THE most wonderful time of the year might not be so wonderful for your waistline.
Alongside stodgy, carb-heavy foods are high-calorie drinks that are easy to over-consume. Not only will you be left with a sore head the next day, but come January, your jeans might be feeling a little more snug than they usually do.
Almost two thirds (64 per cent) of Brits intend to drink more alcohol over Christmas than they typically would at other times of the year, according to research by Drinkaware.
And 55 per cent of drinkers admit that they’ll have more spontaneous drinking occasions over the festive period than the rest of the year.
No amount of alcohol is good for us. But if we’re going to booze, we may as well avoid the calorie traps and go for something a little lighter.
We’ve rounded up the low calorie options to go for this festive season and the ones you might want to enjoy sparingly…
The best low-calorie festive tipples
1. Winter Berry Spritz 4%, £5 (M&S)
For just 85 calories, you can enjoy a 125ml glass of this spritz with flavours of raspberry, blackberry and mulled spices.
But Maz Packham, nutritionist at W-Wellness, warns that there are sulphites in this drink, which are chemical compounds that act as preservatives in alcoholic drinks.
“These are tolerated by most people, but can trigger reactions in sensitive people, such as headaches, asthma flare-ups, gut issues or skin irritation,” he says.
Cutting back on alcohol? The M&S Winter Berry Spritz no-booze option contains just 48 calories but it does come with a high 12g of sugar per 100ml, so enjoy in moderation.
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2. Vineyards Mulled Wine, £3.50 (Tesco)
With just 86 calories per 125ml glass, this is one of the lowest calorie mulled wine options we found.
It’s also one of the cheaper shop-bought mulled wine options.
“Mulled wine is almost always higher in sugar than regular red wine because often extra sugar or fruit juice needs to be added to balance the bitterness of the spices and to enhance the sweet taste of the drink when it’s heated,” says Maz.
You could try making your own mulled wine, which still requires adding sugar to red wine and spices (about 4 tbsp per 750ml bottle).
However, you can control exactly how much goes in and may be able to use less or switch to a sweetener.
3. Shloer Zero Calorie Sparkling White Grape, £1.50 (Morrisons)
For something fizzy that contains just four calories per 100ml, no sugar and no booze, this is a great option.
However, as Maz warns, zero and low calorie drinks still need to get their flavour from somewhere.
“In this case, it comes from sucralose, an artificial sweetener, along with acidity regulators, preservatives (potassium sorbate) and added colour,” he says.
“While fine occasionally, this is still a highly processed drink, not a naturally low-sugar product.
“Ideally choose options with minimal ingredients, no artificial sweeteners and no added colours or preservatives.”
4. Mighty Brew Heritage Jasmine Bellini Organic Kombucha, £10.50 (Ocado)
Your gut will be grateful if you pick up a bottle of this kombucha – a fermented tea drink that contains probiotics, beneficial bacteria which help maintain a healthy gut.
Supposedly a non-alcoholic twist on the classic peach bellini, each 100ml glass contains just 18 calories and 3.7g of sugar.
“The small amount of unrefined cane sugar is needed for the fermentation process and mostly consumed by the kombucha bacteria and yeast,” says Maz.
“This is free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives and additives making it a cleaner, more gut-friendly choice.”
5. SLIM Wine Zero Sugar – Zero Carbs’ Sparkling Italian White, £10 (Tesco)
Yes, you can drink a glass of fizz without the sugar hit that usually comes with sparkling wine!
This SLIM wine, made from Champagne grapes Pinot and Chardonnay, contains just 30 calories for a 125 ml glass with 0g of sugar, carbs and fat.
Although it might not have much of an impact on your waistline, just be careful if you are sensitive to sulphites.
“Many sparkling wines have higher sulphite levels in them than natural still wines,” warns Maz.
6. Laurent Perrier Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Champagne, £65 (Ocado)
Brut Nature is the lowest sugar Brut, which is a term for sparkling wine.
It typically contains less than 3g of sugar per serving, while a glass of this only racks up about 90 cals.
“Brut Nature is a better choice for anyone watching their sugar intake or wanting to avoid big blood sugar spikes,” says registered nutritionist Alison Bladh.
“Any dry sparkling wine or Champagne with ‘Brut Nature’ or ‘Extra Brut” on the label will offer a similar lower sugar profile.”
