Spring break has finally arrived, and we hope all you collegiettes are spending the week somewhere warm! (Or recreating the sun and surf feel with home-blended piña coladas, at least.) Still, with so much fun to be had, the last thing we 21+ collegiettes want to be worrying about is how our fruity, frozen drinks are affecting our waistlines. Spring break is like one week-long cheat day, to be fair, but if you’re hoping not to stray too far from a diet, it can’t hurt to cut calories the easy way: by drinking even more delicious substitutes! Find out which drinks to pick and which drinks to skip; after all, you worked hard for that bikini bod! Advice courtesy of one of HC Skidmore’s licensed bartenders!
Skip:
Long Island Iced Tea
We know this is a college student classic, but it has so much sugar and calories in it that you are essentially drinking a meal.
Pick:
Rum and Coke
Instead, opt for this tried-and-true well drink. You’ll consume much fewer calories but still have a delicious drink to enjoy! Bonus: Use the fancier term and call it a “cuba libre” when ordering at the bar.
Skip:
Margarita
We know that these babies are hard to resist, especially if your spring destination is closer to the equator than tropical Upstate New York. However, this drink has a bunch of calories, especially if you have it blended (instead of on the rocks).
Pick:
Tequila on the Rocks
Try instead tequila on the rocks with a splash of lime or with Sprite. You’ll still get your island feel with the lime-flavored soda! (And tequila, obvs.) Plus if you really want to go whole-hog you can ask for the salted rim on the glass just to look cool, because who doesn’t love those glasses!
Skip:
Pina Colada
We know you like piña coladas and getting lost in the rain, but with enough of these in your system you could consume as many calories as you would in a meal! And why waste those calories on a drink when you could be noshing on some awesome local surf and turf instead?
Pick
Coconut Vodka and Diet Coke
You can still get that island feel from a drink like coconut- or vanilla-flavored vodka with Diet Coke. You’ll be consuming a lot less sugar and still have a sweet, creamy-tasting drink at hand. Ask for a fruit garnish to keep it feeling fresh!
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Skip:
White Russian
We get it; it tastes like dessert! But in reality, if you had piece of cake instead of one of these you would be consuming less sugar and fewer calories. (Yikes…)
Pick:
Black Russian
You don’t have to make a major change to your order. There is such a thing as a Black Russian that just excludes the heavy cream, cutting out a bunch of calories.
Skip:
Mai Tai
This tropical concoction is delicious, but your bikini body will not be happy with you if you drink too many of these.
Pick:
Passionfruit Vodka and Coke
Instead, opt for flavored vodka and Diet Coke. (We know we said it before, but seriously, you just can’t go wrong with this one.) You can customize it to the kind of vodka you like so you still feel like a tropical beach beauty (while still looking like one). We suggest something fruity and unusual, like passionfruit, clementine, pineapple, or mango, to fit with the mai tai theme. Garnish with a great big pineapple slice, because why not?
Skip:
Champagne Cocktail
But they’re so classy, and champagne’s pretty calorie free, right? Actually, these cocktails contain a crazy amount of sugar that will pack on the calories.
Pick:
Bellini
Try instead for a Bellini. This has real fruit instead of the sugar they put in those cocktails. Just make sure the bartender uses real fruit–don’t be afraid to ask!
Skip:
Gin/Vodka Tonic
These sound like pretty low-cal drinks, but the tonic water has a bunch of sugar.
Pick:
Gin/Vodka Soda
Ask for club soda instead of tonic water! It has close to the same taste without all the sugar.
What’s your favorite tropical drink? Tell us in the comments, and we’ll share our pick it/skip it advice!