Making The Most Of Your Indulgences: Low Calorie and High Calorie Drinks
Low Calorie Beers
Everyone pegs beers as being filling. But they don’t have to be. Here’s a list of the lowest calorie popular beers on the market.
MGD Light – 64 calories
This baby takes the cake (that may be a poor choice of words, but you catch the drift)! With 64 calories and 2.4 grams of carbs per 12 ounces, MGD Light is the lowest calorie light beer on the market. Maybe that’s why the other guys have the bigger marketing campaigns. It’s got 2.8% alcohol content by volume.
Pabst Blue Ribbon Extra Light – 70 calories
Here’s one that not a lot of people know about. Pabst Blue Ribbon Extra Light only has 2.5% alcohol by volume, so take that into account in your decision.
Michelob Ultra – 95 calories
Believe it or not, the beer that made low-carb beers popular isn’t the lowest calorie beer available. However, with 95 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs per 12 ounces, it’s definitely a sound option (especially since it’s got 4.2% alcohol by volume)!
Natural Light – 95 calories
If you’ve been to a typical college house party, you know that “Natty Light” is one of the default choices. It’s got 95 calories and 3.2 grams of carbs per 12 ounces, making it another low calorie option. It boasts a 4.2% alcohol by volume, making it strikingly similar to Michelob Ultra… could this be the man’s equivalent to the famous Ultra?
Budweiser Select – 99 calories
Rounding out the list is Budweiser Select. Squeeking under 100 calories with 3.1 grams of carbs and 4.3% alcohol by volume, Budweiser Select provides folks with a beer that doesn’t boast a “light” in the name, which is great for those who don’t want the stigma of being a crazy health nut, like yours truly!
Beer nutritional facts provided by Bella Online and Beer 100
Low Calorie Cocktails
Rum and Diet Coke – 110 calories
That calorie estimate is at the high end, with some being under 100 calories. It’s one of those drinks that every single bartender in the world can pour, so you don’t have to worry about getting the question “what’s in that?”, just make sure you don’t try and trick your bartender with the whole “give me a Cuba Libre” request! After all, they’re gonna be busy.
Vodka and Diet Cranberry – 140 calories
It’s a favorite with the ladies, and rightfully so! With only 140 calories, a vodka and diet cranberry drink is at the low end of the mixed drink totem pole. If the bar you’re at doesn’t have diet cranberry, a regular vodka cranberry will be between 200-250 calories depending on the brand of each.
Martini – 171 calories
The martini is very potent, so be careful when drinking this. Why so potent? Well, it’s Gin and Vermouth… that’s it! However, it is a much classier way of getting a shot without ordering a shot. That and the fact that you don’t need a bunch of people around you drinking the same thing to make you feel comfortable, as is the case with shots.
Mixed drink nutritional facts provided by Travel Lady, Time Out Chicago.
Photo provided by flickr user bright star and wickenden
High Calorie Beers (12 oz)
Fat Tire – 160 calories
This beer typically attracts a more intellectual drinker. They are partial to the various works of Ernest Hemingway and would much rather spend their time reciting poetry than getting hammered at the local watering hole. But with 160 calories and 15 grams of carbs, there’s really nothing intellectual about making this your beer of choice.
Blue Moon – 171 calories
This is probably going to make a lot of you sad, since this is a very popular drink amongst men and women of all ages. Due to it’s heavy grain content and little filtering, this one’s got 171 calories and 13.7 grams of carbs. Remember, just because you put a slice of Orange in your beer, it doesn’t make it healthy!
Michelob Honey Lager – 175 calories
It may go unnoticed given that this brand boasts the most recognizable low cal beer “Michelob Ultra”, it doesn’t mean that their entire line of brews will be healthy however. With 175 calories and 17.9 grams of carbs, you’re getting up to the high end of the high calorie beers. Trust me, stick with the Ultra!
Sam Adams Cream Stout – 195 calories
The great thing about Sam Adams is that they’ve got a million different flavors/types of beer. So just because the Cream Stout is action-packed with 195 calories and 23.94 grams of carbs, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other options. Hint: Try Sam Adams Light, only 124 calories.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot – 330 calories
Holy smokes! This is definitely the Grand Daddy of them all!! With a whopping 330 calories and a jaw-dropping 32.1 grams of carbs, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot should change it’s name to “Bigbelly”!! Please be kind to your waistline and just say no to this one… you’ll thank me in the morning.
I’ve studied the caloric content of the hundreds of beers available and I’ve found that the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calorie count. Also, when you try and be unique by drinking that beer that no one knows about, you’ll pay for it because they’ve more often than not have the highest calories. Remember, you’ll look way better if you’re skinny with a Michelob Ultra in your hand as opposed to being overweight with that Bigfoot in your big claw!
