Summer Beverages Can Be Delicious Cocktails or Diet Fails

Summer is the time for happy hour on the patio and drinks around the campfire, but just how fast can an alcoholic beverage derail your day of healthy eating?

The answer is sobering: it happens quickly.

With choices ranging from 75 to nearly 500 calories a glass, we can exceed our daily calorie requirements in no time. Plus, the natural decline in inhibition, which often accompanies a cocktail or two, means we are far more likely to indulge in some fried appetizers or a few s’mores.

It’s also important to remember that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans define moderate alcohol consumption as one drink daily for women of all ages and two drinks each day for men 65 and younger. So while knowing calorie counts is good, moderation (in all things) is the golden rule when it comes to drinking.

Here’s a look at a few examples of some of the heavy-hitters on the drink menu and the calories of each ingredient in them:

(All ounces are fluid ounces.)

Strawberry Daiquiri

• 1½ ounces tequila - 97
• ½ ounce triple sec - 52
• 2 ounces frozen sliced strawberries - 55
• 1 ounce frozen limeade concentrate - 90

TOTAL = 294

Pina Colada

• 3 ounces light rum - 192
• 3 tablespoons cream of coconut - 213
• 3 tablespoons crushed pineapple - 26
• 2 cups ice - 0

TOTAL = 431

Mai Tai

• 1½ ounce spiced rum - 60
• 1½ ounces coconut rum - 51
• 1 teaspoon grenadine - 18
• 3 ounces pineapple juice - 50
• 2 ounces orange juice - 110
• 1 cup ice - 0

TOTAL = 289

White Russian

• 2 ounces vodka - 146
• 1 ounce coffee-flavored liqueur - 107
• 1 ounce heavy cream - 100
• 1 cup ice - 0

TOTAL = 353

Mojito

• 10 fresh mint leaves - 0
• ½ lime - 10
• 2 tablespoons white sugar - 96
• 1 cup ice - 0
• 1½ ounces light rum - 96
• ½ cup club soda - 0

TOTAL = 202

Black and Tan

• 12 ounces lager - 153
• 12 ounces Irish stout – 161

TOTAL = 314

Margarita

• 1 cup ice - 0
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice - 17
• 1½ ounces orange liqueur - 143
• 1 ounce tequila - 64
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar - 160

TOTAL = 384

Mudslide

• 1 cup ice - 0
• 1 ounce vodka - 74
• 1 ounce coffee-flavored liqueur - 108
• 1 ounce Irish cream - 118
• 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup - 55
• 1 ounce heavy cream - 100

TOTAL = 455