Cocktails and summer go hand-in-hand, but the calories take out all of the fun. Empty calories at that, you’re sipping on something that contributes nothing nutritionally but demands more of you at the gym. It’s practically a lose-lose. Except that there are ways to make “skinnier” cocktails, those with lower calories thanks to fresh ingredients rather than mixers.
“Some of these calories can end up being 600 calories, like a pina colada… rum and coke, all this crap is way way up there,” said Jillian Michaels about the calorie counts in popular cocktails. “But when you use little teeny bits of splashes of flavor, or fresh juices, soda water, and healthier things…the damage isn’t so bad.”
She’s one of the most popular and renowned fitness experts in the country, but did you know she’s also a former bartender? She created three cocktail recipes perfect for summer and each has 130 calories or less. That’s a steal that won’t land you in the gym a minute longer than you want to be.
Click each link to get the recipe and watch Jillian’s video demonstration.
“Nameless” Low-Calorie Summer Cocktail with vodka, cointreau, lemon, and mint. 120 calories
Sex on a Boat with silver tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and muddled fresh jalapenos. 120 calories
A Grassy Day with grass-flavored vodka, grapefruit juice, rosay, and club soda. 130 calories
As Jillian mentioned, the calorie-cutting keys to these cocktails are fresh ingredients, like citrus juice, mint, and peppers. Pre-made mixers from the grocery store are loaded with calories from sugar, artificial sweeteners, as well as food dyes and artificial colors.
Whichever trainer-approved cocktail you sip, it’s sure to go well with Jillian Michaels’ guacamole recipe from her Master Your Metabolism cookbook.