Slimmer summer cocktails

Don’t let your penchant for mojitos ruin your bikini body. Learn how to “lighten” your favourite cocktail and enjoy the fruits of summer without the sorrows of gaining extra kg.

Mojito
(1016 kilojoules, 25 g sugar in 237 ml)
This Cuban cocktail (a blend of rum, sugar, mint leaves, lime juice, and club soda) can harm your waistline and sap your energy, since sweet drinks may up your risk of having a hangover.

Make it healthier- Ask the bartender to cut back on the sugar by a third and add a few extra splashes of club soda to lower the kilojoule count. At home, swap the sweetener for a low- or no-kilojoule one.

Frozen Strawberry Margarita
(2369 kilojoules, 16 g sugar in 341 ml)
Just because there's fruit in the name doesn't mean it's good for you; most restaurant versions are made with a sugary syrup and are seriously oversize. One of these slushy drinks packs in more kilojoules than two bags of Skittles.

Make it healthier- Order a plain margarita on the rocks to save up to 1260 kilojoules. Also ask for one with no salt: That dusted rim may provide more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium, nearly your entire daily allowance.

Gin and Tonic
(689 kilojoules, 17 g sugar in 237 ml)
The standard shot of gin has 407 kilojoules and no sugar. But fill that glass with tonic water and you'll wind up consuming 4 teaspoons of the sweet stuff.

Make it healthier- Trade the tonic for club soda or diet tonic and a wedge of lime to shave off nearly 294 kilojoules. Also request a brand of gin that's lower in alcohol content. The higher alcohol content can tack another 113 kilojoules onto your drink.

Sangria
(1084 kilojoules, 25 g sugar in 341 ml)
Prepared with antioxidant-rich red wine and fruit, sangria may seem like a smart choice. But many recipes also call for sugar, soda or juice, and spirits, like triple sec or brandy.

Make it healthier- Opt for a glass of red wine (525 kilojoules) or create your own 420-kilojoule punch with 116 ml of red wine, plus diet lemon-lime soda, orange slices, and berries.

Beer
(655 kilojoules, 0 g sugar in 341 ml)
A single beer won't do much dietary damage, but few people stop at one when they're socializing.

Make it healthier- Order a brew in a bottle rather than one that's on tap. Research shows that bartenders tend to overpour draft beers by 22 percent.

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ELSA

Elsa Krüger is Shape's beauty editor

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