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To Drink or Not to Drink

By Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H.

Beach bonfire or backyard cookout, refreshing cocktails are bound to be part of the festivities in the summer. But if you're not careful, those fruity libations could add up to thousands of hidden calories. "Cocktails don't fill you up like food," explains Tara Gidus, M.S., R.D., of the American Dietetic Association. "If you start at noon, it's very easy to finish off the day with way too many drinks, particularly since women should only have one drink a day and men, two."

Five Drinks to Avoid
Daiquiri: With 4 ounces of mix and 1 ounce of liquor, a daiquiri weighs in at 305 calories -- almost all sugar! "A lot of these drinks are served in very large quantities (12 to 16 ounces)," says Gidus. Your 300-calorie drink can boast up to 800 calories.

Long Island Iced Tea: Using TGIFriday's mixer and a 12-ounce serving adds 520 calories to your daily intake.

Pina Colada: A 5-ounce glass nets 245 calories. Super-size it to 10 ounces and it's 490 calories.

Mixers: Just 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits is 65 calories. Add 6 ounces of calorie-laden soda or syrups and you're well over the calorie count for a "light" drink.

Bartles & James Wine Cooler: This seemingly harmless sparkling concoction sports 230 calories per 12-ounce bottle. Not slimming.

Five Drinks to Try
Mimosa (1:1 champagne and orange juice): At 130 calories, this traditional morning libation won't wreak havoc on your waistline. "And you'll get 100 percent of your vitamin C requirement from the orange juice," says Gidus.

Wine Spritzer: With 3 ounces of wine and 3 ounces of club soda, wine spritzers top out at about 60 calories and zero grams of fat.

Sangria: The combination of wine, fruit juice, club soda and fresh fruit makes for a low-cal, refreshing drink, about 80 calories.

Bloody Mary: A standard-size cocktail adds up to about 120 calories and you get a serving of vegetables to boot.

Wine: The typical 5-ounce glass weighs in at 125 calories. Opt for red and you'll get a healthy dose of disease-fighting chemicals called flavonols, too.