Beer stats obtained from Beer100.com
High Calorie Cocktails
Jack and Coke – 251 calories
It’s a classic… but the truth is that any alcohol with regular coke is going to pack about the same amount of calories as this drink. And those calories found in Coke are known as “empty” calories, because they provide absolutely no nutritional benefits to your health.
Margarita – 331 calories
If you’re going to be partying in Mexico…you still shouldn’t have a margarita. They’ve got 331 calories that will add up as you throw back a few. I guess that’s the price you pay when you try and make Tequila taste sweet.
Long Island Iced Tea – 380 calories
Ladies, if you are at a bar and a guy offers to buy you a drink… tell him what you want! Otherwise he might come back with a 380 calorie, ‘rufee’ like Long Island Iced Tea that will more than likely get you hammered. With vodka, gin, rum, triplesec, sour mix and coke, it’s a doozy.
Chocolatini – 440 calories
While you might look a little more cosmopolitan with a Chocolatini in your hand, it might not be that way after a few of them! 440 calories for the amount of alcohol you’re getting is not a great choice. And if you have more than one, you’re probably drinking your daily caloric intake… in Chocolatinis! Stick with the original Martini.
White Russian – 863 calories
With cream, coffee liqueur and vodka, this drink tops the list as one of the most un-healthy mixed drinks you can order at a bar. Having trouble figuring out what else has around the same amount of calories? Well, a double-double w/ onions from In-and-Out and a Whopper from Burger King has 670 calories and a Big Mac at MacDonald’s has about 540 calories. Enough said.
So be aware that even the seemingly harmless drinks have big numbers in the calorie department. Make the right choice and never drink and drive. Use a designated driver or a cab if you’re drinking.
Drink stats provided by UWeekly, Time Out Chicago, Drink Healthy Drinks, and A Merry Life
Burger stats provided by Calorie Count
Photos provided by flickr users House of Sims, Drunken Monkey, MadMan The Mighty, and Optionthis
27 Reader Comments
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dude!
White russians are the super secret weight gaining, muscle building, strength exploding secret that helped russians win olympics!
You know the formula for gaining muscle: Squats and a gallon of milk per day? I just drink 4 or 5 White russians and call it a day
Later
CAleb
Dissin’ Fat Tire and Sierra. Oh man. I need to go read some more Ernest Hemingway and reciting poetry.
Ha….I hear you Troy…I enjoy the good microbrews myself. Having one is not that bad….but they can add up! Personally I refuse to drink anything with the word “light” in it. In moderation, the classics can be enjoyed. Hemmingway rocks too.
That’s just a few beers. Stop by Drink Healthy, Drink Smart website and you can get the nutritional information of 2,000 worldwide beers, including their Weight Watchers POINTS.
No joke, just a heck of a lot of research.
No doubt! I’m skipping the light beers too. When I drink a beer, it’s going to be full-bodied and full of flavor. Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout…something like that. Just don’t drink a 12-pack of them of course.
Cheers
Scott Kustes
I agree with you guys that the full body non-light beers do taste better. This is just a handy guide to let you know just how many calories you’re drinking. After all, you don’t want that beer belly to creep up on you when you’re trying to stay in shape. At the very least, avoid the Big Foot! That one is a killer.
Thanks for the comments.
All the Best,
Andrew R
Go Healthy Go Fit
This is good information; it’s always good to know which are the low carb beers. But I don’t know how you can recommend Diet Coke without any disclaimer. Aspartame should always be avoided!
Thanks,
Sam
You wouldn’t catch me drinking anything that was “light.” If you are going to drink beer you might as well drink a good microbrew or even better a nice cask conditioned ale. Used moderately both beer and wine can be a enjoyable part of a healthy lifestyle and a key factor in longevity.
Goodfriendsam, good point about aspartame. My favorite alcoholic beverages are: vodka and club soda with lime, good bourbon on the rocks (hey, I’m from Kentucky!), or a nice dark microbrew. Other than the microbrews, the other two simple cocktails are low-calorie.
Cheers
Scott
Very interesting…
And everybody thinks beer is so bad… seems that it’s the girly drinks that’s the sinners… hehehe
be a man drink beer… haha
great article
It’s worth pointing out that beer contains gluten and may not be pleasant to those with sensitivities. And diet soda has artificial sweeteners, which many have mixed feelings about.
Try some high quality liquor neat or on the rocks. Low carb, low cal, and delicious once you acquire a taste for it!
