Alcohol is often the first thing to go when you're dieting. It has so-called "empty calories" -- calories that add little or nothing to your body's nutrient needs. However, if you're on a diet, you may be seeking a low-calorie alcoholic beverage to enjoy.
Identification
Alcohol contains 7 calories in each gram, if it's a hard liquor. Beer and wine vary in caloric amount due to their differing alcohol content. For example, Medline Plus states that a 12-oz. beer is comparable in caloric amount to a 5-oz. glass of wine or a shot of 1.5 oz. of hard liquor.
Types
To make an alcoholic drink with fewer calories, cut the alcoholic content or minimize the caloric content of what you add to a drink. For example, have a glass of wine instead of a drink mixed with hard alcohol, or use diet tonic or seltzer water to add to your hard alcohol of choice.
Considerations
A 2009 study of dieters published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" focused on cutting liquid calories. The authors state that those who cut out one serving of a sugar-laden drink per day lost the most weight over an 18-month period.
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