In order to help prevent the average weight gain of 5-7 pounds during Thankgiving and New Year’s, try these 8 Healthy Holiday Drink Recipes that are just as tasty as their calorie filled counterparts!
‘Skinny’ Eggnog
1 cup skim milk
¼ tsp. rum extract
Dash of ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
Sugar substitute to taste
Pour ice-cold milk into a lidded container and shake vigorously. Add rum extract and sugar substitute and shake again. Pour into a tall glass, sprinkle with spices and add low-fat whipped topping, if desired.
One 8-oz. serving, 86 calories
Holiday Coffee
1 cup skim milk (or soy milk)
4 oz. brewed coffee (can be decaffeinated or flavored coffee)
1 small banana
1 Tbsp. dark chocolate syrup
For iced coffee, 1 handful crushed ice
Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend for 1 minute. Pour into a warm mug or tall glass. Serve with peppermint or a cinnamon stick.
One 12-oz. serving, 190 calories
Cranberry-Apple Cider
4 cups cranberry-apple drink
1-2 packets sugar substitute (to desired sweetness)
¼ cup thawed frozen lemonade concentrate, undiluted
8 sticks cinnamon
½ tsp. whole cloves
¼ tsp. whole allspice
¼ cup light rum (if desired)
6 lemon wedges
Combine cranberry-apple drink, sugar substitute and lemonade concentrate in a large saucepan. Tie 2 cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice in a cheesecloth bag and add to cranberry-apple drink mixture. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and discard the spice bag. Stir in the rum. Garnish with lemon wedges and remaining cinnamon sticks.
Six 8-oz. servings, 48 calories each
Minty Hot Cocoa
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 packets sugar substitute (to desired sweetness)
Dash of salt
1 cup skim milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. peppermint extract
Mix cocoa, sugar substitute and salt in a large mug. Heat milk in the microwave for 1 minute or until hot. Slowly add the hot milk to the cocoa mixture in the mug, stirring until well blended. Stir in vanilla and peppermint.
One 10-oz. serving, 102 calories
Jack Frost
2 oz pineapple juice
1 ½ oz cream
¼– ¾ oz coconut cream
¼ oz raspberry syrup
Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker. Strain into a large highball glass over crushed ice, add a pineapple chunk and an amarelle cherry, and serve.
Angel’s Wing
6 cups boiling water
1 ½ cups orange juice
6 tea bags
1 ½ cups pineapple juice
¹⁄³ cup sugar
1 unpeeled orange sliced
2 tbsp honey
Warm your crock-pot first with some hot tap water. Then pour boiling water over the tea bags in the crock-pot. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags. Stir in the sugar, honey, orange juice, pineapple juice, and orange slices.
Cover and heat on low for 2-3 hours; serve from pot.
Plum Pudding
2 oz red grape juice
1 oz lime juice
2 oz soda water
Pour into a highball glass filled with broken ice.
Santa Claus
46 oz pink grapefruit juice
12 oz raspberry juice
1 qt raspberry sherbet
2 liters ginger ale
Pour pink grapefruit juice and ginger ale into a punch bowl.
Add raspberry juice or 12 oz frozen raspberries (stir to thaw). Add sherbet and stir until melted.
