Over the last few weeks I’ve been covering how to eat healthy at barbecues and helping you on your way with a selection of healthy meat, healthy fish, healthy vegetable and healthy condiment recipes. In the next couple of posts, I’m going to be taking the focus off food and instead looking at how to cut the calories in the alcoholic drinks you consume at barbecues.
As you probably know, alcoholic drinks aren’t the best thing for your waistline. However, if you enjoy drinking alcohol, going all summer without drinking any isn’t going to be much fun, especially when almost every barbecue you attend is going to have alcohol on offer. The good news is that if you moderate your consumption and choose the right drinks, you can still enjoy the relaxing properties of alcohol without piling on the pounds and sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
If you’re a beer lover, light beers are a great substitute for regular beer. In general, they contain 30% fewer calories than regular beers and if you attend a lot of barbecues over the summer, this 30% saving can really add up. That’s why in this article I’m going to be focusing on light beer in more detail and sharing with you 6 Light Beers To Try At BBQs this summer.
1) Marston’s Resolution
Calories Per 275ml Bottle:- 85
Units Of Alcohol Per 275ml Bottle:- 1.3
Calories Per Unit Of Alcohol:- 65
ABV:- 4.7%
Cost Per 275ml Bottle:- £0.88 (24 * 275ml Bottles For £21 At BargainBooze.co.uk)
For a light beer, Marston’s Resolution hits the right spot in two key areas, weighing in at just 65 calories per unit of alcohol but packing a surprisingly strong 4.7% ABV. In terms of looks and flavour, it has a dark, golden colour and is light, sweet and very bubbly. However, despite the bubbles, it doesn’t leave you feeling full and bloated which makes it a great choice for barbecues.
The only minor downside to this beer is that the small 275ml serving size makes it difficult to stick to just one on a hot summer’s day. It’s also slightly more expensive than the other light beers on this list, costing around £0.88 per bottle.
2) Budweiser 66
Calories Per 300ml Bottle:- 84
Units Of Alcohol Per 300ml Bottle:- 1.3
Calories Per Unit Of Alcohol:- 70
ABV:- 4%
Price Per 300ml Bottle:- £0.63 (12 * 300ml Bottles For £7.50 At Tesco.com)
Budweiser 66 is a lighter version of regular Bud that contains just 70 calories per unit of alcohol. It’s smooth, easy to drink and surprisingly similar to regular Bud in terms of taste. However, if you’re used to the stronger 5% ABV of regular Bud, you may find the alcohol content of Budweiser 66 too low and prefer one of the premium light beers on this list.
3) Coors Light
Calories Per 330ml Bottle:- 106
Units Of Alcohol Per 330ml Bottle:- 1.5
Calories Per Unit Of Alcohol:- 71
ABV:- 4.5%
Cost Per 330ml Bottle:- £0.75 (12 * 330ml Bottles For £9 At Tesco.com)
Coors Light is one of the most well established light beers in the UK and deservedly so. It’s not got the most powerful flavour in the world but when served ice cold, it’s very refreshing and perfect for barbecues. At 4.5% ABV, it’s also strong enough to satisfy premium lager fans and is definitely one of the top light beers available.
4) Fosters Gold
Calories Per 300ml Bottle:- 102
Units Of Alcohol Per 300ml Bottle:- 1.4
Calories Per Unit Of Alcohol:- 73
ABV:- 4.8%
Cost Per 300ml Bottle:- £0.75 (12 * 300ml Bottles For £9 At Tesco.com)
Fosters Gold is one of the only light beers that actually tastes better than the original and even if you’re not a fan of regular Fosters, you should definitely give this premium variety a try. With a higher ABV, lower calorie count and a smoother, crisper taste, there’s a lot to like. It does cost a little more than regular Fosters but is well worth the price and is a great light beer.
5) Beck’s Premier Light
Calories Per 355ml Bottle:- 64
Units Of Alcohol Per 355ml Bottle:- 0.8
Calories Per Unit Of Alcohol:- 80
ABV:- 2.3%
Cost Per 355ml Bottle:- 67p (6 * 355ml Bottles For £3.99 At Tesco.com)
If you’re not too bothered about alcohol content, Beck’s Premier Light is a brilliant choice. It has a less distinctive, lighter flavour than regular Beck’s but has a slight fruity hint that makes it perfect for summer. The best part is that at 64 calories per bottle, even drinking a couple won’t take you far over the 100 calorie mark.
However, if you want a beer with a bit more of a kick, Beck’s Premier Light may not be the best choice for you. At 2.3% ABV, it contains around half the alcohol of most other light beers, so you’ll need to drink twice as many bottles to get the same effect.
6) Carling
Calories Per 440ml Can:- 145
Units Of Alcohol Per 440ml Can:- 1.8
Calories Per Unit Of Alcohol:- 81
ABV:- 4%
Cost Per 440ml Can:- £0.60 (20 * 440ml Cans For £12)
Although it’s not marketed as a light beer, Carling is actually one of the best beers for your waistline and packs just 81 calories per unit of alcohol. In terms of taste, it’s smooth, refreshing and goes down well with barbecue food. It’s also the cheapest light beer on this list.
The only thing to be aware of with Carling is that it comes in cans only and not bottles. Therefore, if you prefer bottled beer over canned beer, you may want to choose another light beer off this list.
Summary
I hope you manage to find a light beer you like on this list. If you’re trying to stay slim this summer, switching to light beer can make a big difference while still allowing you to enjoy a cold beer or two when you attend barbecues. So next time you get invited to or host a barbecue, get stocked up and start enjoying a summer of successful weight loss.