Nobody goes into a bar looking for good nutrition, so be sure to collect all your stars in other meals. It's a bonus if you happen to collect a good fats star for eating peanuts or guacamole, or a fruits and veggies star for mixing your drink with orange or tomato juice. Many drinks tend to be large, so plan to share with a friend or ask the bartender for an ultra-small drink in a shot or liqueur glass. Sip and snack slowly to stretch out your calories through the evening.
How to be sugar-wise at the bar:
These mixers are notoriously sweet and high in sugar.
MIXER - SUGAR (G) PER OZ
Rose's Lime 2.1
Orange juice 2.5
Tonic water 2.6
Ginger ale 2.6
Lemon lime soda 2.9
Cola 3.3
Cranberry juice cocktail 3.7
Daiquiri mix 4.5
Sweet and sour mix 5.5
Margarita mix 6.5
Grenadine 18.6
How to be calorie-wise at the bar:
1. Decide on your drink limit ahead of time, usually a single drink if you want to have a bar snack and still stay within your calorie-conscious limit.
2. Order food before you have your first drink. Food in your stomach helps slow absorption of alcohol. And since alcohol lowers inhibitions, you may be more apt to order too much food once you have a drink in your system.
3. Finding healthy bar food is nearly impossible, with a few exceptions like nuts and guacamole. Both have plenty of good fats. But watch the portion since calories add up quickly.
4. Follow every alcohol-containing drink with a calorie-free, nonalcoholic beverage such as water, seltzer, iced tea, or diet cola.
5. Drink as slowly as possible, taking a break between sips, to make your drink last longer. Add ice as needed to keep your drink cold.
6. To cut down on sweetness, ask the bartender to use less of the mixer. Then dilute your drink with seltzer, water, or ice.
SPIRITS AND MIXED DRINKS
BLOODY MARY (8 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 120 calories
3½ glasses: 420 calories
1 glass: 120 calories
COGNAC (2 OZ SNIFTER)
1 snifter: 130 calories
3 snifters: 390 calories
1 snifter: 130 calories
VODKA (2 OZ SHOT)
1 shot: 130 calories
3 shots: 390 calories
1 shot: 130 calories
SCOTCH (2 OZ SHOT)
1 shot: 140 calories
3 shots: 420 calories
1 shot: 140 calories
GIN AND TONIC (8 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 150 calories
2 ½ glasses: 410 calories
1 glass: 150 calories
RUM AND COKE (8 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 160 calories
2½ glasses: 400 calories
1 glass: 160 calories
MARTINI (4 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 225 calories
1 3/4 glasses: 395 calories
3/4 glass: 170 calories
SCREWDRIVER (8 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 170 calories
2½ glasses: 425 calories
1 glass: 170 calories
FROZEN MARGARITA (12 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 380 calories
1 glass: 380 calories
½ glass: 190 calories
COSMO (4 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 200 calories
2 glasses: 400 calories
1 glass: 200 calories
FROZEN PINA COLADA (12 OZ GLASS]
1 glass: 500 calories
3/4 glass: 375 calories
½ glass: 250 calories
LONG ISLAND ICED TEA (8 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 370 calories
1 glass: 370 calories
3/4 glass: 280 calories
Gin and Tonic with Snacks
1 glass gin and tonic
150 + 17 tiny twist pretzels: 110 + ¼ cup wasabi peas: 120 = 380 calories
Margarita and Chips
½ glass frozen margarita
190 + 10 tortilla chips: 145 + ¼ cup guacamole: 80 = 415 calories
- good fats
Buffalo Chicken Wings
1 glass ginger ale
80 + 4 buffalo chicken wings + 2 Tbsp blue cheese dressing: 340 = 420 calories
Ask if your Cosmo can be made with light cranberry juice; regular cranberry juice cocktail is much higher in calories.
NONALCOHOLIC
SUGAR-FREE RED BULL (8.4 OZ CAN)
1 can: 15 calories
27 cans: 405 calories
1 can: 15 calories
GINGER ALE (8 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 80 calories
5 glasses: 400 calories
1 glass: 80 calories
RED BULL (8.4 OZ CAN)
1 can: 110 calories
3 2/3 cans: 405 calories
1 can: 110 calories
ORANGE JUICE (8 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 120 calories
3½ glasses: 420 calories
1 glass: 120 calories
BEER AND WINE
LIGHT BEER (12 OZ BOTTLE)
1 bottle: 100 calories
4 bottles: 400 calories
1 bottle: 100 calories
CHAMPAGNE (5 OZ FLUTE)
1 flute: 110 calories
3½ flutes: 385 calories
1 flute: 110 calories
WINE (5 OZ GLASS)
1 glass: 120 calories
3½ glasses: 420 calories
1 glass: 120 calories
BEER (12 OZ BOTTLE)
1 bottle: 150 calories
2 2/3 bottles: 400 calories
1 bottle: 150 calories
PALE ALE (12 OZ BOTTLE)
1 bottle: 190 calories
2 bottles: 380 calories
1 bottle: 190 calories
STOUT (12 OZ BOTTLE)
1 bottle: 200 calories
2 bottles: 400 calories
1 bottle: 200 calories
PORTER (12 OZ BOTTLE)
1 bottle: 220 calories
1 3/4 bottles: 385 calories
1 bottle: 220 calories
Beer and Chips
2 bottles light beer
200 + 5 tortilla chips + ¼ cup queso cheese dip: 230 = 430 calories
SNACKS
GUACAMOLE
1 cup guacamole: 320 calories
1¼ cups guacamole: 400 calories
¼ cup guacamole: 80 calories
TINY TWIST PRETZELS
34 pretzels: 220 calories
62 pretzels: 400 calories
17 pretzels: 110 calories
WASABI PEAS
½ cup peas: 240 calories
3/4 cup peas: 360 calories
¼ cup peas: 120 calories
TORTILLA CHIPS
20 chips: 290 calories
28 chips: 410 calories
10 chips: 145 calories
FRENCH FRIES
12 fries + 2 Tbsp ketchup: 200 calories
24 fries + 4 Tbsp ketchup: 400 calories
12 fries+ 2 Tbsp ketchup: 200 calories
MIXED NUTS
½ cup nuts: 400 calories
½ cup nuts: 400 calories
¼ cup nuts: 200 calories
DRY-ROASTED PEANUTS
½ cup nuts: 420 calories
½ cup nuts: 420 calories
¼ cup nuts: 210 calories
CHEDDAR BACON POTATO SKINS
6 skins: 420 calories
6 skins: 420 calories
3 skins: 210 calories
CHEESEBURGER SLIDERS
4 sliders: 840 calories
2 sliders: 420 calories
1 slider: 210 calories
TORTILLA CHIPS WITH QUESO CHEESE DIP
20 chips + 1 cup dip: 920 calories
10 chips + ½ cup dip: 460 calories
5 chips + ¼ cup dip: 230 calories
MEDIUM ONION RINGS (3″): 10 onion rings: 240 calories
17 onion rings: 410 calories
10 onion rings: 240 calories
BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS
8 wings + ¼ cup blue cheese dressing: 680 calories
5 wings + 2½ Tbsp blue cheese dressing: 425 calories
4 wings + 2 Tbsp blue cheese dressing: 340 calories
Piña Colada and Fries
½ glass frozen piña colada
250 + 9 fries + 1½Tbsp ketchup: 130 = 380 calories
Vodka with Snacks
2 oz shot vodka
130 + ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts: 210 + 1 Cheddar bacon potato skin
70 = 410 calories
- good fats
All hard liquors, including rum, vodka, gin, whiskey, and brandy, provide 65 to 70 calories per ounce.