero calories).
  
  
• You can't go wrong with white wine. My "go to" drink is always white wine. It's delicious, flavorful, and relatively low in calories (about 120 calories per 5 oz glass). I always feel much more sophisticated when I am holding a wine glass, and tend to savor each sip instead of chugging it down like I might with a beer or cocktail. You can also "lighten-up" white wine with soda water (aka wine spritzer), which cuts calories and/or makes your glass of wine last longer.
  
  
• Beware of free bar snacks. There is a bar in our hometown that serves free popcorn (you know, the super buttery kind). I'm not much of a popcorn fan, but after a few cocktails, my new favorite food becomes popcorn. My best advice for situations like this is just don't start! Once I have a taste of popcorn, I just can't stop myself, and end up snacking the entire night. Another tip: Remember where people's hands have been. If I am thinking about digging into a bowl of popcorn, peanuts, pretzels, etc., I think: unwashed hands from the bathroom. Ewwwww! That thought alone stops my desire to snack!
  
  
• More tips for social events and eating out.