7. Gordons Gin and Slim, £2.25 (Sainsbury’s)
Save the hassle of mixing your own drink and buy a premade spirit and mixer instead.
This Gordons can contains just 83 calories and has 1.25 shots of gin along with slimline tonic.
“The slimline tonic keeps sugar low but it contains artificial sweeteners which some people prefer to avoid,” says Alison.
Research published in the journal Advances in Nutrition found that some sweeteners can actually increase flatulence – something you might already be experiencing if you have too many sprouts!
“But, enjoying sweeteners now and then, like in a slimline gin and tonic, is unlikely to cause harm for most,” the expert adds.
For a no sugar, no sweetener option, try making your own drinks with gin, soda water and a squeeze of lime.
8. Moth: Espresso Martini, £3.80 (Tesco)
At a bar, an espresso martini might pack in around 300 calories but this drink contains around half that at 165.
“As ready-to-drink cocktails go, this one has a refreshingly short ingredients list which is a positive indicator of minimal processing,” says Maz.
“However, it still contains 14g of sugar per can, almost half of the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily upper limit for free sugars.
“It equates to about three teaspoons.”
Free sugars included added ones, as well as sugars found naturally in honey and unsweetened fruit juices.
“This cocktail also has a high alcohol content at 14.9 per cent delivering two units of alcohol per can, slightly higher than a small glass of wine or pint of beer which are roughly 1.5 to two units each,” says Maz.
“Althoguh this is a higher-quality option from an ingredients perspective, it’s still best to be enjoyed mindfully and occasionally.”
And the drinks best enjoyed as a one-off…
1. Baileys x Terry’s Chocolate Orange Irish Cream Liqueur, £11 (Morrisons)
Creamy Bailey’s mixed with one of the most popular Christmas chocolates is never going to be a waistline friendly option.
A 50ml serve, poured over ice, contains 139 calories, 10g of sugar and a huge 7g of fat.
“These creamy festive drinks are essentially liquid desserts which can add up quickly,” says Alison.
Rather than sip on this all day, have one, then switch to your favourite spirit served on its own or over ice to avoid the sugar and fat load.
Or try Baileys Deliciously Light which contains 94 calories per 50ml serve.
2. Tiramisu Rum Liqueur, Taste the Difference, £15 (Sainsbury’s)
A tasty blend of Caribbean rum, dark chocolate and coffee, this contains a moderate 51 calories per 25ml shot, but as a liqueur it likely comes laden with sugar.
“A liqueur is an alcoholic drink with added sugar and flavourings, often with cream, chocolate, coffee or fruit,” says Alison.
“That extra sugar is what makes them taste so smooth and dessert-like, but it’s also what pushes up the calories compared with a simple spirit and mixer.
“Liqueurs are often the sweetest alcoholic drink on the table and they are easy to overdo because they taste gentle and not very alcoholic.”
Alison suggests swapping this for a small measure of dark rum over ice or mixed with soda to keep calories and sugar lower.
3. Festive Spice Winter Cider, £2.60 (M&S)
A 500ml bottle of this winter drink made with apples and seasonal spices contains 240 calories, which isn’t overly excessive – but Alison warns that cider is notoriously a high-sugar drink.
“It’s made with apple juice, added sugar and clementine juice from concentrate, plus an acidity regulator and sulphites, so it is quite sweet and not ideal for anyone sensitive to sulphites,” she says.
“Cider in general tends to contain more sugar than wine or spirits.
“You can make your own mulled cider by starting with an extra dry cider; this keeps sugar lower.
“You can also dilute the mulled cider with hot water which reduces the sugar content per serving without losing too much flavour.”
To make your own, mix 500ml extra-dry cider with the zest and slices of an orange, zest of half a lemon, small thumb of sliced fresh ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods and vanilla extract. Use 250ml hot water to dilute.
4. Belvoir Mulled Winter Punch, £2.50 (Ocado)
Ideal as a booze-free mulled wine, this might be low in calories with just 68 calories per small glass, but it packs in an incredibly high 17g of sugar per serve – more than four teaspoons!
“The fruit concentrates in this push the natural sugar content right up,” warns Alison.
“Instead, dilute half and half with sparkling water or opt for a warm herbal tea with festive spices such as cinnamon and cloves.”