Keenan, I’ve noticed that my stomach greatly appreciates my move away from beer. I still enjoy a nice microbrew now and then, but 3 or 4 beers tends to make my stomach rather reflux-y. Vodka and club soda or a quality bourbon is much kinder to my stomach.
Cheers
Scott
Scott,
The recommended daily consumption of beer for men is two 12-ounce servings. Can’t see how you can complain about beer when you’re also drinking twice the FDA, USDA and TTB recommended daily amount.
Scott,
3 or 4 beers is a bit much for a lot of folks. I would suggest a nice single malt scotch – neat!
Bob, you and I both know that sitting around watching a football game for 3 or 4 hours, 3-4 beers isn’t outlandish, even if it’s more than the recommended serving. Of course, it’s more than we should be drinking, but the reality is I can have 3 or 4 vodka/club sodas or bourbon/scotch on the rocks and my stomach doesn’t feel a thing…there’s something about beer that adversely affects me. Perhaps it’s the gluten or just the large amount of liquid grains. I’m drinking less these days anyway…I haven’t had but about 2/3 of a beer since I got back from a trip a couple weeks ago.
Michael, I like scotch too. Just don’t keep it around. (I work for a wine and spirits company and we have no scotch, so I typically go for our tequila, award-winning bourbon, or wine.)
Cheers
Scott
Scott,
I’m a big wine guy as well. When I usually drink beer its about three over a several hour period, but it doesn’t bother me. I like to drink it on Tuesdays and Thursday cuz I know I’m going to be fasting the next day
Okay, so back in college white russians were my drink of choice. There were nights were I probably downed 4 or more; wow! That’s a lot of calories!
Beck’s Light also has 64 calories. The line about “lowest on the market” is somewhat deceptive.
“Bob, you and I both know that sitting around watching a football game for 3 or 4 hours, 3-4 beers isn’t outlandish, even if it’s more than the recommended serving.”
Well hell, sit around and eat and 18-inch pizza too, maybe the “meat lovers” and top it off with a a big bag of fries, because after all, we’re “Sitting around watching a football game.”
Maybe top it all off with a box of Ho-Hos too.
You either follow the recommendations to lose weight or keep it in check or go on and fool yourself. It’s your body.
Now if you want to get serious, start by picking up a copy of “Does My BUTT Look BIG In This BEER? Nutritional Values Of 2,000 Worldwide Beers” on Amazon, read it and then quit fooling yourself.
Bob, you’re still ignoring one very important point…beer affects my stomach in ways non-beer alcohol doesn’t, even at the same number of drinks. There’s something going on there. You can play mental gymnastics that its the total number consumed if you’d like, but there’s a reality there that can’t be ignored….x amount of beer = stomach not happy, x amount vodka, whiskey, or wine = just fine.
And what good is your book going to do me if beer adversely affects my stomach?
Cheers
Scott
Scott,
I wonder what is going on? An ex-roommate of mine used to drink beer all the time and apparently gained weight as a result. Then he went on a trip to Europe, drank even more beer, and lost weight, a lot. He ate better food, in fact he ate more food. So I am wondering if it is the type of beer and lifestyle factors that may be involved, rather than beer per se.
Something akin to the Kitavans and others, who eat high carb diets and yet are slender and very healthy, whereas western style high carb diets are disastrous for weight and health
Michael, not sure. It’s not an issue of weight gain for me. It’s that more than a beer or two tends to give me an acidic feeling in my stomach. When I drink beer now, it’s only one or two and always quality craft beers…no translucent flavorless beer for me! Beyond that, I’m like 95% clean eating. I’ve known others that have problems specifically with beer, so I think there’s something to beer specifically.
Either way, I still enjoy beer now and again…just fewer of them, which is good for me anyway.
Cheers
Scott
A White Russian has less than half of the calories that you claim (unless you’re talking about a 12oz drink).
[...] fat tire nutritional values nakedfoodcooking.com [...]
[...] –Diet-Friendly Alcohol Choices (Spark People) –Low-Calorie Beers (Fit Sugar) –Low Calorie and High Calorie Drinks (Naked Food Cooking) –Low-Calorie Cocktails (Daily Spark) –Healthy Summer Drink Recipes [...]
[...] –Diet-Friendly Alcohol Choices (Spark People) –Low-Calorie Beers (Fit Sugar) –Low Calorie and High Calorie Drinks (Naked Food Cooking) –Low-Calorie Cocktails (Daily Spark) –Healthy Summer Drink Recipes [...]
[...] –Diet-Friendly Alcohol Choices (Spark People) –Low-Calorie Beers (Fit Sugar) –Low Calorie and High Calorie Drinks (Naked Food Cooking) –Low-Calorie Cocktails (Daily Spark) –Healthy Summer Drink Recipes [...]