When you hear “Oktoberfest“, what comes to mind? If you are anything like me, it’s beer. Beer can be a caloric bomb, though, next bringing to mind the term “beer belly”.
Beer doesn’t contain fat; however, it does have tons of carbohydrates, protein and alcohol- and that’s it. Beer is the epitome of empty calories, giving you all the calories with no vitamins, minerals or redeeming health qualities whatsoever. A gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, a gram of protein 4 calories, and a gram of alcohol has a little over 7 calories. This is why different beers can have higher calorie counts in relation to their alcohol content.
To keep things in perspective, I found this information online at realbeer.com: “A five-ounce glass of wine contains about 125 calories; one ounce of distilled spirits, 90 proof, 75 calories. Beyond the world of alcohol: an eight-ounce glass of milk has 160 calories, one ounce of potato chips 160 calories, a banana split 550 calories, and a Burger King Whopper 650 calories. Oh yeah, just six French fries have 12 grams of fat (about as many calories as a light beer).”
If you always thought a beer was a beer, knowledge is power. If you plan on partaking in the Oktoberfest festivities this year, you may want to pick a beer with a lower calorie content, cause those brewskies can really add up.
Beer companies are not required to list nutrition facts on their labels, so here we are to break the mystery for you.
Info based on a 12 ounce bottle:
- Sam Adams offers more than 10 seasonal beers. They include: Harvest Pumpkin (199 calories), Octoberfest (183 calories) and the Cranberry Lambic (203 calories)
- Blue Moon Ale (100 calories)
- St. Pauli Girl (135 calories)
- Heineken (150 calories)
- Magnum (157 calories)
Whatever beer you choose, drink responsibly, alternate with water to avoid dehydration, and have fun!