‘Tis the season for some holiday drinkin’! 🥂 

While many people are aware of the over-eating that can happen during the holiday season, the over-drinking isn’t talked about as much. And this isn’t to say that enjoying a cocktail, glass of wine, or seasonal treat is a bad thing – we’re definitely not about that all-or-nothing thinking! But it’s still something to be aware of. 

Most holiday or seasonal drinks, just like food, tend to be higher in calories, fat, and sugar content. So, how do you navigate this? How do you find balance between enjoying and celebrating your favorite drinks, and continuing to honor your health goals?

You know we got you girly 🤗 Let’s get right to it!

Holiday Drinking Health Hacks

We love a good health hack 😍 We’re going to break down our favorite tips & tricks for holiday drinks! 

1. Eggnog

Starting strong with a comfort drink that just SCREAMS holidays! 🎄 It’s no secret that eggnog isn’t a “light” beverage. Its main ingredients are eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and your beverage of choice – typically rum or whiskey. 

There are a few different approaches for this one. First, simply enjoy a cup of eggnog every now and then! What impacts your health most is what you do MOST of the time, not what you do just a couple of times per year. 

Now, if eggnog is your thing and you want to drink it regularly throughout the holiday season – that’s okay too! There are some ways you can healthify it… You can make it yourself rather than getting store-bought. (Homemade is always healthier!) We love this recipe, but a simple Google or Pinterest search will give you plenty of ideas!

If making it from scratch feels like too much work (you’re busy, we get it), you can always buy it at the store too! We’d recommend buying the kind without the booze already mixed in, that way you can control the alcohol content. Also, look at those nutrition facts and ingredients lists! Look for the one with the fewest amount of ingredients (that include REAL food, not just fillers), and keep an eye on that added sugar. 

2. Sangria

Mmmm sangria 😍🍷 We love her. She can also get super high in added sugar if you’re not careful. (Hello headache the next day!) So… how do we get all the yumminess of sangria without all the added sugar?!

The JUICE. When adding juice to your sangria – like orange, lemon, apple, pineapple, etc. – use freshly squeezed! You’ll save yourself tons of added sugar, plus it will taste way better! Do it yourself if you can, or buy the fresh stuff if you can’t. Either way, freshly squeezed is the way to go!

3. Wine → Wine Spritzer

This one is great for parties! It’s fun, it’s light, and it makes the wine last longer (which saves money)! Wins all around. 

💥 Fierce Fact: Did you know there can be anywhere from 450-1,200 calories in a bottle of wine?! 

To make a red wine spritzer you can do a 1:1 ratio of wine to sparkling water, and for white wine you can do 3 parts wine to 1 part sparkling water (yes, they’re different!). And of course, adding fresh or frozen fruit is a fun touch!

We wouldn’t recommend using a super nice bottle of wine for this since you’re diluting it, but a solid middle of the road wine will work perfectly!

4. Have a glass of water between drinks.

This will save you calories AND a headache the next day 🙌🏼 While your friends & family are sleeping in and recovering the next morning, you’ll be out enjoying a farmer’s market or a morning yoga class. Trust us, your body will thank you if you alternate with water!

5. Mind your mixers.

It’s no secret that alcohol in itself is not great for you. But what takes it that extra step are the mixers we put in it. You can choose to mix your liquor with something hydrating and containing nutritious value (think sparkling water, fresh produce, homemade mixes, etc), or you can choose things that will just add to those empty calories (think store-bought mixers, simple-syrups, juices, etc).

When you’re out and ordering a drink, the simpler the better. Either get something you can sip neat or on the rocks (no mixer), use soda water as a mixer (like a vodka soda), or beer/wine. Or if you’re really craving a margarita, daiquiri, or something else that’s high in sugar, maybe stick to just one or two. 

Again, keep in mind that it’s what you do MOST that makes the biggest impact. So don’t stress about having a few drinks that are outside your typical calorie/sugar scope. It’s when it’s a regular thing that you want to explore these hacks!

Host Hacks – Holiday Edition

We absolutely LOVE hosting. And it’s important to make sure your guests are comfortable, having fun, and want to keep coming back! So what does that look like in practice? To sum it up – make sure there’s something for everyone.

Be sure to have non-alcoholic options.

Not everyone will want to drink. Or maybe they’ll want one alcoholic beverage, but that’s it. And just because someone doesn’t want alcohol, doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t a fun festive drink as well! So ditch the plain water and soda, and serve something delicious! 

Maybe that’s fruit infused water, which is also GORGEOUS in a pitcher or drink dispenser! Here are some of our favorites:

• Citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon, or lime)
• Cucumber mint
• Mixed berry (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry).

But play around with different combinations, you really can’t go wrong here!

Maybe use sparkling water instead of flat water (our Soda Stream is our best friend 🫶🏼). This is one that’s so simple, yet makes you feel fancier immediately!

If you want to be the fanciest of them all, make up a mocktail that will leave everybody speechless 🍹 Your sober friends, designated drivers, under 21 guests, and people who simply don’t want alcohol will be grateful!

Serve lighter/healthier drinks.

Remember all those health hacks we talked about in the first half of this post? Use them when you’re hosting! Ditch the processed juices and mixers, and lean on freshly squeezed fruit juice, sparkling water, and fresh produce. They’ll taste better, look better, and be healthier!

Being the hostess with the mostess and making it through the holidays with your goals in tact is in reach! Take a deep breath, focus, and go crush it 👑