With Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and the end of the semester around the corner, there are plenty of reasons to toast the night away… for those of us 21 and older, of course! However, a night of clinking glasses with friends is a quick way to consume hundreds, or even thousands, of extra calories. The holidays are all about splurging, so if that 500+ calorie glass of spiked eggnog is calling your name, go for it! Just be aware of what you are consuming!

Nix these:

Mix Drinks

Although they may seem like a smart option because of the juice, fruit, and ice, but most mixed drinks are made with syrups, which contain loads of hidden sugar and hundreds of calories. This includes pre-bottled alcoholic fruit drinks, as well. One bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade contains 240 calories and 38 grams of carbs!

Tonic

Surprised? I was too! But a six-ounce glass of tonic water contains upwards of 60 calories and 18 grams of sugar. That may not seem like much, but remember, you haven’t even added in the alcohol!

Creamy Liqueurs

If it tastes like a dessert, it probably packs calories like one too! The creamy liqueurs are often loaded with saturated fat and hundreds of calories.

Add these:

Club Soda/ Seltzer

With a whopping zero calories, seltzer water is a great way to stretch your alcohol without needing to stretch your pants. The drawback to no sugar and no calories is, however, no flavor… so add a little lime or lemon for taste.

Red Wine

With 125 calories per five-ounce serving, a glass of wine is certainly not negligible. However, individuals do not “put back” wine the way they do with beer or mixed drinks. Wine, especially red wine, is consumed slower than other alcoholic drinks, and is often two times higher in alcohol content than beer. Be sure to opt for a wine with no added sugar.

Old Faithfuls:

Light beer: 156 calories; 0 grams sugar per bottle

Gin/ Rum/ Vodka/ Whiskey: 97 calories; 0 grams sugar per 1.5 ounce 80 proof shot

Champagne: 100 calories; 0 grams sugar per five-ounce glass