Need a good substitute for beer

124»

Replies

  • LisaGamerGirl
    LisaGamerGirl Posts: 147
    I recommend kombucha tea with no added sugars that you can get in the refrigerated section of healthfood stores! It reminds me of a wine cooler, same mouthfeel except less calories!!!
  • blytheandbonnie
    blytheandbonnie Posts: 3,275 Member
    My sister mixes her wine with sparkiling water, usually Pellagrino. Maybe that wil help. Alas, there is no substitute for beer.
  • stephenryan758
    stephenryan758 Posts: 72 Member
    weed
    This. I feel sorry for non-users when they're in a deficit.

    Sure that's ok as long as it doesn't lead to craving a beer due to cotton mouth. Also don't forget lost lung capacity leading to underperformance in the cardio department.
  • j_bark
    j_bark Posts: 1,274 Member
    Take 8 oz glass of water, 1 slice of whole grain bread. Roll bread and stick in water. Wait 5 minutes. Give it a good mush around with a spoon, enjoy.

    Its like 80 calories.

    -j


    (or just drink a more filling beer. 1 @ 140 calories is better than 4@90 calories.)
  • zagbee
    zagbee Posts: 40 Member
    I live very close to several amazing breweries. To say I love beer would be an understatement. I also love a good glass of red wine. For me, I'd rather not have them at all then to substitute something that I am just *ok* with. On days that I anticipate having some drinks, I just work out harder or sometimes cut back on food calories for that day.
  • meltedsno
    meltedsno Posts: 208 Member
    I don't know if I've ever heard of Sierra Mist, but I see what you're saying...we make our own wine so I'm not worried about preserving the quality so much, haha. Good idea, maybe I'll try that!

    diet Sierra Mist is similar to diet Sprite or diet 7-up, but much better flavor. Be careful to not mix it up with Natural Sierra Mist, which is made with pure sugar...

    Trust me... it makes that drink go a looonnnnnggggg way and I've been known to get a little buzzed on a glassful, especially since I've lost alot of weight! :drinker:
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Agreed, no substitutes.

    Don't drink near beer. Instead seek out lower-calorie styles. I find that often a single bottle of a well-made, lower-gravity beer is just as satisfying as something heftier. Some examples would be:
    - Maerzen (sorry don't know how to umlaut)
    - Vienna lager
    - Milk stout
    - Bitter
    - "Session IPA"
    - Hefeweizen
    - Koelsch

    Rule of thumb: for a 12 ounce pour, calories = alcohol by volume x 30. So for 4% abv, that's 120 calories.

    Good suggestions, thanks! I don't think I've ever tried any of those brands, I'm going to have to make a list for my next trip to the beer store, haha. I believe that Guinness is relatively low-calorie compared to some but it's so expensive, I usually drink Maclay's, which is cheap but goes down WAY too easy.

    These are styles, not brands. Just fyi so you don't feel silly when you ask for them. And yes, Guinness is a good lower calorie option. The lower the abv generally the lower the calories. ABV is often listed on the beer menu as well. There are plenty of other options out there besides Guinness for lower calorie that aren't crap beer. I'm often surprised by the beers in the MFP database. Shop around and scan some bar codes. Try some new things.

    Yes, thanks for the clarification.

    For a little more info, here is the alcohol by volume content of all of the styles of beer in the "Beer Judge Certification Program". Lowest alcohol contents, aside from (hurl) American Light Lager, are Standard Bitter, Scottish 60 Shilling, Mild Ale, Southern English Brown Ale, and Berliner Weisse.

    http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/04/beer-styles-alcohol-by-volume-bar-graph/
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    it's called self-control, but i understand it can be difficult.

    this is what i used to do with cans of soda- i'd buy the whole six-pack, but instead of putting them all in the fridge, i'd just put two in there. the rest i'd store in the pantry. that way, even if i binged, i'd only have two at the most.

    this will probably work even better with beer, because no one wants a warm beer. a warm coke you can pour in a glass and put ice in it, but not with beer!
  • Chris_Pierce
    Chris_Pierce Posts: 267 Member
    I drink a beer just about everyday. But I also shoot for at least an hour of cardio everyday to account for it. If the calories from beer is a problem just exercise more to make up for it.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    M64 = 64 calories per can

    And it is nearly impossible to get drunk off of.

    It also tastes like urine.
    so it's like all the other american beers?

    Living on the west coast I will take exception to this comment - there is a thriving micro brew climate in BC, WA, OR and CA - beers for whatever slakes your thirst.

