Holiday Drinking
By WLR Dietitian
Whether you spend your holiday relaxing or use it as a time
to let your hair down, alcoholic drinks are usually on the
menu – and that can mean a lot of extra
calories!
That’s not
to say you can’t enjoy yourself and indulge -– just that you
need to choose sensibly. Remember too, that just one or two
drinks can weaken good intentions so before you know it,
you’ve had four or five, plus a snack at the bar or a takeaway
on the way home. Alcohol also has a dehydrating effect on the
body, which makes you thirstier and can cause headaches.
Spending time in the sun or heat will make this worse, so
quench thirst with non-alcoholic drinks and don’t go overboard
with the booze – after all, who wants to have to spend all day
in a darkened room while everyone else is having a great time
by the pool!
1. When it’s hot, it might be tempting to cool down with
litres of fruit juice and fizzy drinks, but these can pile on
the pounds if you drink enough of them. Just one small glass
of juice contains 50 calories, while a can of drink provides
around 140 calories. Instead, you're best off quenching your
thirst with water, so keep a good stock of bottled
water to
hand, particularly if it’s not safe to drink the tap water. Or
if you want a soft drink, opt for a low-calorie or diet
variety, if available.
2. If you're going to hire a car on holiday, get it
registered in your name as well as your partners so that you
can drive occasionally with the result that you have to stick
to alcohol-free (and low-calorie) drinks.
3. Beware of ‘free pour’ measures! Many bars and
restaurants abroad don’t have standard measures for spirits –
they pour straight from the bottle. If this is the case, try
asking for a small measure – at least you'll have tried!
4. If diet or slimline mixers aren’t available, bear in
mind that your usual gin and tonic may have twice as many
calories as it does at home.
5. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, but mixing
white wine with soda or sparkling water and lots of ice will
make it last twice as long.
6. Take care with local beers or lagers. They’re often
stronger than standard beers at home and so have a lot more
calories – and are far more likely to get you drunk.
7. It’s another common tip, but it really works. Alternate
alcoholic drinks with a glass of water or low-calorie soft
drink. As well as saving calories, it will also help to
prevent dehydration and stop you from getting a hangover.
8. If you can’t resist a few cocktails, avoid those made
with cream-based liqueurs, cream, coconut milk and syrupy
fruit purees. Instead choose those made with lower-cal
ingredients like fruit juices, fresh fruit and carbonated
mixers. Check out the calorie content of some popular ones.
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