Summer is coming! Summer is coming!!

Here in the south, it's already warm.  We're all busy trying on our summer clothes and (UGH)  bathing suits.

Barbecues are cooking and drinks are chilling.  How do we eat healthy with all the marinades and drinks?

We seem to forget that there are a lot of empty calories in our drinks.  But there is help!

With a short list, we can decide what to drink and how much and not rack up too many empty calories.

Beers  (12 oz.)
Coors  149 calories                              Coors Light  104 calories
Budweiser  145 calories                        Bud Light  115 calories
Bud Select  99 calories                         Bud Select 55   55
Michelob  155 calories                         Michelob Light 113
Miller Genuine Draft  143 calories        Miller Genuine Draft Light 110 calories
Pabst Blue Ribbon  144 calories          Pabst Blue Ribbon Light  67 calories

Full strength beers are generally 140 to 150 calories per 12 ounces.  Most light beers are 90 to 120 calories per 12 ounces.  Specialty beers, however, can be as high as 350 calories per 12 ounces.

Wines
White wines are generally 24 calories per ounce and red wines are about 23 calories per ounce.  You can calculate how many ounces are in a glass to decide how many calories you have.

Alcohols
This is a little harder to figure out.  One jigger/shot is equal to 1.5 ounces.
Rum, bourbon, brandy, gin, tequila, whiskey and vodka (94 proof) has 115 calories per jigger.
As the alcohol content goes up, so do the calories.

Mixed drinks combine one or more alcohols with juices or mixers which add calories.

Popular drinks
Jose Cuervo about 97 calores per 1.5 ounces
White Russian about 425 calories per 5 ounces
Pina Colada ranges between 375 - 640 calories per 6 ounces
Chocotini about 440 calories per 6 ounces
Mudslide about 595 calories per 2.5 ounces
Marguerita between 280 - 740 calories per 8.5 ounces
Mimosa about 75 calories per 4 ounces
Long Island Iced Tea about 780 ounces per 7 ounces
Apple Martini about 148 calories per 3 ounces

My advice is to know how many calories are in the drink you choose.  Then, decide on how many you will drink.  Alternate an alcoholic drink with water.  Use infused vodkas instead of mixers and fruit juices - there are less calories.

There is no reason to avoid parties, just decide what to drink before you go.