Ever thought about the carb and calorie content of your favourite alcoholic drinks?
Labels don't show the values, making it hard to keep track.
In this 2 part video, we look at 10 popular drinks, so you know the carbs and calories
next time you're at the pub or having that sunset cocktail.
Hi, it’s Yello from Carbs & Cals, helping you understand the food you eat, so you can
manage your diabetes and weight, and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Pure alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, which is more than carbs or protein, and nearly
as much as fat! This is why alcohol can contribute significant calories to your diet, especially because
over the years, manufacturers have increased the alcohol content of many drinks.
And if you’re counting carbs or following a low carb diet, knowing what’s in your
favourite tipple is important, as a single alcoholic drink can contain between zero and
40g of carbs.
So let’s pop the cork on 10 common drinks. This video covers beer, cider and wine, and
PART 2 looks at shots, spirits, alcopops and cocktails. At the end of PART 2, we've got
3 bonus tips, and will also reveal which drinks have the highest amount of carbs and calories.
And of course if you’re new to the channel, hit subscribe and the bell to catch the weekly videos.
A pint of lager, ale or stout with 4% alcohol has 12 to 18g of carbs, and 170 to 210 calories.
You can see here that lager has the lowest carbs per pint but contains more calories
than ale and the same as stout.
A stronger 5% beer has more calories due to the extra alcohol. This 5% lager contains
18g of carbs and 245 calories.
There is now a wide selection of alcohol free beer available too. These tend to have a higher
carb content per pint than the alcoholic equivalent, but are lower in calories as they don’t contain alcohol.
Did you know that a pint of lager has similar calories to 3 scoops of ice cream?! You can
see how the calories can easily mount up.
Choosing half pints, or a pint of shandy made with diet lemonade, halves the calories of a full pint.
When it comes to cider, there are many options, with a range of flavours and varying alcohol content.
Dry cider contains less sugar (and therefore fewer carbs) than sweet cider.
Let's start with pints, which have 15 to 25g of carbs, and 200 to 240 calories.
Cider also often comes in 330 or 440ml cans. Opt for these smaller portions instead of
a pint if you are limiting carbs or calories. This 440ml can has 9g of carbs and 160 calories.
And half a pint of dry cider has even less.
You may be surprised to hear that red wine contains virtually no carbs, making it a popular
choice for people following a low carb diet.
However, you still need to be aware of the calories - each 250ml glass is equivalent
to a large slice of pepperoni pizza! Remember this when you’re thinking of ordering 1 more glass!
You can use the bestselling CARB & CALORIE COUNTER book and the Carbs & Cals app to track
the carbs, calories and units in your alcoholic drinks!
Like red, dry white wine also contains minimal carbs, with a large glass containing just
2g. The calories are also nearly identical to that of red wine.
However, sweet white wine (including dessert wine) is a different story. Due to its high
sugar content, it has around 15g of carbs per large glass, and the calories are 25% higher.
Fortified wine is wine that has a spirit, usually brandy, added. There are lots of different
styles such as port, sherry and vermouth. A standard measure is 50ml, which contains
3 to 8g of carbs, and 60 to 80 calories.
Sparkling wine is a celebration favourite. Prosecco, English Sparkling, Cava & Champagne, all packing a fizz.
As with dry white wine, carbs are usually minimal but sweeter sparkling wine does have more.
But which drinks had the highest carbs so far? A pint of sweet cider or alcohol
free lager are neck and neck at 24 and 26g, but the alcohol free lager has less than half the calories!
And the pint of sweet cider also has the highest calories so far, together with a pint of 5% lager.
Both have around 240 calories.
But we haven't seen the highest yet! Watch PART 2 for shots, spirits, alcopops and cocktails.
Were there any surprises so far? Let us know down in the comments.