Skinny Pina Coladas

It all happened about 6 weeks ago. I was bored to tears of water, and drank nothing other than coffee or water. Or alcohol. My mother makes fun of me because I say that no beverage is “worth” calories unless it contains caffeine or alcohol. It sounds a bit crazy, but it’s true. If I’m going to “spend” calories on a beverage, it serves a purpose. Necessity and habit in regards to coffee and relaxation and celebration in terms of alcohol.

Hey, it makes sense for me.

Lately, I’ve added a few non-caloric beverages to the mix. Variety is the spice of life, right?

Following in my mother’s footsteps, I’ve grown to love unsweetened iced tea. Straight up, maybe with a lemon. So refreshing. This is a new found love for me and I now have one with lunch every day. It’s definitely something other than water…plus it has that extra caffeine boost for the afternoon hours. Unlike many people, I am a morning person and by afternoon, I can be dragging bad. A bit of caffeine in the afternoon hours is serving me well and I’ve been limiting myself to 8-12 ounces of coffee in the mornings. This is some serious progress from the one-pot-a-day (ahem morning) habit that I had developed dating back to my sleepless college days (and I can’t say they were sleepless because of studies, sorry Mom). Too many parties, too little time!

At the ripe age of 27, it’s no longer about parties, it’s about finding small joys…like new food and beverage discoveries. Which is where you, dear readers, come in. You see, I polled the audience on Facebook and you all encouraged me to try LaCroix, a carbonated, naturally flavored water sold in 12 ounce cans and in packs of 12. Smart readers, I am hooked!

Imagine my thrill of seeking out this beverage and finding them on sale! Needless to say, I stocked up. (P.S. LaCroix is sold in the soda section of most grocery retailers)

I purchased one of every flavor available: coconut, lime, lemon, grapefruit, berry, orange…and maybe that’s it. By far, the coconut is my favorite. And while it doesn’t have the electrolytes of coconut water, it also doesn’t have any calories. Plus, it’s way cheaper.

I quickly developed a 2-a-day habit with LaCroix and Mr. Prevention was becoming increasingly annoyed with my littering of cans all over the first floor of the house. I have since knocked back to one can a day, settled on purchasing mostly coconut LaCroix, and created adult beverages that recreate one of the most sinful cocktails around: The Pina Colada.

These will be enjoyed over my upcoming holiday weekend for sure. You?

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Skinny Pina Coladas

2 oz coconut rum
3 oz 100% pineapple juice
4 oz Coconut La Croix (or carbonated/sparkling water)
1 oz unsweetened coconut milk

Directions:

Fill a glass with ice and pour in rum, juice, and La Croix; mix with a spoon. Top with coconut milk and serve immediately!

Yield: 1 drink.

Nutrition Information (per drink): 193 calories; 1 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 18 mg. sodium;  25 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 1 g. protein

Result: You might as well be beach side with one of these in your paw. Absolutely refreshing and tropical…without all the guilt! You can reduce to 1 ounce of rum and it takes the calorie count down to 127. But where’s the fun in that? Kidding, kidding. Enjoy…responsibly!

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Wednesday already…this week is flying by! I’m trying to decide if I want to take Monday off or not. I’m not eligible for PTO for another 30 days or so, but I have the option of taking it off unpaid. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

Q&A tomorrow! Pass along any last minute questions! preventionrd at gmail dot com!

Be well,