It’s summer, we get it. Especially around the fourth of July weekend, you’re partying a little more than usual. Aside from all that alcohol adding up, your sugar levels might be going through the roof. In one day, a man should have less than 37.5 grams and a woman should have less than 25 grams. Two Long Island Iced Teas later and you’re going to be way over that limit.
Sugars like those found naturally in fruit are actually needed by your body to fuel it. The real danger to your body is added sugar. Find out just which drinks are drowning in the stuff and helping you pack on the pounds.
Beer – 0 grams
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I’m not trying to say that beer is healthy or anything, but if you think passing up a beer in favor of a vodka tonic is going to save you from a “beer belly,” you are sadly mistaken.
Light Beer – 0.3 grams
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Light beer is brewed with a low-sugar extract, which makes it have less calories, less alcohol, and a little more sugar than actual beer. It’s not much and it’s also not added sugar.
Vodka Tonic – 18.8 grams
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Although vodka itself has no sugar, tonic is loaded with the stuff. It looks like water, it starts out like water, but it’s actually more like adding a glass of Sprite to your vodka.
White Wine – 1.4 grams
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Color is less important than whether it is dry or sweet. Reach for a dry wine to get less sugar, like Pinot grigio or Sauvignon blanc.
Red Wine – 0.9 grams
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The average is 0.9 grams per ounce but you could follow the example of Titus Andromedon and try Pinot Noir instead, which has only 0.68 grams.
Strawberry Daiquiri – 42 grams
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It’s fine to get a daiquiri on vacation, but you might want to avoid having one every day. To put it in perspective, a slice of chocolate cake typically only has 30 grams of sugar.
Manhattan – 3 grams
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Made from vermouth, whiskey, and bitters, a Manhattan isn’t the worst cocktail to have sugar-wise – just don’t drink twenty of them.
Martini – 0 grams
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James Bond might have been on to something. Hard liquors have no sugar, so martinis are a good bet if you’re trying to ease up on the sweet stuff. That being said, they still have calories, so don’t go having too many.
Margarita – 4.3 grams
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One part Cointreau, one part lime juice, and two parts Tequila make up a classic Margarita. Like a Manhattan, it’s not the worst cocktail to have, but still, just stick with one.
Bloody Mary – 5.1 grams
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Hey, Bloody Mary’s are actually fairly nutritious (kinda). It’s tomatoes and often celery and olives. I don’t know about it really fixing a hangover, but, hey, if you need one after a night of partying, it’s not the worst idea.
Long Island Iced Tea – 33.3 grams
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If chocolate cake has 30 grams and Long Island Iced Tea has 33.3 grams, I’d recommend having one, but not both.
Tequila Sunrise – 18 grams
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The amount of sugar in Tequila Sunrise is equal to four Keebler Deluxe Chocolate Chips Cookies. Choose wisely.
Sex on the Beach – 18 grams
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The amount of sugar in a Sex on the Beach is equal to a serving of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bars. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the chocolate.
Whiskey Sour – 13.5 grams
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While whiskey may not have any sugar, you, unfortunately, screw that up by making a whiskey sour because you need to add sugar yourself to make it.
Cuba Libre – 10.4 grams
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The sugar here is all coming from the Coke. You could switch out the regular Coke for Diet Coke, but just keep in mind that it’s not much better. The artificial sweeteners have actually been shown to lead to weight gain.
Mojito – 28 grams
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A mojito is another drink where you’re adding the sugar yourself, so at least you know how much is going in. For the record, a mojito has seven more grams of sugar than a package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Cosmopolitan – 11.4 grams
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Not great, but not awesome. The cranberry juice is what messes you up here, unfortunately. Fruit juices are usually pretty high in sugar.
Jack and Coke – 32.5 grams
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You could save this drink from drowning in sugar by going with Diet Coke, like in Cuba Libre, but, again, you might just be hurting yourself more by doing so.
Screwdriver – 14.4 grams
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Made from vodka and orange juice, a Screwdriver’s sugar is coming completely from fruit juice.