HEALTHY SUMMER COCKTAIL RECIPES
Nothing spells summer like a delicious, savory drink to cool you down! With beach bonfires and pool parties happening all over Mount Pleasant and Charleston, you KNOW you’ll be tempted by a Mojito or a Margarita. But all that SUGAR? Is it possible to enjoy your favorite summer cocktail without derailing all of your hard work at the gym?
We say YES! Read on to discover how to make these TWO COCKTAIL CLASSICS better for the beach and BETTER FOR YOUR BODY!
“Faux” Jito
Recipe found in Shape Magazine
Did we say Mojito??? One of the most popular drinks anytime of year, this minty delight is not only tasty, it’s super refreshing. But did you know that Newsweek ranks this Cuban classic as number FIVE out of The Six Most Fattening Cocktails? In fact, coming in around 250 calories per serving, this cocktail will quickly throw all of those squats and crunches you do at the gym OUT THE WINDOW!
So how do you get your Mojito fix without all of the damage? Shape sourced Emilie Yount, editor of Recipe4Living.com for this 2-minute miracle:
This Makes 1 Serving
Ingredients:
three or four mint leaves, a lime wedge
1 oz. white rum, diet lemon-lime soda (such as Sprite Zero, Diet Sierra Mist, or Diet 7-Up—NOTE that we DUFFNATICS prefer club soda for a more refreshing version)
ice
sugar (just for the rim of the glass!)
To prepare:
“Muddle mint leaves with white rum and the juice from lime wedge (1/8 of the lime). Muddling is done by lightly crushing the mint (just until the leaves bruise) using a mortar and pestle or whatever you have on hand. Just don’t shred the mint!
Run the squeezed lime wedge around the rim of the glass, and then dip the top of the glass in a shallow plate of granulated sugar to coat the rim. Pour the muddled mixture into your glass, fill with crushed ice, and top off with the diet soda.”
Grapefruit Beergaritas
Recipe found in Cooking Light
CL has our bodies and our behavior in mind with this fun twist on this classic cocktail: “Fresh juice and a little simple syrup replace margarita mix to cut 4 teaspoons (16g) added sugars per serving. Diluting tequila with juice and beer makes for a gentler cocktail that’ll keep guests free from personal fouls.” By having lower alcohol content, you can eliminate your hangover and keep that progress you just made on your Tabata!
This Makes 8 Servings
Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
2 (12-oz.) bottles pale lager beer (such as Corona Light), chilled
2 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice (from 2 grapefruits), chilled
1/2 cup (4 oz.) tequila
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
“Combine first 3 ingredients in a glass jar. Cover with lid; shake until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture into a pitcher. Add beer, grapefruit juice, tequila, and lime juice; stir gently. Serve over ice.”