What alcohol is best to drink on a diet?

When you want to lose weight, you probably keep an eye on your calorie intake. Sure, cutting down the portion of certain foods to make sure you burn more calories than you consume comes with the territory. But one area that can be a little tricky to figure out? Understanding the lowest-calorie alcohols to drink for weight loss.

“People order the seemingly fun cocktails that are really more of a sugar bomb, like a daiquiri or frozen margarita,” explains Marissa Meshulam, RDN, the owner of MPM Nutrition. Having more than one of these drinks can really pile on the calories.

On top of all that, alcohol also tends to lower our inhibitions and makes it much harder to be mindful during meals, which can lead many of us to overeat or choose options we normally wouldn't, adds Meshulam. Not to mention the fact that hangovers, well, kind of suck. “If we wake up hungover, we are more likely to skip our normal workout class or grocery shopping and, instead, order a bagel and not move,” she says.

That said, you don't have to completely forgo happy hour and bonding time with friends and coworkers. Just like foods, certain types of alcohol are better for weight loss than others. You can still enjoy delicious drinks while limiting your calorie consumption. Here's all the details on the best low-calorie alcohols and better-for-you drinks you can order at a bar or DIY at home, according to experts.

Meet the experts: Marissa Meshulam, RD, specializes in helping patients with chronic diseases manage their conditions through nutrition.

Keri Gans, RD, is the author of The Small Change Diet, a book about making small tweaks in your life that will ultimately lead to long-lasting success.

Amy Gorin, RDN, is a nationally recognized expert in nutrition. She served as a judge for the 2018 UpwaRD program for up-and-coming RDNs, a 2018 and a 2017 Unilever Agent of Change, and an April 2016 Today’s Dietitian Magazine RD of the Day.

First, how many calories are in different types of alcohol?

In general, different types of alcohol have about the same number of calories, explains Amy Gorin, RDN, the owner of Plant Based With Amy. A 100-calorie drink on its own isn’t going to sabotage your goals, she adds. The truth is what makes a drink super filling isn’t the alcohol itself, but rather what that bartender is adding into your drink, like sugary mixes, simple syrups, etc.

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For reference, here’s a breakdown of each type of alcohol's calorie count:

• Vodka: One shot contains 97 calories (0 gram carbs, 0 gram sugar)
• Rum: One shot contains 97 calories (0 gram carbs, 0 gram sugar)
• Whiskey, bourbon, and scotch: One shot contains 105 calories (0.03 grams of carbs per ounce, 0.03 grams of sugar per ounce)
• Gin: One shot contains 110 calories (0 gram carbs, 0 gram sugar)
• Tequila: One shot contains 105 calories (0 gram carbs, 0 gram sugar)
• Champagne: One 4-ounce glass contains 90 calories (3 grams carbs, 1 gram sugar)
• Beer: One 12-ounce bottle contains 153 calories (13 grams carbs, 0 gram sugar)
• Wine: One 5-ounce glass of wine contains 123 calories (4 grams carbs, 1 gram sugar)
• Baileys: One shot contains 147 calories (11 grams carbs, 9 grams sugar)

The Best Low-Calorie Alcoholic Drinks For Weight Loss

Need a quick tip sheet for ordering a drink without maxing your weight-loss goals? Here are the *best* drink orders that include the most popular spirits, according to our pros.

1. Vodka Soda

Zero-calorie seltzer might be basic, but it also helps you stay within your calorie deficit and on track toward your weight-loss goals. Add a squeeze of fresh fruit for a little more party.

2. Rum and Diet Cola

Rather than your go-to rum and regular cola, make it a diet to easily reduce calories and sugar.

3. Rum and Unsweetened Black Tea

Here’s an alternative for people who don’t want to drink any kind of cola—make it a rum and unsweetened black tea, Gorin recommends. One cup of unsweetened black tea will only add about two calories to your bev.

4. Manhattan

Don Draper was on to something. If you don’t want to drink your whiskey straight, order a classic Manhattan (whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters), which keeps calories, carbs, and sugars low.

5. Gin Martini

Channeling your inner Bond will serve you well if you’re looking to lose weight. A gin martini with two olives is under 200 calories and contains virtually no sugar or carbs.

