Are you getting ready for Super Bowl Sunday? When the Giants and the Patriots square off, you might be thinking you’re doing yourself a favor by sticking to the veggie tray and popcorn, but don’t forget about the calories in your cup. Liquid calories have a sneaky way of adding up. Here’s a look at what you might be packing on this Sunday if you’re not careful.
Beer On average, a 12 ounce serving of beer has 153 calories. That’s not too bad, but keep in mind that if you drink one, you’re probably going to drink another. These can add up very quickly, especially when you’re watching a long, drawn-out game like the Super Bowl with tons of commercials. Before you know it, you can put away 450 calories, without ever taking a bite.
Light Beer You may want to switch to light beer during the game. A 12 ounce serving of light beer has only 103 calories, so for every light beer you drink instead of a regular beer, you’ll save 50 calories. If you know you’re going to drink a few beers during the game, a good strategy is to make every other one a light beer.
Wine If wine is more to your liking, a 5 ounce serving of red wine has 127 calories. Dry white wines have 120 calories in a 5 ounce glass. Sweet white wines have 113 calories in a 5 ounce serving.
Margarita These will vary depending on who’s doing the mixing, but on average, a 3.3 fluid ounce margarita will set you back 153 calories. The big culprit here, however, is the sugar. As with most mixed drinks, margaritas are heavy on the sweet stuff, so be careful. It’s like booze-flavored cotton candy.
Mike’s Hard Lemonade There are several different flavors of these “alco-pop” brews, but let’s just go with the classic lemonade flavor. Everyone loves to serve these at parties and it’s very likely you’ll have them around to watch the Super Bowl. An 11.2 ounce bottle contains 240 calories.
Long Island Ice Tea Here’s where it really gets ugly. This drink is served in a tall glass, and contains several different ingredients, so the calories really pile up. An 8.3 fluid ounce Long Island Ice Tea has 276 calories, and 33 grams of sugar.
Soda Whether you choose Coke, Pepsi, or some other brand, on average a 12 ounce can of cola will contain 131 calories, and 32 grams of sugar. That number can be much higher, depending on the brand. Check the nutrition information on the can or bottle.
Fruit punch If you grew up with Hawaiian Punch, you may get a little nostalgic for that fruity, fizzy taste. But keep in mind that an 8 ounce serving has 120 calories and 29 grams of sugar.
Lemonade A somewhat lighter choice, an 8 ounce serving of lemonade has 100 calories and 27 grams of sugar.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that it’s very unlikely that you’ll only have one serving of any of these beverages while you watch the Super Bowl. So at 100 to 276 calories each, that can really pack on the pounds. A better solution is to stick with water, or flavored seltzers, which will have little to no calories. Take the all things in moderation approach. Plan to drink water or seltzer most of the day, and maybe have one or two of the other drinks during the game, and you’ll save yourself plenty of calories.
Talk it up:
What’s your drink of choice for the Super Bowl?
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