Outdoor picnics, crazy barbecues, sunny aperitifs… in summer more than any time of the year, there is no shortage of opportunities to get together with friends or family. Festive moments of conviviality during which cocktails are often welcome to refresh yourself and celebrate the sunny days (always in moderation). However, for people who are careful about their figure, it is important to know that from a nutritional point of view, cocktails sometimes hide many more calories than you might think.
Behind their apparent lightness, some can actually turn out to be real calorie bombs. This is particularly the case for a very popular cocktail during the summer season: we have named the famous aperol spritz. Far from us the idea of wanting to break you in your delirium, but know that your favorite summer cocktail can completely sabotage the slimming goals that you had set for yourself. Very appreciated for its pretty live orange color, its refreshing effect and its slight bitterness, the spritz actually contains a significant amount of calories.
The spritz with more calories than it looks?
The classic Aperol Spritz recipe consists of three main ingredients: Aperol, an Italian aperitif made with bitter oranges and aromatic herbs, Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine, and a splash of soda water. Not something to get excited about, but still! Aperol contains about 110 calories per 100 ml, and Prosecco adds about 70 calories per 100 ml. A typical glass of Aperol Spritz can easily contain up to 150 to 200 calories, or even more depending on the quantity served and the number of glasses consumed. Suffice to say that this is far from negligible.
Especially since if we compare the spritz with other popular cocktails, we realize that it is not the only one to be caloric. A mojito, for example, can contain around 150 calories per glass, mainly because of the sugar and rum, while a pina colada can reach 250 to 300 calories per glass, because of the coconut milk and rum. We will then prefer to opt for a gin and tonic considered a relatively light cocktail, with more or less 100 to 120 calories per glass.
A question of moderation
If the ideal would obviously be to reduce your alcohol consumption as much as possible, both for your figure and for your health, it is also not forbidden to treat yourself from time to time. With a few precautions and wise choices, it is entirely possible to enjoy these delicious drinks without feeling guilty. To limit the impact of these calorie-laden drinks, moderation is more than ever the key.
It is also recommended to favor cocktails made with fresh fruit juice without added sugar, which also include lighter alcohols such as vodka or gin.
And why not turn to low-sugar and low-calorie mocktails made with sparkling water or diet sodas, after all, don’t they say that without alcohol the party is crazier?
