When you’re trying to lose weight, you know that every little 100 calories—like those in a glass of wine—can really add up.
Cutting back alcohol consumption for the duration rather than giving it up entirely is one way to deal with it. After all, just adding a big spritz of seltzer to your glass of wine slashes calories and lets you blend in with your dinner companions or fellow party-goers without having to explain why you’re not drinking.
Unfortunately, that solution doesn’t take into account one big problem: When you drink any alcohol, it can stimulate your appetite while it also reduces your inhibitions (like your will power at the hors d’oeuvres table).
A number of studies have found that after drinking, you may be prone to eat more. Not only that, your body has trouble sensing liquid calories so you probably won’t adjust your food intake after drinking the way you would after eating the same number of calories.
You may want to consider becoming “sober curious,” a new term that describes adopting the concept that drinking alcohol—even in those tough peer-pressure situations like parties, happy hours, and tailgates—is an option rather than a requirement.
You don’t have to have a serious problem with alcohol to turn to alcohol-free substitutes all or at least some of the time. If you have health concerns or you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a healthy lifestyle choice that has science-based benefits. For example, a 2016 British study, published in the journal Health Psychology, found that people who took part in a “Dry January”—a month-long abstinence from alcohol—had better blood pressure, improved their blood sugar levels, slept better, lost weight, and felt a sense of achievement.
Becoming sober curious doesn’t mean you’re going to feel deprived or stick out among your peers. There’s nonalcoholic beer and wine, and most decent bars carry “mocktails,” delicious, non-alcoholic versions of your favorite cocktails (think Virgin Bloody Marys or alcohol-free mojitos). Just watch those sugar calories in drinks that use simple syrup.
And if you’re in control of the bar fare at a dinner party or backyard barbecue, you can make your own alcohol free drinks and mocktails that offer your guests the option to add their own alcohol. Since the alcohol isn’t going to make a difference in how the drink looks, no one is going to know if you’re skipping that one ingredient!
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To get you started on the alcohol-free path, here are 15 great and shockingly low-cal recipes that you’re going to love:
This 55-calorie mocktail is so easy to make: Toss a cup of fresh strawberries, a cup of frozen strawberries, half a cup of water and the juice of half a lime in the blender and blend until smooth. That’s it! It’s an easy, berrylicious beverage that you’ll be sipping on all summer long. Click here for the full recipe! >
Skip the sugary simple syrup and substitute light lemonade or limeade for this spicy nonalcoholic version of the Mexican cuisine classic. Muddled jalapeno slices and lemon or lime slices intensifies the flavor of this summertime sip without tons of sugar. This recipe for two is only 14 calories per serving! Click here for the full recipe! >
Orange and mangos are an unbeatable combo. Frozen mangoes and orange juice whirled in the blender with ice and water make a delicious, naturally sweet drink that’s so satisfying, you won’t even miss the alcohol at all. Plus, it’s only 78 calories a serving. Click here for the full recipe! >
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It’s a drink, it’s a dessert—you decide! Coconut water and lime give this refreshing summer drink a tropical feel. With half a cup of ice and some Truvia sweetener, your blender turns watermelon into a trip to the islands. Click here for the full recipe! >
Use pink grapefruit juice to give this mock Mimosa a pretty color. No blender needed: Simply mix grapefruit juice with OJ, lime juice, honey and sparkling water. Click here for the full recipe! >
Who doesn’t love orange creamsicles? It’s the taste of your childhood summers. This 66-calorie alcohol free drink recipe is easy to make in a food processor or blender. Add unsweetened almond milk to orange juice, toss in some ice and Truvia natural sweetener and there you have it. Click here for the full recipe! >
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You’ll never miss the wine in this red, white and blue concoction that combines strawberries, blueberries and diced green apples with seltzer and Crystal Light lemonade. A serving is only 53 calories, making it an unbeatable beverage for summer holidays. Click here for the full recipe! >
This concoction is made for fans of sweet-tart flavors. Only 86 calories a serving, it combines frozen raspberries, lemon juice, ice, water and Truvia sweetener into a refreshing blender drink. Click here for the full recipe! >
You could call this one “berry good” since it starts with both blueberries and raspberries muddled in a glass with lemon juice. Finish off the recipe by adding low calorie lemonade powder, lemon seltzer water and ice. Garnish with a berries and enjoy this 19-calorie drink to cool down while you slim down. Click here for the full recipe! >
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It tastes indulgent but it’s not! You start this delicious smoothie with Vanilla Nutrisystem Shake Mix, then add pineapple juice, ice and coconut extract. This blender drink—with protein to make it filling—is the perfect swap for the classic coconut cocktail that we all know and love. Click here for the full recipe! >
Get out the fancy glasses. This mocktail is as pretty as it is tasty! It combines peaches, strawberries, white grape juice, club soda, ice and the juice from one lemon. No blender required. Simply muddle the fruit to release its juices, but leave it mostly intact. You might even think you’re eating dessert while sipping on this delectable drink. Click here for the full recipe! >
This quick refresher starts with Vanilla Nutrisystem Shake Mix combined in the blender with skim milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and ice. It’s creamy and dreamy, yet light and refreshing. Click here for the full recipe! >
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No pitting necessary: This recipe starts with frozen cherries! Blended with lime juice, lime seltzer water and ice, you won’t even miss your favorite cherry water ice with all its high-calorie syrup. Click here for the full recipe! >
Gardeners can simply snip a few sprigs of mint to make this nonalcoholic version of a summer favorite! It combines lime club soda with ice, lemon wedges and their juice in a shaker. Each mojito is only 11 calories (have a second!). Click here for the full recipe! >
You’ve probably never considered mixing these ingredients into a drink, but you will from now on. The fresh ginger adds a pleasurable snap to this lemonade that combines two cups of watermelon cubes with lemon juice. No water needed: The watermelon is full of it! This refreshing summer drink is only 57 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >
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