Holiday Cocktail Recipes
Tis the Season!
The Christmas holiday is approaching and with that comes celebrations that involve cocktails. Never fear! I have a couple cocktails that are very low calorie and you can leave the alcohol out and go calorie free! These are recipes I have made around Christmas for years. I even made them for my daughter and her friends (alcohol free) when they got ready at my house for the high school Snowball.
Cocktail #1: Cranberry Spritzer
In a pitcher or punch bowl, add:
- One 2 liter bottle Diet Sprite or 7-Up
- One 64 oz. bottle diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
- One 1.5 oz Vodka (optional) 96 calories
- Mix, pour on ice, & garnish with an orange slice and a few cranberries. In a punch bowl, float cranberries and orange slices
Calories: 0 with no alcohol, 96 with vodka
Cocktail #2: Wine punch
The high calorie version:
- One can pink lemonade
- One 2 liter bottle ginger ale
- One bottle pink catawba wine
Calories: 300 (8 oz glass)
Now, you can cut the calories with:
- Two large packets of Crystal Light Pink Lemonade
- One 2 diet Canada Dry Ginger Ale
- (Optional) One bottle pink catawba wine
Calories: 0 calories then with 8 oz pink catawba, add 160 calories
If at a bar or party, if you choose not to drink, my go-to is club sode and lime. You can add vodka, again for an extra 96 calories. If you like beer, choose a low calorie one such as Michelob Ultra Gold (85 calories in a bottle).
REMEMBER: Alcohol can lower your inhibitions and impair your judgement, making it easier to give in to cravings or overindugle in unhealthy foods. It reduces self-control and can increase appetite, especially for high-calorie, salty, or sugary snacks, which may derail healthy eating goals. Just be aware of this.
Hope this helps!