Day 49: Hand Me Another Beer...Light Please?

I'm not much of a beer-drinking type of gal. I like my Moscato and cocktails. But occasionally, mostly at Georgia tailgates on Saturdays, hanging out with the guys, or even on a dirt road (that's my southern roots showing!), I like to have a cold one or two. But most of the time, I try to stay away from consuming beer ub bulk because I definitely don't want to rock the infamous 'beer gut'. I'll leave the kegs and beer pong contests to the drunk fratty fatties. Whenever I do choose to drink beer, I typically go straight for the low-calorie options. Surprised that beer is available in this form? Well check this out.

According to LiveStrong.com,

"Charles Bamforth, a University of California Davis researcher, claims that beer's antioxidants, B vitamins, folic acid, minerals and fiber make it a healthy addition to a balanced diet. With the introduction of light and ultra-light beer, consumers are now able to take advantage of beer's health benefits while enjoying a beverage that is low in calories."

How's that for a big toast!

Low-calorie beers come in two varieties: light and ultra-light. In the world of beer brewing, there is an obvious difference between the two low-calorie options. Light beer is defined by having an alcohol content of about 4.2 percent, although the content can be as at least 3.8 percent or at most 4.3 percent. A brand of diet beer was first introduced in the late '60s, but was an instant failure. However, in the '70s, the creation of light beer became a great success. Miller Lite was the first to introduce a light beer, followed by Anheuser Busch's Natural Light and Michelob Light. By 2010, three of the country's top four beer brands were low-calorie light beers. Once beer companies jumped on the health craze bandwagon, they began creating a more richer tasting beer with even fewer calories than light beer. Ultimately, both types of beer taste the same, but differ in calories.

I took some time to research different brands of beer as well as their calorie intake and carbohydrates. Take a look at these different low-calorie beer options:

Light Beer
Anheuser Busch/Miller Lite (12 oz.) -- 95 calories, 3.2 grams of carbs
Coors Light -- 104 calories, 5.3 grams of carbs
Bud Light/Miller Genuine Draft Light/Michelob Light -- 110 calories, 6.6 to 7.0 grams of carbs
Sam Adams Light (12 oz.) -- 124 calories, 9.5 g of carbs

Ultra-Light Beer
Michelob Ultra (same alcohol content and calories as light beer, but lower in carbs) -- 95 calories, 2.6 g of carbs (By the way, this is my best of choice for those of you wondering.)
Pabst Extra Light/Miller Genuine Draft 64/Budweiser Select 55 -- 55 to 67 calories, less than 2.5 g of carbs

Starting to get thirsty yet? I know I am! Instead of indulging in just any beer, try one of these listed above. You're appetite and belly won't regret it.

Cheers!

XoXo,

DJH