A study revealed that alcohol contributes to 16% of the daily calorie intake of the average American. That translates to about 150-200 extra calories daily which amounts to about 10 pounds gained every year.

Males between the ages of 20-29 consume the most alcohol which contributes to an extra 174 calories consumed daily. Another startling revelation was the 6% of women and 20% of men consumed more than 300 calories from alcohol daily.

As the holiday approaches, the level of alcohol consumption goes way up and with that the unwanted weight gain. If you want to get merry this holiday without the accompanying weight, you can replace these high calorie drinks with lower calorie options that are just as festive.

5 High Calorie Holiday Drinks That You Should Probably Avoid:

Eggnog
Holiday parties are not complete if there’s no eggnog. Made with sugar, eggs, cream, and whiskey, brandy or rum one glass carries 350 calories and 22 grams of fat. You’ll really need to let up on the eggnogs if you want to keep the weight off. Swap out the eggs for egg substitute and use half-and-half instead of the heavy cream. This will bring the calories per glass down to 125 and fat down to 14 grams per serving. Bourbon spiked hot chocolate is another low calorie option.

Gin and Tonic
This seemingly harmless drink packs almost 230 calories and 20 grams of sugar per serving. The tonic water used in the drink is the culprit here, carrying almost as much sugar as a glass of coke. A low calorie option would be to switch out the tonic for diet tonic, or you can use soda water or just plain water. You won’t get the same great flavor, but that’s the price of keeping those pounds off.

Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is a mix of red wine with sugar and spice. The extra sugar really makes for a great drink, but that also means extra calories. One small glass of mulled wine contains 180 calories. The same 5 oz glass of plain red wine has120 calories, so there’s a significant increase. Limit your mulled wine to one serving or use less sugar and more spices.

Peppermint Mocha
Starbucks has its selection of holiday drinks, and peppermint mocha is the one to watch. With 320 calories and 14 g of fat in just one cup,and even more in the venti this is one high calorie drink that you’ll have to watch out for. If you like the drink, leave out the whipped cream which will reduce the calorie count by 60-70 and fat by 6-7 grams. Starbucks offers a Peppermint Mocha Light Frappuccino Blended Coffee which is a low fat version that has about 130 calories.

There’s no getting away from the holiday parties, or the coffee shops this holiday. Keep these tips in mind and choose low calorie options and your waistline will thank you for it.