In college there was a bar near campus called The Mont. I say was, it’s still very much there. When I visit campus I like to sit on The Mont patio, order the frozen sangria half of their famous Swirl, and catch up with old friends. I know it’s a lot of sugar and a lot of calories, but it’s not something I get to do very often. In college, I did it a lot more often and well, it showed.

With spring break next week, it’s got me thinking about my favorite college dive. It’s not so easy to just run to campus for a Swirl, but I can make my own, and even control those pesky calories. Since, you know, I’m a little older and I care a little more!

I don’t have a frozen drink machine at home, but I do have a blender and access to Talenti Gelato and Sorbetto. Yes, I’m going there. Talenti is one word that will bring a girl to her knees, at least this girl. Mix it with wine and I’m done.

Yes, Taleni Frozen Sangria is a thing. Or, I’m making it a thing. You’re going to want to make this your thing.
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We keep experiencing these little glimpses of spring, which immediately puts me in the mood for summer. Does that make me an over achiever or impatient? Either way, both seasons make me want to sit on my patio, sip something delicious, and revel in my family and friends. I can’t be alone in this – just look at the Mason Jars full of beverages on Pinterest. We’ve all got the itch.

The scratch? My Sweet and Sour Vodka. It’s as light and refreshing as a tart glass of lemonade but has that little somethin-somethin to bring you back down after a long day. It’s. Amazing.

I stopped buying the jug o’ drink mixer at the grocery store years ago. Master of Mixes’ Sweet ‘n Sour has 110 calories and 25 grams of sugar per four-ounce serving. Our recipe has TEN calories and LESS than 1 gram of sugar. That neon yellow color, ridiculous after taste, and undesirable ingredient list left me thirsty for something better.

The answer was in front of me all along – my own lemons and limes squeezed to cocktail-mixing perfection.
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Fun-loving Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas is not only the perfect party guest because she always knows which song to spin next, but she’s also got the inside skinny on the best cocktails. She’s the face of Voli Vodka, a line of lower calorie flavored vodkas. She told Chelsea Handler this fall that her daily vodka consumption varies by the week, saying, “If I have one drink a day, I feel better the next day than if I don’t drink at all. I’m just gonna start drinking daily.”

She’s clearly fit, firm and fabulous (Fergalicious to be exact), so how does she do it if she’s swilling vodka on a daily basis? Certainly her 4-6 workouts in the gym every week, but she’ll also tell you it’s because she’s not drinking just any vodka. She’s drinking Voli Vodka, which has 74 calories per shot. A standard shot of vodka has about 100 calories.

Sure, 26 calories is a fair savings when you’re drinking one cocktail or a few, especially daily. But does it really matter when they are still nutritionally void, empty calories? Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It and nutrition expert in NY, says not so much.

“My take on this is that many people think that if you don’t chew — it doesn’t count — and that’s simply not true.” Those calories most certainly still count, and maybe more than most because they’re typically accompanied by a lot of sugar – like juice and other mixers.

We showed Bonnie the Fergatini, Voli’s branded version of a Cape Cod, with Voli Lyte, Fresh Lime Juice, and Cranberry Juice.

“Think about it — in this cocktail of 82 calories — only 1-1/2 oz or 1 jigger of vodka is used. How many of us pour just one shot?,” she asked. “That won’t happen at a friend’s party! It also only includes one ounce of juice. That rarely happens too because many of the calories in alcohol are contributed by the mixers.”
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A new study on the drinking patterns of adults finds that the average adult American consumes 100 calories on a daily basis from alcohol alone. Does that not sound like much? It’s actually about 16 percent of total daily calories.

Nutritionist Connie Diekman, in a report by HealthDay, explains that even 100 unneeded calories per day from alcohol translates to a ten pound per year weight gain.

Not surprisingly, men aged 20 to 29 had the highest rates of alcohol consumption at 174 calories per day, and their chosen drink was beer. One 12-ounce beer is 150 calories. The study found that six percent of women and 20 percent of men consume more than 300 calories from alcohol each day.

Of course, not everyone drinks every day, and even if they do, moderate alcohol consumption is not necessarily unhealthy. The catch is what kinds of alcohol Americans are drinking, because a glass of red wine is a lot different than a piña colada.

For the approaching holidays, cut out much of the unwanted weight gain by remembering that liquid calories count and restricting your alcohol consumption or by replacing unhealthy drinks with slimmed-down options.
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Hopefully Memorial Day didn’t throw off your week too much. Before you get right back in to weekend mode, take some time to catch up on some news from DIR and our friends.

US Olympics Team is Taking a Record Number of Dietitians to London

The summer Olympic Games are approaching and we have to give you all the details about the fantastic event. Jennifer Gibson and Shawn Dolan, two of the dietitians traveling to London with the US team, took some time to give DIR an interview. 

 5 Companies Fighting the Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Five companies developed toys in effort to fight childhood obesity. Some toys range from kid-sized medicine balls, kettlebells, and barbells. Fruit and vegetable kits are another toy helping kids teach kids to eat health. Teaching our nation’s children the importance of health and fitness is just what the country needs.

9 New Summer Sandwich Recipes That are Fresh, Simple, and Healthy

Try our simple and healthy summer sandwich recipes. These sandwiches go further than just ham and cheese. There are 9 different recipes, one is bound to be a crowd pleaser! Test them out at a BBQ, get together, or just have them as a snack!
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