Lower calorie counts make beer the safest adult beverage option for ...

Considering that the Super Bowl is just two days away and that the next two-and-a-half weeks will be filled with Carnival celebrations, I'll go out on a limb here and say that some of you are having a few more adult beverages than usual this month.

And believe it or not, when it comes to keeping calories in check, beer -- light or otherwise -- is one of your best drinking bets.

Alcoholic beverages aren't required to post nutrition facts on the labels unless there's a health claim (like "light" or "low carb"), making it a challenge to compare the stats of various options, but here's a quick rundown:

A single shot of 80-proof liquor (vodka, bourbon, gin, rum, etc.) has about 100 calories -- before adding any sugary mixers.

A 6-ounce glass of wine (red or white) has about 150 calories.

A "small" 20-ounce daiquiri can easily pack in 1,000-plus calories.

Many brews clock in at 125 to 150 calories for a full 12 ounces, so beer really is quite the calorie bargain. And that's for a non-light, full-flavored beer like Abita Amber or Guinness, not just lighter-colored beers like Budweiser or Coors.

"Darker beer doesn't necessarily mean more calories, " said David Blossman, president of Abita Beer. "The main difference is that the barley is roasted longer to get a darker malt. And, just as bread doesn't have more calories when it's toasted to a darker color, darker malt doesn't have more calories, either."

Beer does have a higher carbohydrate content than liquor (which contains 0 carbs) or wine (4 to 5 grams of carbs per 6 ounces).

Most beers range from 1.9 to 16 grams of carbohydrate per 12 ounces. (To give you a frame of reference, a slice of bread has about 15 grams.) But that's not necessarily a bad thing, since the carbohydrate calories are only displacing alcohol calories.

If you just drink a few beers here and there, then your choice of brand is pretty much a non-issue. But if you drink more regularly, or if you're really trying to trim any excess calories, then you may want to consider switching to a lower-calorie beer.

That can be a bit confusing, given all the types of lightened-up beer options (light, ultra, low-carb, 55- and 64-calories), so here's a look at how the lightened-up beers compare:

Light beer is the original lower-calorie beer, with most varieties (including flavored light beers like Bud Light Lime or Miller Chill) ranging from 95 to 110 calories, with 3.2 to 8 grams of carbs per 12 ounces. The alcohol content is usually slightly lower than regular beer; about 4 to 4.2 percent alcohol by volume for light beer, compared with 4.4 to 5 percent or more for most regular beers.

Michelob Ultra is often perceived as a better option, one that's geared more toward active, healthy lifestyles. That is a brilliant marketing strategy, because, quite frankly, it's not much different from regular light beer. The original Ultra has 95 calories and 2.6 grams of carb (compared to 96 calories and 3.2 grams of carb for a Miller Light), and flavored Ultras (Lime Cactus, Dragon Fruit Peach, and Pomegranate Raspberry) have 95 calories and 5.5 grams of carbs -- the same as an Amstel Light.

So while there's nothing wrong with Michelob Ultra, there's certainly nothing special about it, nutritionally speaking.

Switching to a super-low calorie beer really can make a difference, however. With 55 calories and 1.9 grams of carbohydrates, Bud Select 55 has literally half the calories and carbs of traditional light beers. Miller's MGD 64 is just slightly higher (with 64 calories, as the name implies), and the same goes for Beck's Premier Light (which, taste-wise, is my favorite of the very-low-calorie beers).

The bottom line: There's no need to skimp on taste, even if you're watching your waistline.

If bold flavor is what you're looking for, skip the 110-calorie Bud Light and enjoy an Abita Amber or a Purple Haze for 128 calories, or a Guinness for 125 calories.

Full of flavor, and moderate in calories, these can easily fit into your daily calorie allowance. Cheers!

Molly Kimball is a registered dietitian in New Orleans. She can be reached at eatingright@timespicayune.com.

Source: http://www.nola.com/health/index.ssf/2012/02/lower_calorie_counts_make_beer.html

bil keane storm in alaska storm in alaska asteroid eric johnson eric johnson russell pearce