Diet-Friendly Drinks

Beware of Fancy Water

These days, water isn't just water anymore. Sometimes it comes in colours and has added vitamins, herbs or caffeine. These designer waters are being positioned as a healthy alternative to regular bottles water or soft drinks. But are they worth the hefty price? Probably not. And many of these waters are not calorie-free, as plain water is, so read the labels. One bottle may contain two servings, so don't forget to double the calorie count if you drink the whole thing.

Skip the “Umbrella” Drinks

Fancy cocktails with umbrellas contain a lot more sugar and calories than other cocktails do. A frozen piña colada, for example, packs 250 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 32 grams of carbs. A 1.5-ounce shot of whiskey mixed in with club seltzer or diet soda contains about 100 calories and no carbohydrates.

Opt for Unsweetened Iced Tea

By replacing your soda with unsweetened iced tea, you'll not only save yourself the calories of regular soda, you'll also infuse your body with disease-fighting anti-oxidants.

Fade That Coffee To Black

Given the myriad of flavours, fillers and toppings you can add to coffee these days, black coffee may sound kind of plain - but it's practically calorie-free! A standard cup of coffee contains only 5 calories and 1 gram of carbs. Of course the more you add to your coffee, the higher those numbers climb. For instance, a shot of espresso sweetened with caramel and served with whipped cream has 110 calories and 9 grams of fat - 6 of which are saturated fat. So try to keep your coffee as plain as possible.

Choose Between Wine or Dessert

It’s easy to forget that beverages contain calories, just as solid foods do. A standard glass of wine contains about 120 calories, for example—two glasses contain roughly the same amount of calories as a 2-square-inch brownie. If you’re counting calories, you’ll need to plan ahead and decide whether a drink or a sweet treat is more appealing.

Treat Fancy Coffees Like Dessert

You wouldn't have a piece of chocolate cake everyday, would you? So why have a coffee that can contain the same amount of calories? If you learn to treat your specialty coffees like desserts you'll be able to properly manage how often you enjoy them. With all the mocha flavouring and whipped cream available in most fancy coffees, their total calorie count is often far worse than a piece of cake would be. So learn to say no to your daily whipped, mocha or vanilla flavoured coffee.