How to have a guilt-free night out

Nights Out can punish not only our bank accounts but also our health. Ever thought about the amount of calories in that beer or that carb-tastic, post-drink pizza- no we haven’t either…until now: here at Licklist we’ve come up with some great tips on how to have a healthy, guilt-free night out- all the fun but less of the fat!

 

In recent news, there has been a calling for calorie labels to be put on drinks like beers, wine and spirits. It has been said that the majority of people have no idea how many calories their drinks contain… do you?

 

Well here at Licklist we’ve broken it down for you:

 

25ml Spirit (40%) = 61 calories

1 Flute of Champagne = 89 calories

1 Glass of Wine = 126-160 calories

1 Pint of Beer = 170 calories

1 Pint of Cider = 216 calories

1 Alcopop = 237 calories

 

So that means a standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate, and a pint of beer/lager has about the same calorie count as a packet of crisps!  That might not sound much but if you think about how long that takes to burn off, you’re looking at doing around a 20-minute jog- and that’s a lot of jogging if you’re on a night out! This guide also tells us, that the drink with the least amount of calorie content is spirits (that’s without the fizzy mixer, mind) and Alcopops are the highest, packing in 237 calories in every 330ml bottle of 5% fizzy pop!

 

Now, we know the last thing on your mind on a Friday night when you’re out drinking with friends, is the amount of calories you are consuming, but those health conscious of you might want to know some great tips on how to cut down easily:

 

Low Calorie Drinks

As mentioned, spirits like vodka or gin are amongst the lowest calorie content drinks. But instead of mixing that with an unhealthy amount of fizzy pop, perhaps swap that with cranberry juice or at least a diet alternative.

 

Healthy Hangover Food

Eating asparagus before you go out, or while you're drinking, can help prevent or ease a next-day hangover, as it boosts the levels of enzymes that break down alcohol after heavy drinking. You’re unlikely to find asparagus as a casual bar snack or in a mid-night take away, but if you find yourself stumbling into a take-away, you can still save calories by opting for a thin crust pizza, and choosing ‘veggie supreme’ instead of a ‘mighty meaty’.

 

Going for a fry-up instead of your usual bowl of cereal can add an extra 450kcal to the calorie count from the night before. However we know a bowl of cereal just might not cut it enough for some of you to cure that hangover, so why not try swapping that oily fry-up for a grilled/low-fat option, so you can still have that bacon you crave (fat cut off, of course).

 

 

Antioxidants, potassium, natural sugars, vitamins and digestive enzymes- these are things that are really going to help heal a hangover. You can find all these in fruits such as bananas and blueberries, so get some smoothie goodness down you too!

 

 

Keep on your Feet

I’m not referring to drunken disorderly behavior here (although you should probably bear that in mind too). I’m talking about swapping that taxi ride for walking. Whether you’re walking/crawling to the next pub or boogying on the dance-floor, we spend a lot of time on our feet on a night out, which turns out is pretty healthy! Did you know that by dancing, the average person could burn approximately 300 calories in an hour! So carry on dancing the night away, until your feet can’t take any more; then maybe you can reward yourself with some healthy alternative take-out. 

Remember you can still enjoy a great night out and stay healthy- see you on the dancefloor!

By Kayleigh Stevens