With a couple of easy swaps, you can transform almost any cocktail from a diet disaster to a light, breezy drink.
Try these simple tricks to make your favourite drinks a little lighter but just as tasty.
1. Choose lighter varieties of alcohol.
Darker alcohols contain a higher amount of congeners, which are toxic compounds that are created during fermentation. Congeners make hangovers worse, so try to stick to lighter alcohols such as gin or vodka to avoid a horrible hangover the next day.
2. Use club soda instead of sugary soda.
By using plain club soda you're avoiding the calories that come with soft drinks like colas.
3. Use fresh fruit juice.
Fresh fruit juice keeps your cocktail's ingredients natural. It also provides that dash of sweetness without the extra added sugars.
4. Garnish well.
Like you would with a sangria, pack all your cocktails with healthy fruits. Fruits will naturally add flavour and nutrition to your cocktail, making it easier to skip the artificially flavoured alcohols and mixers.
5. Use fat-free ingredients.
Creamy drinks call for ingredients like milk, cream, or condensed milk. So swap the heavy ingredients for fat-free versions of the same.
6. Add a dash of herbs.
Herbs will increase your cocktail's nutrition stats and flavour, and we're not talking only about mojitos. You can add fresh mint, thyme or basil to any cocktail you like. Crushing herbs releases even more healthy compounds, so make sure you give them a good squeeze.
7. Be smart about sweeteners.
Sugar syrup added to cocktails is made by combining equal parts sugar and water. Avoid drinks that are made with mixers and sweet syrups, and opt for cocktails with fresh ingredients or natural sweeteners like all-natural stevia.