6. Paloma

The tangy pink drink, made with grapefruit and lime juice, is like a margarita without the extra calories. Opt for the fresh-squeezed stuff if you can rather than juice.

7. Champagne, Seltzer, and Fruit

A four-ounce glass of bubbly isn’t much—but you can fill up the rest of your flute with seltzer and fresh fruit or mint leaves for a drink that’s yummy and low-cal.

8. Light Beer

Opt for a light beer instead of the regular thing. It's a good way to still enjoy beer without the sam density as the usual bev, Gorin says.

9. Red Wine

Nutritionally, there’s not much difference between red wine and white wine, but there are other benefits in choosing a pinot noir over a chardonnay. Red wine might have some nutritional pros, like a possible boost to cardiovascular health, Gorin says.

10. Baileys and Coffee

Adding a 1.5-ounce shot of Baileys to a cup of decaf-only since coffee is both tasty and almost a no-cal, Gorin says.

11. Tequila and Lime Splash

Vodka or tequila with a splash of lime, lemon, or grapefruit juice, and soda is a great option for a little bit of kick and juice taste.

12. Vodka and Mint, Cucumber, and a Lime Wedge

Here’s a refreshing drink for you—take muddled mint and cucumber, fresh lime juice, and mix with vodka for a super-refreshing order.

13. Margarita Mixup

You can ask for specialty cocktails without the sugar, Meshulam says. For example, you can get a reduced-sugar margarita by asking for no agave.

14. Margarita on the Rocks

“Take a pass on fancy frozen drinks like daiquiris and order your margarita on the rocks,” says Gans.

15. Liquor with a Wedge

“Take tequila, vodka, or gin with club soda or seltzer,” says Gans. Then, add a single fruit wedge like grapefruit, lemon, or lime on the side.

What is the best way to order an alcoholic drink if you’re trying to lose weight?

Now that you know the best alcoholic drinks for weight loss, it’s time for you to think about how you’re going to order your drink exactly. Here are a few tips for your next tab.

• Keep your drinks simple. “Once you start using more than one type of booze, your calories really start to get up there,” says Keri Gans, RD, the author of The Small Change Diet. For example, if you can take your gin neat with a squeeze of fresh lime, your weight-loss goals will be better off than if you went for the standard, sugar-loaded G&T.
• Meet your new BFF: whiskey. Your best bet for ordering the lowest-calorie alcohol is starting with whiskey or scotch and adding water to help open up the vivid flavors, or a no-calorie mixer like club soda, says Gorin.
• Make an ingredient switch.You can always make a few simple swaps to help lower the number of calories in your original drink of choice. For instance, “ask for a margarita with less agave, [or] a mojito with less sugar,” says Gorin. Or ask if the bar is serving 100 percent juice or a juice cocktail, the latter of which is a keyword for added sugar and calories. Easy.
• Add all the fruits for flavor. If you want to give your alcohol an oomph, try adding fruits to your bevs, says Meshulam. “Get flavor from muddled fruit and herbs instead of juices, soda, or sugar,” says Meshulam, noting that adding splashes of lemon, lime, and soda water can elevate your fruit-filled drink.

Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist covering women’s equality. Her work focuses on sports, the gender gap across industries, and breaking down stigmas in women's health. She has over 2,000 bylines for outlets including Glamour, Marie Claire, Elle, Women's Health, SELF and Forbes. She's currently working on her first book on women's equality in sports. 

Sarah Bradley is a freelancer writer from Connecticut, where she lives with her husband and three sons. Her reported features and personal essays on parenting and women's health have appeared at On Parenting from The Washington Post, Real Simple, Women's Health, The Writer, Today's Parent, and Romper, among others. In her so-called "free time," Sarah is an amateur baker, homeschooler, and aspiring novelist.

Jackie Lam is the senior health editor at Women’s Health where she oversees health and weight loss content for the website and the Mind section of the print magazine. Originally from Hong Kong, she’s a journalist with more than 10 years of experience and a proud graduate of Cornell University and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. When she’s not at her laptop, she can be found experimenting with Japanese recipes in her kitchen with her husband as her main taste tester, discovering the latest in K-Pop, and dreaming up her next trips to Japan. 

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