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Happy Hour Survival Guide (10 Secrets)
by Susan L. Burke, MS, RD/LD, CDE
eDiets Director of Nutrition Services
It’s Friday! Let’s party!
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Let’s have a party without awarding you the booby prize! Most Fridays, friends and peers get together to celebrate a hard week won. It’s happy hour, and usually that means beer, chips, dips, and pretzels! If you are like most Americans, snack time is your downfall. You can make it through breakfast and lunch, choosing healthy foods and following your plan. But, socializing puts the kibosh on your good intentions. And let’s face it, most people feel a little rosier and less inclined to stick to a diet after a beer or two.
What do you do if you’re on your eDiets meal plan and you want to have a good time? BYOB! Bring your own bottle and snacks to the happy hour party. Or, host the party! It’s the best way I know to exert total control and still be the life of the party. Don't forget to bring enough for your compatriots. No doubt people will look at you with envy and want to share what you are having. Whether you are staying at home or going out, here are some tips for happy hour.
1. Alcohol. The dieter’s worst enemy. The liquid goes down so cool and easy. But, imbibe with caution, because those brews add up! One regular beer ranges between 150-200 calories, but a light beer has only about 100 calories. A 5-ounce glass of wine has about 100 calories, as does one ounce of alcoholic spirits such as vodka, gin or scotch. Stay in the swing of things!
If at home, offer a wide variety of diet sodas or flavored club sodas and keep a big cooler with individual bottles of spring water. A good strategy is alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks -- stagger your alcoholic drinks with non-boozy ones, and you won’t stagger home. Don’t forget that substituting juice for regular soda is like substituting regular sour cream for mayonnaise -- you’re not going to save calories! An 8-ounce glass of unsweetened orange juice has about 120 calories, which is about the same as a Coke.
2. Mixed drinks mean more calories. Pina coladas, daiquiris and margaritas deliver at least 300 calories each. Even non-alcoholic versions pack a punch. Want a tropical drink? Try rum and a diet cola. One. Don’t forget the lime.
3. It’s your party, so you can serve what you want to. Good snacks don’t have to mean fatty snacks -- stock up on healthy munchies! Need an incentive to change your menu? Potato chips and dip, mixed nuts and mozzarella sticks (everyone's fatty favorite) -- mean more inches on your waistline.
A handful of chips and sour cream dip costs you 290 calories, 20 grams of fat and 590 milligrams of sodium. Just two ounces of mixed nuts have 340 calories, 28 grams of fat and another 200 milligrams of sodium. Three little mozzarella sticks score 240 calories, 13 grams of fat and a salty 570 milligrams of sodium. You won’t be full, and you’ll be so thirsty from all of the sodium. These little nibbles have a grand total of 830 calories, 61 grams of fat and 1,360 milligrams of sodium!
4. Forget fried foods… bring on the “baked.” Buy baked chips instead of fried, and exchange regular sour cream dip for bean dip -- only 46 calories for the dip and 140 for the unsalted chips. And, only 6 grams of fat! Be a smart consumer and buy less salty low sodium chips and dips.
5. Nuts to nuts! Nuts contain health fat and no cholesterol, but they’re oh, so easy to overeat! Since nuts are high in fat, a small portion packs a high-calorie wallop. Watch a giant bowl of air popped popcorn sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray and sprinkled with Butter Buds or Molly McButter disappear. Who needs stale microwave popcorn? This is a winner, with only 60 calories for three cups, a trace of fat and about 10 grams of sodium. You’ll save 280 calories, 28 grams of fat and 330 milligrams of sodium over the regular microwave popcorn.
6. Replace the mozzarella sticks with chicken on skewers. They’re great finger food, and boy, so much lower in fat, sodium and calories. Realize a savings of 188 calories, 9 grams of fat and 546 milligrams of sodium.
7. Make happy hour into early dinner. For more substantial fare, serve a healthy sub. Layer hero-rolls with turkey breast, lean roast beef or lean ham. Dress with shredded lettuce and tomato slices. Slice into 2-inch portions and serve with sliced onions and pickles. Keep the add-ons low cal by offering low fat mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard.
8. Make Your Own Dip! Make a great low fat dip with a packet of any dried dip mix -- found in the salad dressing aisle of your grocery store. Instead of regular sour cream, add ½ cup of nonfat sour cream, ½ cup of nonfat mayonnaise, ¾ cup of diced fresh tomatoes, ¼ cup of chopped green onion and ¼ cup of chopped ripe olives, rinsed and drained. I like ranch dressing mix best!
Did You Know?
Illinois this week became the first state in the U.S. to ban diet supplements containing ephedra, or ma huang. The American Heart Association (AHA) has urged a ban on ephedra sales, and the NFL, NCAA and International Olympic Committee have banned its use by athletes.
Ephedra is chemically related to amphetamine and acts to stimulate the central nervous system, increasing heart rate and blood pressure -- sometimes to dangerous levels. Side effects of ephedra include increased heart rate, extreme nervousness and anxiety. It also increases the risk for heart attack and stroke, especially for people with pre-existing conditions.
eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Susan L. Burke, M.S., R.D., L.D., CDE is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and a Certified Diabetes Educator who specializes in both general and diabetes-related weight management.
The eDiets weight loss program will always help you make the smartest choices. Visit eDiets and fill out a free diet profile.
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