January has come and gone, and most likely, so have your New Year’s Resolutions. Striving for a healthier lifestyle is all well and good, but all too often healthy lifestyle means sacrificing social life. And social lives tend to be good for ones general happiness, as does comfort food and liquid courage. Oh, the conundrum! To be healthy and happy, how can you have it all? Well, you can find a happy medium. These beverages still contain alcohol, but some healthy stuff as well, and they’re all under 150 calories. Who knew beets and cucumbers could make great cocktails? We even threw in a couple of healthy salad recipes to go with those (kind of) healthy drinks.
Green Dream
Calories: 133
Courtesy of Nico Szymanski of the THE LCL: Bar & Kitchen, NYC
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Crop Organic Cucumber vodka
1.5 oz. Liquiteria All Greens juice blend
1.5 oz. Organic apple cider
.25 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
Directions: Shake. Rocks glass with ice. Cucumber fan garnish
Seeing Red
Calories: 153
Courtesy of Nico Szymanski of the THE LCL: Bar & Kitchen, NYC
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Michter’s Rye whiskey
1.5 oz. Liquiteria Beets me juice blend
.5 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
.5 oz. simple syrup
Directions: Shake. Highball glass with ice. Candied ginger garnish
Rhythm and Beets
Calories: 141 calories
Courtesy of Tequila Herradura
Ingredients
1 oz. Herradura Silver (69 cal.)
2 oz. Carrot Juice (24 cal.)
½ oz. Ginger Juice (2 cal.)
½ oz. Lemon Juice (3.5 cal.)
2 oz. Beet Juice (28 cal.)
1 oz. Apple Juice (14 cal.)
Directions: Shake with ice and strain into a high ball glass. Garnish with a slice of a beet and a basil leaf.
Lean Pom Spirtzer
Calories: 83
Courtesy of Lean Vodka
Ingredients
1 ½ parts Lean Vanilla Vodka
1 ½ parts Sparkling Water
1 tbsp. pomegranate Seeds
1 basil leaf
Directions: Muddle all ingredients in a shaker. Fill a Collins glass with crushed ice. Stire and pour garnish with a basil leaf.
Jamaican Jammin’ and New Year’s Resolution Salads
Courtesy of Just Salad
New Year’s Resolution Salad (430 calories)
Kale, Red Cabbage & Romaine, Turkish Figs, Goat Cheese, Seedless Cucumbers, Walnuts, tossed with Balsamic Vinegar
Jamaican Jammin’ Salad (465 calories)
Courtesy of Just Salad
Romaine & Red Cabbage, Jerk Chicken, Carrots, Black Beans & Corn, Onion Crunch, tossed in Zesty Mango-Lime Vinaigrette