Sip Your Way Slim

By Jenna Autuori
Mojito
(242 calories, 25 g
sugar in 8 oz.)
This Cuban cocktail
(a blend of rum,
sugar, mint leaves,
lime juice, and club
soda) can harm
your waistline and
sap your energy,
since sweet drinks
may up your risk of
having a hangover.
Make it healthier
Ask the bartender
to cut back on the
sugar by a third
and add a few
extra splashes of
club soda to lower
the calorie count.
At home, swap the
sweetener for a
low- or no-cal one,
like stevia.
Frozen
Strawberry
Margarita
(564 calories, 16 g
sugar in 12 oz.)
Just because
there's fruit in
the name doesn't
mean it's good
for you; most
restaurant versions
are made with a
sugary syrup and
are seriously
oversize. One of
these slushy drinks
packs in more
calories than two
bags of Skittles.
Make it healthier
Order a plain
margarita on the
rocks to save up
to 300 calories.
Also ask for one
with no salt: That
dusted rim may
provide more than
2,000 milligrams
of sodium, nearly
your entire
daily allowance.
Gin
and Tonic
(164 calories, 17 g
sugar in 8 oz.)
The standard
shot (a 1.5-ounce
serving) of gin
has 97 calories—
and no sugar. But
fill that glass
with tonic water
and you'll wind
up consuming
4 teaspoons
of the sweet stuff.
Make it healthier
Trade the tonic for
club soda, seltzer,
or diet tonic and
a wedge of lime to
shave off nearly
70 calories. Also
request a brand of
gin that's 80 proof
rather than 90
or 100 proof. The
higher alcohol
content can tack
another 27 calories
onto your drink.
Sangria
(258 calories, 25 g
sugar in 12 oz.)
Prepared with
antioxidant-rich
red wine and fruit,
sangria may seem
like a smart choice.
But many recipes
also call for sugar,
soda or juice, and
spirits, like triple
sec or brandy.
Make it healthier
Opt for a glass of
red wine (125
calories) or create
your own 100-
calorie punch with
4 ounces of red
wine, plus diet
lemon-lime soda,
orange slices,
and berries.
Beer
(156 calories, 0 g
sugar in 12 oz.)
A single beer
won't do much
dietary damage,
but few people
stop at one when
they're socializing.
Make it healthier
Order a brew in a
bottle rather than
one that's on tap.
Research shows
that bartenders
tend to overpour
draft beers by
22 percent. Try
MGD 64 or Beck's
Premier Light to
slash 92 calories.









