Bloody Mary with Shrimp
Ingredients
22 ounces reduced-sodium V8
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 dashes Tabasco
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 ounces vodka, optional
4 cooked shrimp
Shake V8, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco, pepper and vodka, if using, in a large glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Fill two tall glasses with ice and divide the Bloody Mary between the glasses. Garnish each drink with 2 shrimp.
Source: Eating Well Magazine
Makes 2 servings
Nutrition: 78 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 20
Bike: 11
Run: 8
Swim: 9.5
Yoga: 26.5
Dance: 13
Strawberry-Coconut Daiquiri
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries (about 12 ounces)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cups ice cubes
3/4 cup coconut-flavored rum, such as Malibu
Combine strawberries, sugar and lime juice together in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice cubes and rum and blend until frothy. Transfer mixture to a pitcher and serve.
Notes: You’ll feel like you’re on a tropical getaway with this refreshing strawberry-coconut cocktail. To keep it cool in warmer weather, freeze fresh berries for 30 minutes before blending.
Source: Eating Well Magazine
Makes 6 servings, about 3/4 cup each
Nutrition: 112 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 29
Bike: 16
Run: 12
Swim: 14
Yoga: 38.5
Dance: 19
Rosemary-Infused Cucumber Lemonade
Ingredients
3 large cucumbers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
1 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons agave syrup
Cut 12 thin slices of cucumber for garnish. Peel and chop the rest of the cucumber; transfer to a food processor, add rosemary and puree. Pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl or large measuring cup. Press on the solids to extract all the juice. Add water, lemon juice and agave syrup to the cucumber juice; stir until the agave is dissolved. Divide among 4 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with cucumber slices and rosemary sprigs.
Source: Eating Well Magazine
Makes 4 servings
Nutrition: 71 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 18.5
Bike: 10
Run: 7.5
Swim: 9
Yoga: 24
Dance: 12
Frozen Mudslide
Ingredients
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces Kahlua coffee liqueur
2 ounces Bailey’s Irish cream
6 ounces vanilla ice cream
Blend alcohol with ice cream. Serve in a frosted glass. Source: CraveOnline/Drinks Mixer
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition: 810 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 209
Bike: 115
Run: 86
Swim: 99
Yoga: 277
Dance: 138
Chocolate Lover’s Martini
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 1/2 ounces Bailey’s Irish cream
1 1/2 ounces white crème de cacao
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
Pour all ingredients into shaker filled with ice, then pour into martini glass.
Source: CraveOnline/Drinks Mixer
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition: 468 calories
Walk: 121
Bike: 66.5
Run: 50
Swim: 57
Yoga: 160
Dance: 80
Vodka Collins
Ingredients
2 ounces vodka
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Carbonated water
Shake vodka, lemon juice and powdered sugar with ice and strain into a collins glass. Add several ice cubes, fill with carbonated water, and stir.
Source: CraveOnline/Drinks Mixer
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition: 164 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 42.5
Bike: 23
Run: 17
Swim: 20
Yoga: 56
Dance: 28
Cosmopolitan Martini
Ingredients
1/2 ounce Cointreau orange liqueur
1 ounce vodka
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 splash cranberry juice
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass half filled with ice, shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Source: CraveOnline/Drinks Mixer
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition: 138 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 36
Bike: 20
Run: 15
Swim: 17
Yoga: 47
Dance: 23.5
Frozen Strawberry Banana Colada
Ingredients
1 1/4 ounces dark rum
2 ounces coconut cream
2 ounces strawberries + 1 strawberry reserved for garnish
1 medium banana
8 ounces crushed ice
Combine ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass, garnish with a fresh strawberry and serve.
Source: CrCraveOnline/Drinks Mixer
Nutrition: 317 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 82
Bike: 45
Run: 34
Swim: 39
Yoga: 109
Dance: 54
Awesome Apple Martinis
Ingredients
1 ounce apple schnapps
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce apple juice
1 slice Granny Smith apple, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker full of ice, combine apple schnapps, vodka and apple juice. Mix well. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with the apple slice.
Source: Allrecipes.com
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition: 156 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 40
Bike: 22
Run: 17
Swim: 19
Yoga: 53
Dance: 27
Tequila Sunrise
Ingredients
1.5 ounces tequila
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 ounce grenadine syrup
1 slice orange, for garnish
1 maraschino cherry, for garnish
Stir or shake together tequila and orange juice. Fill a chilled 12-ounce glass with ice cubes; pour in orange juice mixture. Slowly pour in the grenadine, and allow it to settle to the bottom of the glass (be patient). Garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.
Source: Allrecipes.com
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition: 245 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 63.5
Bike: 35
Run: 26
Swim: 30
Yoga: 84
Dance: 42
Watermelon-Basil Mojito
This cocktail is only appropriate for the summer months when fresh watermelon is at its peak and the sweetest. You can always pump up the watermelon flavor by adding just a touch of watermelon liqueur, such as Pucker.
Ingredients
1 3 cup fresh watermelon chunks
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup (see recipe below)
4 basil leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
1 1 2 ounces light rum
1 2 ounce watermelon schnapps (such as Pucker; optional)
Splash of soda water
Watermelon rind, for garnish
In a cocktail glass, muddle the watermelon with the lime juice, simple syrup and basil leaves. Add the rum and watermelon schnapps, if desired. Top with crushed ice and the soda water. Stir well from the bottom up. Garnish with the basil sprig and watermelon rind and serve.
Simple Syrup
Makes enough for about 10 Mojitos 2 cups sugar
2 cups water
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool completely, then bottle and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Source: 101 Mojitos & other muddled drinks, Kim Haasarud (Wiley, 2011)
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition: 234.5 calories
Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 61
Bike: 33
Run: 25
Swim: 29
Yoga: 80
Dance: 40
Tips for lightening up drinks
- Use more and /or larger ice cubes.
- Go easy on the sugar. Add sugar to taste, not necessarily according to the recipe.
- Use freshly squeezed juices.
- Use smaller glasses.
- Try some good lower-calorie drink options: red or white wine, wine spritzers and drinks made with seltzer or club soda.
- Steer clear of drinks that are really desserts (e.g., cream or ice cream drinks).