With the weather starting to look and feel like summer, it’s time we talked refreshments; alcoholic ones to be exact. Cocktails are the perfect side kick to have when it’s time for your afternoon ‘me time’ session, but unfortunately having too many will not only leave you feeling terrible the next morning, but it won’t sit too well with your body health-wise. Although cocktails are deliciously refreshing, they are more than often loaded with artificial sugars while locking in a high calorie content. But fear not, there are a few sneaky ways for you to enjoy a cocktail while reaping the benefits of its ingredients. Here’s our list of essential ingredients to ensure that your summer cocktails make for a happy time and tummy.
Fresh fruit and vegetables.
This is a great opportunity for you to start easing yourself into drinking your fruit and veggies. By using fruit in your alcoholic concoctions, you’ll be sweetening your drink naturally without all the nasties. To get the best flavour out of your fruits it’s best to use them ASAP as you’ll be getting the nutritional value too! Opt for summer fruits like strawberries and blueberries or try out grapefruit or lemon juice for the zesty flavour we know you love.
In terms of mixing alcohol with vegetables, your options are not endless, but they are limited. Strong, vegetable flavours can make or break a drink so play it safe by using veggies like cucumber, carrots or even ginger. Hey, don’t knock it till you try a cucumber martini, ’nuff said.
Low cal alcohol.
One of the best aspects of alcohol is the fact that more than majority of the strong (good) stuff has a low calorie content. They will now become your best friends (we already knew they were) when preparing your summer cocktail. Think vodka, gin, whisky and rum, they’ll take care of you during the heated months.
Sparkling water.
Sparkling water is another low calorie option to ensure that your summer doesn’t get too out of hand. It’ll also give you that bubbly feeling a good cocktail deserves. But although sparkling water contains zero calories, bare in mind that it also has zero nutritional value.