    Same here in Wisconsin. There's almost (almost!) a surfeit of choices and quality, of every conceivable style and some that have just been conceived..
  • luadams2
    luadams2 Posts: 122
    LOL!!!

    Jack Daniels with Honey
  • littlelaura
    littlelaura Posts: 1,028 Member
    substitute for beer, sex and candy!
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    I drink a beer just about everyday. But I also shoot for at least an hour of cardio everyday to account for it. If the calories from beer is a problem just exercise more to make up for it.

    This. Beer is a non-negotiable. Will gladly change other variables first. And to echo others, don't bother with the low cal wannabe brews.
  • ModoVincere
    ModoVincere Posts: 530 Member
    substitute for beer, sex and candy!

    How YOU doin?
  • SusanL222
    SusanL222 Posts: 585 Member
    I've got the perfect answer (however, someone else may have already suggested it.....I stopped reading after the first page :wink: ) Anyway, this drink is fizzy, has nutritional benefits, is low cal, and tastes good! Not only that you can make it yourself! What is this fabulous drink you may be wondering? Any guesses? No? Okay, it's..................................KOMBUCHA!!!

    I highly recommend GT's Gingerade Kombucha to start, but there are many flavors to choose from. And, if you like it, you can make it yourself after you find a scoby (or "mother", like you find in raw vinegar)! Problem solved! You're welcome!!
  • SydneyMartinelli
    SydneyMartinelli Posts: 2 Member
    You can try non-alcoholic beer or wine (there are some good brands out there worth trying) or DAVIDs TEA. They have so many amazing flavors... One is bound to hit that craving!
  • DSTMT
    DSTMT Posts: 417 Member
    I've never heard of Kombucha before, but I googled it and it does sound quite interesting, and like it might be a good substitute (as are all the other suggestions people have made of course). I wonder if I'd be able to find it around here, I'll have to look into this further I think.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    cauliflower beer….
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Jack Daniels

    + 1
  • RockWarrior84
    RockWarrior84 Posts: 840 Member
    I recommend substituting empty beer bottles for full beer bottles
  • Natmarie73
    Natmarie73 Posts: 287 Member
    Have you tried shandy? Traditionally the beverage of choice for ladies of a certain age after bingo lol. Half beer and half lemonade usually but you could sub the lemonade for soda water. I don't mind low carb beer with lime like Millers Chill and also white wine or sweet red with soda as well.
  • littlebutlean
    littlebutlean Posts: 2,159 Member
    Argh, I'm late to the party. I enjoy beer as well but don't enjoy 100+ calories a can in most circumstances as well. What I've learned to do when I feel up for having a few drinks is drink highballs/spirits with carb free mixers. In terms of alcohol content they're your best bet for calories (~65 a 1 oz shot) and 0 carb. These are some of my favorite drinks:

    - Vodka+Crystal Light (any flavour)
    - Vodka+Mio or any sugar free water flavoring (Dasani/Nestea/Powerade etc)
    - Vodka+Diet Crush (Orange/Grape/Cream Soda)
    - Vodka+Sugar free Redbull (great drink)
    - Vodka+Water (no issues w/ this drink, it mixes well w/ water)
    - Rum+Diet Coke/Pepsi
    - Rum+Diet Dr. Pepper
    - Rum+Diet Root Beer
    - Gin+Club Soda w/ a slice of cucumber

    There's lots of options available because again, spirits are all 0 carb if they're just the pure spirit. Watch out for flavored spirits, like Cherry Vodka, its just sugar+artificial flavor added.

    For strictly body composition purposes, do NOT be afraid of artificial sweeteners. There have been TONS of studies done showing that artificial sweeteners do not inhibit fat loss in any way nor spike insulin levels. You can read more up on Examine.com which is an independent data collection site for supplements and nutrition. The link is here -> http://examine.com/faq/does-diet-soda-inhibit-fat-loss.html

    Good luck! :drinker:
  • scooter_23
    scooter_23 Posts: 7 Member
    No good subs- My husband drinks beer like water. I say- if you're going to have beer- have it be a beer that tastes delicious to you (for me a dark amber yummy beer). but yeah no subs :)
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    I tried replacing beer with wine and found out I don't like wine.
    I tried replacing beer with cider and found out I love it but it has as many calories.
    I tried replacing beer with hard liquor and found out I like brandy but not as much and I hate everything else.

    The only thing that hit the same spot was a malta drink... which had twice as many calories as most beers.
    In terms of alcohol content they're your best bet for calories (~65 a 1 oz shot) and 0 carb.
    Just an FYI, in the US a shot is 1.5 oz. In most of Europe it's 50 ml and in England it's 25 (I think).

Categories