The Synergytraining Blog

The alcohol content of our most popular beverages varies, so it is important to know exactly what percentage of alcohol is in any given drink if one is wanting to limit all the empty calories. The following percentages are usually contained in each standard drink -five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof (40% alcohol) distilled liquor.

• Beer: 5% alcohol
• Wine: 12% alcohol
• 100 proof liquor: 50% alcohol
• 80 proof liquor: 40% alcohol

The caloric content and nutrient breakdown of several popular alcohol choices follows.

Beer:

One Can Of Regular 4-5% Alcohol Beer Contains:

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  • 14 milligrams of sodium (1%).
  • 12.6 grams of carbohydrates (4%).
  • 1.6 grams of protein.
  • 14.2 milligrams of calcium.
  • 96.1 grams of potassium.

Total Calories: 153 (includes 97 calories from alcohol).

One Can Of Low Alcohol (2.3% Alcohol) Beer Contains:

•  
  • 34.7grams of carbohydrates (12%).

Total Calories: 139.

One Can Of Lite Beer Contains:

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  • 14 milligrams of sodium.
  • 5.9 grams of carbohydrates.
  • 0.98 grams of proteins.
  • 14.4 milligrams of calcium.
  • 75.6 milligrams of potassium.

Total Calories: 105 (includes 78 calories from alcohol).

Wine:

One Glass Of Champagne Contains:

•  
  • 2 grams of carbohydrates.

Total Calories: 85 (includes 77 calories from alcohol).

One Glass Of Dessert Wine (Sweet) Contains:

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  • 9 milligrams of sodium.
  • 14.1 grams of carbohydrates.
  • 0.1 milligrams of calcium.
  • 0.9 milligrams of potassium.

Total Calories: 165 (includes 110 calories from alcohol).

One Glass Of Reduced Alcohol (6%) Wine Contains:

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  • 10 milligrams of sodium.
  • 13.3 milligrams of calcium.
  • 130.2 milligrams of potassium.
  • 1.7 grams of carbohydrate.

Total Calories: 74 (including 66 calories from alcohol).

One Glass Of Red Wine (Claret) Contains:

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  • 4.4 grams of carbohydrate.
  • 0.1 grams of protein.

Total Calories: 123 (including 105 calories from alcohol).

One Glass Of Table Wine Contains:

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  • 7 milligrams of sodium.
  • 4 grams of carbohydrate.
  • 0.1 grams of protein.
  • 11.8 milligrams of calcium.
  • 146.5 milligrams of potassium.

Total Calories: 124 (including 108 from alcohol)/

One Glass Of White Wine (Riesling, Chablis) Contains:

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  • 5.5 grams of carbohydrate.
  • 0.1 grams of protein.

Total Calories: 120 (including 98 calories from alcohol).

One Glass Of White Sparkling Wine Contains:

•  
  • 4 grams of carbohydrates (all of white are sugars).

Total Calories: 93 (including 77 calories from alcohol)

Liquors:

One Ounce Of Gin (40% Alcohol) Contains:

•  
  • 0.6 milligrams of potassium.

Total Calories: 64 from alcohol content.

One Ounce Of Rum (40% Alcohol) Contains:

•  
  • 0.6 grams of potassium.

Total Calories: 64 from alcohol content.

One Ounce Of Vodka (40% Alcohol) Contains:

•  
  • 0.6 milligrams of potassium.

Total Calories: 64 from alcohol content.

One Ounce Of Whiskey (40% Alcohol Contains):

•  
  • 0.6 milligrams of potassium.

Total Calories: 64 from alcohol content.

Liqueurs:

One Nip Of Baileys Irish Cream Contains:

•  
  • 5.8 grams of fat (3.5 grams of this saturated fat).
  • 14 milligrams of cholesterol.
  • 33 milligrams of sodium.
  • 7.4 grams of carbohydrate.
  • 1.2 grams of protein.

Total Calories: 121 (including 35 from alcohol).

One Nip Of Ouzo (40% Alcohol) Contains:

•  
  • 11 grams of carbohydrate (10.9 of this is sugar).

Total Calories: 103 (including 70 from alcohol).

One Nip Of Schnapps (40% Alcohol) Contains:

•  
  • 7 grams of carbohydrate.

Total Calories: 100 (including 70 from alcohol).

One Nip Of Curacao (35% Alcohol) Contains:

•  
  • 6 grams of carbohydrate.

Total Calories: 95 (including 56 from alcohol).

One Nip Of Amaretto (38% Alcohol) Contains:

•  
  • 17 grams of carbohydrate.

Total Calories: 110 (including 42 from alcohol).

One Nip Of Coffee Liqueur Contains:

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  • 3 milligrams of sodium.
  • 11.2 grams of carbohydrate (all sugars).
  • 0.3 milligrams of calcium.
  • 10.4 milligrams of potassium.

