Calories In Scotch

On the rocks: Low-cal cocktails

Like your libations but not quite sure how to lighten up on the calories? Then here's the skinny on low-calorie cocktails.

Statistics first, though, if you're curious about how many calories are in your favorite spirit. For an 80-proof bourbon, brandy, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka, or whiskey, you're looking at about 100 calories for a 1 1/2 ounce shot. And keep in mind the higher the proof, the higher the calories. But wine and beer are the real belt-busters. A five-ounce glass of wine weighs in at 100 calories, while beer tops the scales at 150 calories for a mere 12 ounces.

Here's one way to look at saving calories. A gin- or vodka-and-tonic runs, oh, about 200 calories, but if you substitute diet tonic for the regular tonic, then you save a belt-loosening 100 calories.

It's those wonderfully sweet drinks that will get you, though. If you start adding all sorts of sugary ingredients into your pina coladas, martinis, daiquiris and classic margaritas, the calories and pounds add up fast. Next thing you know, your itsy-bitsy yellow polka dot bikini figure starts to look like your spare tire needs deflating.

But not to worry, as there are delicious alternatives to save calories with cocktails. I've been doing the Mexican hat dance in the aisles at the grocery store as more and more low-calorie margarita mixes hit the shelves. Master of Mixes Lite No Sugar Added Margarita Mixer and Jose Cuervo Light Margarita Mix are readily available, or you can order all sorts of sugar-free cocktail mixes from online retailers like Baja Bob's.

Here's where flavored vodkas and tequilas should be give a second chance, too. A glass of carb-heavy orange juice can run around 100 calories. Add that to a shot of vodka, and voila! Like a gin-and-tonic, it also becomes 200 calories. On the other hand, if you have a shot of orange-flavored or orange-infused vodka, perhaps with a touch of zero-calorie diet tonic, then you've shaved off all those extra thigh-dimpling calories.

If it's creative cocktails you crave, here's where it gets loads more fun. You can start tossing all sorts of low-calorie ingredients into the mix - cucumbers, strawberries, lemons, limes - and not wreck your diet completely. Watching your waistline becomes easier, and you get a healthy, nutrient-rich a serving of fruits or vegetables in every glass. OK, that might be stretching it, but you get the idea.

Kale Calories, Calories in Kale, Calories in Scotch Kale

Kale is part of the cabbage family, full of nutrients and antioxidants. Amongst its list of vitamins, it contains vitamins C, K, beta carotene, lutein (a carotenoid) and calcium. When eaten or chopped, sulforaphane is produced and thought to prevent the growth of cancer cells. As with most vegetables, it’s best to steam rather than boil to maintain as much of the goodness as possible. Other Kale benefits include keeping you feeling full, given its high fiber content.

See our vegetable calories comparison chart to compare Kale Calories with the other calories in vegetables.

Also, have a look how nutritious Kale is in comparison to the other vegetable nutrition facts.