Cinco de Mayo drink recipes for slimmer sipping

With sugar-free mixers, any drink can be skinny. (Madhu Menon)

Did you know that just one frozen margarita can have as many as 700 calories? You might as well drink a Whopper in a blender. With Cinco de Mayo upon us, there will undoubtedly be otherwise healthy revelers drinking fishbowl-sized margaritas in celebration.

Cinco de Mayo drinks don't have to burst your seams, though. Choose one of these low calorie versions, and you can save yourself a drive-through's worth of damage.

Low Calorie Cinco de Mayo Drink Recipe #1: The Latina Libre

Based on the Cuba Libre, with a Mexican twist and a fraction of the calories, this slimmed-down Cinco de Mayo drink recipe lets you save room for chips and salsa.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. tequila
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Diet cola 

Directions: Fill a rocks glass with ice and add tequila and lime juice. Top off with diet cola. Garnish with lime wedge.

Low Calorie Cinco de Mayo Drink Recipe #2: The Mexican Mule

A skinny Cinco de Mayo drink recipe with a gingery kick. The lack of heavy, syrupy sugars will let you kick up your heels.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. tequila
• 5 oz. diet ginger ale
• Juice of 1 lime

Directions: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass.

Want more slimming drink recipes for Cinco de Mayo? Try Bethenny Frankel's trademark Skinnygirl Margarita. She shows you how to shake one up in the following video.

The fantastic Hungry Girl website also has recipes for low cal margaritas that are fruity and fun.

Whichever skinny Cinco de Mayo drink floats your boat, remember that the best choice for weight control is to limit the drinks, even if they are low calorie. Try sipping water between each one to pace yourself.

Have fun, and make good choices!

-Liz Kelly