Total Calories: 107 (including 63 from alcohol).

What Are The Best Alcohol Choices?

If you really have to drink, what are the best choices? Some lower calorie brands to hit the market are showing promise, as are some of the more traditional alternatives.

 What’ll You Have?

As shown above, total caloric content of various alcoholic drinks varies, with beer generally containing the highest number, considering the smaller amount of alcohol found in this drink compared with others. Various spirits (also known as liquor) generally contain around 64 calories per nip, but these do add up depending on the strength of the drink (for example, a double will contain two nips, or 128 calories).

Combine this with one glass of coke (around 180 calories, 95% of these from sugars) and your typical bourbon and coke could supply 308 calories – double the number found in the average can of beer. Wine generally contains around 100 to 125 calories per medium sized glass. It also contains more alcohol than beer given the same volume, making it a better choice calorie-wise, as less would be consumed at any one sitting.

Liqueurs, although usually around 100 calories per nip, are often consumed with other, often-higher calorie mixers such as coke or milk to make cocktails, bumping the calorie content way up. Baileys Irish Creme, one of the highest calorie alcohols, contains 121 calories per nip, with a comparatively low alcohol content (17% compared to around 25-35 for most liqueurs). It is usually consumed 2-3 nips at a time given its lower alcohol strength. It is definitely one worth avoiding if weight loss is the aim.

The worst alcohol choices would be the cream based drinks such as eggnog (340 calories without the alcohol) and an Amaretto Sour (includes tequila and orange juice and contains 421 calories). The highest calorie cocktail of the all would be the Vodka Mudslide, which contains coffee liqueur, Irish cream and vanilla ice cream and supplies 820 calories.

It would be better to drink a smaller quantity of liqueur with a healthier, lower calorie base such as trim milk or tomato juice (the latter being the base for a Bloody Mary cocktail).

Given alcohol taste is an individual matter, and people will usually choose what they like, rather than what they are advised to consume based on the health content of the drink, it is no easy task trying to persuade someone to change their drinking habits. The above information can however be used by one who is wanting to make some physical changes by lowering the overall caloric content of what they drink.

You’re Looking At Several Hundred Calories.

Some more general guidelines follow:

1.       Drink alcohol with a lower caloric value, and a higher alcohol percentage (like wine for example). Less will be consumed, meaning lower overall calorie consumption.

2.       Avoid high calorie liqueurs, as these are extremely deceptive (they taste so good) and will add enormously to overall caloric content.

3.       Keep healthy food on hand when drinking. As mentioned, drinking will relax the inhibitions and cause one to compromise their nutritional habits.

4.       If drinking beer, try a lower calorie alternative. Also, drink diet sodas with various spirits to significantly lower the calorie content of these drinks.

5.       Drink water between alcoholic drinks as this will increase feelings of fullness and may help to prevent over consumption of alcohol.

Can One Drink & Lose Weight?

So what is one to do? Given alcohol plays a large role in celebration and social cohesion, can one completely refrain from its use? It really depends on the goals a person has. Most could probably consume moderate levels of alcohol (two or three standard drinks three to four times per week) without any problem.

Larger amounts (over seven drinks at any one time), often described as binge drinking, can cause major problems and probably should not be advocated. Maintaining reasonable levels of health, while enjoying a few drinks – using moderation as the key – should be no problem. However, athletes – who definitely are not your average population – wanting to improve performance, and those wanting to lose weight are a different issue entirely.

Alcohol, as shown, will negate any efforts to lose body fat and will alter performance for the worst. The best advice would be to totally abstain until performance and weight loss goals are obtained.

Ray Audette, author of the NeanderThin Diet, provides sound advice for anyone wanting to lose weight while drinking alcohol. Remember, to be at your best physically you can’t have it both ways and Mr Audette provides a good rational as to why.

“Don’t Drink Alcohol[.] It is best not to consume alcohol in any amount from any source. Alcohol is a by-product of yeast digestion (the yeast equivalent of urine) and is known to damage the stomach, kidneys, and liver. Alcohol adds fat principally by producing cravings for both it and other carbohydrates (see snack trays at any bar) and even other addictive substances (ask any former smoker.) It is almost impossible to drink alcohol and follow the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. If you must drink, do so only on special occasions (once or twice a year) and stick to alcohols derived from fruit (wine and champagne.)”

References:

1.        Buemann, B., Toubro, S., & Astrup, A. (2002). The effect of wine or beer versus a carbonated soft drink, served at a meal, on ad libitum energy intake. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 26, 1367-1372.

2.        Borushek, A. (2006). CalorieKing alcohol information. [Online]

3.        Shape Fit. (2006). How alcohol effects your weight loss – alcohol calories and fat. [Online]

4.        Tremblay, A., & St-Pierre, S. (1996). The hyperphagic effect of a high-fat diet and alcohol intake persists after control for energy density. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63, 479-482.