Alcohol Calorie Table: Hidden Calories at the Party

One component of a healthy diet is definitely not alcohol. Those who do not want to live completely without it should at least drink in moderation. You can see in our calorie table that beer, wine and champagne are not exactly going to help you maintain your figure.

A Big Belly from Beer and Love Handles from Champagne

One gram (0.035 oz) of pure alcohol contains 7 calories. That's almost twice as much as in one gram of sugar (4 calories) and almost as much as a gram of fat (approximately 9 calories). It is easy to drink 20 grams of alcohol as this is the amount in, for example, in a pint of beer, one quarter liter of wine or three glasses of brandy. On top of that you have to add the calories in sugar, wheat or sodas depending on the drink. Even worse: alcohol inhibits the breakdown of fat in the body. This means the calories we consume are even worse for us than normal. Additionally, alcohol also stimulates your appetite. If you then reach for something salty such as chips or nuts you are then going to get thirsty again, and the vicious calorie cycle continues.

Cravings Due To Alcohol

Just like with food there is also a Glycemic Index (GI) for alcohol. It indicates how much your blood sugar levels rise after drinking champagne, beer, etc. The higher the GI, the more the sugar content and the higher the release of insulin in the blood. If the value is extremely high, first blood sugar level will rise drastically and then two to four hours later they will drop rapidly. As a result of this you will experience food cravings. Many experts believe that a diet with a lot of foods with high GI values results in obesity. Drinks with high GI values ​​are: beer, gin and tonic and mixed drinks.

Alcohol Calorie Table: Prosecco Instead Of Champagne

From a calorie standpoint dry Prosecco is a lot better than a glass of Champagne. Prosecco generally contains up to two percent less alcohol than champagne. Basically, sweet varieties of alcohol contain the most calories. Caution: In grocery stores, your average wine has been sweetened. In general, dry champagnes and wines have in comparison the fewest calories.

Alcohol Calorie Table: Mixed Drinks Have What It Takes

Delicious cocktails are generally mixed with cream or sweet fruit concentrate. In terms of calorie content, one Pina Colada or Mai Tai is similar to a small meal at around 250 calories. Rarely do people actually only have one drink. Diabetics have to be especially careful with alcohol. At a blood alcohol level of only 0.45 the amount of sugar can inhibit the liver, which can lead to hypoglycemia a few hours later – despite the usual insulin dose. 

The Alcohol Calorie Table

(All percentages are per 100 ml/3.38 oz)