Happy hour in the summer time is the best. Soaking up the sunshine while grabbing a cocktail with friends on the patio is a great way to unwind. However, a lot of cocktails are loaded with sugar and calories, which could lead to weight gain if you go out a couple times a week. Avoid wreaking havoc on your waistline at happy hour with these 5 great tips for lightening up your summer cocktails!
- Cut the fruit juice in half and replace it with club soda. You’d be surprised how a little juice can go a long way! The same goes for simple syrup.
- Replace the fruit juice entirely with fresh fruit. Think muddled berries for mojitos or frozen mango for margaritas.
- Skip the bottled margarita mix you buy from the store and make your own at home. Even better, replace the mix completely with pureed fruit.
- Use fresh ingredients with a lot of flavor and not a lot of calories like: mint, cilantro, basil, ginger root, citrus fruit, etc.
- Use diet soda instead of regular. If you are looking to be adventurous, give kombucha a try!
For inspiration, try out any one of these 10 delicious, skinny summer cocktails:
- Frozen Ginger Mango Margarita via Dietitian Debbie Dishes
- Sotol Swizzle via Honestly Yum
- Blueberry Mint Fizz via Waiting on Martha
- Mango Cilantro Mojitos via A House in the Hills
- Guava Sangria via Style Me Pretty
- Raspberry Sparkler via The Gardenista
- Kombucha Moscow Mules via Cookie + Kate
- Cucumber, Mint, Gin Coolers via Heather Cristo
- Riesling, Strawberry Slushy via With Style and Grace Blog
- Peach Wine Slushies via Dessert for Two
Great tips for summertime! Tweeting this out Debbie π
saving this list for next summer when i can enjoy π
Perfect ideas – I love using just a splash of fruit juice and sparkling water mixed with a spirit.
I love this! I need to branch out of my margarita comfort zone!
Love these tips!! I am a huge fresh fruit, vodka and club soda fan π It’s the most refreshing cocktail and doesn’t have too many calories!
I have jury duty next week, so I think I’ll be making all of these π
Love your alternatives for classic cocktails. They’re ‘healthier’ options, so colorful and full of fruits. If you need more information about calorie, sugar or any other nutrients value, just try our Recipe Analyzer.