12 Days of Healthy Holiday Eating: Day #4

On the fourth day of Christmas, my dietitian said to me…

Drinks are not as harmless as you think.

Drinks may seem like a way to limit your caloric intake because you are not eating, but that is not the case. Alcohol contains calories and those calories can add up fairly quickly after a couple of drinks. If you are really trying to watch your caloric intake it would be best to stick to non-alcoholic drinks. However if you are going to partake in drinking alcoholic beverages, it would be beneficial to switch to lighter alcoholic beverages like light beers or wine spritzers. It’s also a good idea to drink a glass of water in between your drinks. This helps keep your caloric intake down, since water has no calories, and it helps keep you hydrated so you avoid a hangover the next morning. A popular drink around the holidays is eggnog, but a mere 4 ounces is about 150 calories. Therefore, here is a recipe to help keep the calories down while still enjoying a holiday favorite:

Recipe: ‘Skinny’ Eggnog

1-cup skim milk

1/4 tsp. rum extract

Dash of ground cinnamon

Dash of ground nutmeg

Sugar substitute to taste

Pour ice-cold milk into a lidded container and shake vigorously. Add rum extract and sugar substitute and shake again. Pour into a tall glass, sprinkle with spices and add low-fat whipped topping, if desired.

One 8-oz. serving, 86 calories