Discover the calorie count of your most-loved holiday drinks!
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be taken as medical / diet advice, if in doubt, you should seek advice from your trusted medical professional or nutrition expert.
Christmas is a time of year when it can be easy to get swept away in the festivities and indulge in a few too many goodies. But have you ever stopped to consider the calories contained in your favourite festive drinks?
This topic is sure to hit the spot with our readers, who may be health-conscious and on the lookout for treats that don’t pile on the pounds during the holidays.
To our surprise, we discovered that some of our all-time favourite holiday drinks are not as friendly as we thought in terms of their calorie count.
For example, a recent analysis revealed that just one 60ml glass of eggnog contains 335 calories–more calorific than a serving of UK supermarket Tesco’s 301-calorie Christmas Pudding? Or that a 125ml glass of mulled wine has 196 calories, thereabouts, which is the same as a 238-calorie Mr Kipling mince pie?
Yes, it’s hard to believe that these Christmas-time go-tos can be as calorific as munching on a mince pie! What’s more, drinking two glasses of these could add up to a quarter of your recommended daily calorie count.
As a guide, men should eat no more than 2,500 calories a day, and women should eat 2,000 or less.
We often forget to factor in the calorie count of our drinks in the holidays—think of the glasses of bubbly accompanying the Christmas turkey!
Here is the calorie content of seven Christmas cocktails head-to-head to show you just how calorific your festive tipples can be.
The calorie count of Christmas alcoholic drinks
A white Russian cocktail, which contains vodka and cream, was the next-most calorific with 246 calories. Its calorific equivalent equals eating three Celebrations chocolates (135 cal).
The traditional whisky cocktail, an old fashioned, contains 191 calories, which equates to the same number of calories as eating a portion of Pringles (160 cal). Needless to say, these popular Christmas tipples–if imbibed in regular quantities–could very easily add up over time.
In addition, based on alcohol advice charity Drinkware, a 50ml glass of Baileys Irish cream has about 153 calories.
Even a standard glass of prosecco has 108 calories, says Drinkaware.
A Buck's fizz, made with orange juice and champagne, has about 102 calories, making it one of the ‘healthier’ drinks on the Christmas drink list.
Making it even harder for people to keep track of their intake is the fact that drinks with alcohol content of more than 1.2 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume) do not need to display any calorie information in the UK.
Nutritionist Kim Pearson agrees that displaying the calories and sugar content on alcoholic drinks would help consumers be more aware of what they are drinking.
'It doesn’t help that manufacturers of alcoholic drinks are not obligated to state nutrition information on the packaging of their drinks', said Pearson.
'This information should be made easily accessible to consumers, just like it is with food and non-alcoholic drinks.'
'This would help consumers to be more aware of the empty calories and excess sugar they are consuming in Christmas cocktails and alcoholic drinks.'
Even if the holiday season is for fun and celebration, always bear in mind the caloric and sugar content of each of your holiday tipples and try to practise moderation.
What are your favourite Christmas drinks? Let us know in the comments below!
Christmas is a time of year when it can be easy to get swept away in the festivities and indulge in a few too many goodies. But have you ever stopped to consider the calories contained in your favourite festive drinks?
This topic is sure to hit the spot with our readers, who may be health-conscious and on the lookout for treats that don’t pile on the pounds during the holidays.
To our surprise, we discovered that some of our all-time favourite holiday drinks are not as friendly as we thought in terms of their calorie count.
For example, a recent analysis revealed that just one 60ml glass of eggnog contains 335 calories–more calorific than a serving of UK supermarket Tesco’s 301-calorie Christmas Pudding? Or that a 125ml glass of mulled wine has 196 calories, thereabouts, which is the same as a 238-calorie Mr Kipling mince pie?
Yes, it’s hard to believe that these Christmas-time go-tos can be as calorific as munching on a mince pie! What’s more, drinking two glasses of these could add up to a quarter of your recommended daily calorie count.
As a guide, men should eat no more than 2,500 calories a day, and women should eat 2,000 or less.
We often forget to factor in the calorie count of our drinks in the holidays—think of the glasses of bubbly accompanying the Christmas turkey!
Here is the calorie content of seven Christmas cocktails head-to-head to show you just how calorific your festive tipples can be.
Ready to celebrate the holidays? But be careful not to overindulge on your favourite drinks! Image: Freepik
The calorie count of Christmas alcoholic drinks
- Mulled Wine (125ml) - 196 cal
- Baileys/Irish cream liqueur (50ml) - 153 cal
- Buck’s Fizz (150ml) - 102 cal
- Eggnog (60ml) - 335 cal
- Prosecco (150ml) - 108 cal
- White Russian (60ml) - 246 cal
- Old Fashioned (60ml) - 191 cal
A white Russian cocktail, which contains vodka and cream, was the next-most calorific with 246 calories. Its calorific equivalent equals eating three Celebrations chocolates (135 cal).
The traditional whisky cocktail, an old fashioned, contains 191 calories, which equates to the same number of calories as eating a portion of Pringles (160 cal). Needless to say, these popular Christmas tipples–if imbibed in regular quantities–could very easily add up over time.
In addition, based on alcohol advice charity Drinkware, a 50ml glass of Baileys Irish cream has about 153 calories.
Even a standard glass of prosecco has 108 calories, says Drinkaware.
A Buck's fizz, made with orange juice and champagne, has about 102 calories, making it one of the ‘healthier’ drinks on the Christmas drink list.
Making it even harder for people to keep track of their intake is the fact that drinks with alcohol content of more than 1.2 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume) do not need to display any calorie information in the UK.
Nutritionist Kim Pearson agrees that displaying the calories and sugar content on alcoholic drinks would help consumers be more aware of what they are drinking.
'It doesn’t help that manufacturers of alcoholic drinks are not obligated to state nutrition information on the packaging of their drinks', said Pearson.
'This information should be made easily accessible to consumers, just like it is with food and non-alcoholic drinks.'
'This would help consumers to be more aware of the empty calories and excess sugar they are consuming in Christmas cocktails and alcoholic drinks.'
Even if the holiday season is for fun and celebration, always bear in mind the caloric and sugar content of each of your holiday tipples and try to practise moderation.
What are your favourite Christmas drinks? Let us know in the comments below!
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