For my first Martini Moment of 2019 instead of a drink recipe I though it would be great to start the year out with some ways to keep your drinks smart and low cal. Typically I try to save my wine and those calories for the weekend. One of the reasons I started drinking martinis in the first place was a low calorie content. So today I’m sharing 5 tips to drink a little smarter.

1. This might be the most important one: never use those sugary drink mixes! Juice lemons, limes, or grapefruits as they are much, much lower in calories.

2. Pick a “going out” drink. I never drink wine when out because I’m not paying $10 for one glass when that’s more than the bottle they have (I’m talking bars and such not nice restaurants). So I always order a Vodka Soda with lime. Not much sugar and not $10.

3. Stock your house with drink fixins’ that you know are low cal. La Croix is a good option or I also use flavored Perrier. I’ll mix that with vodka and splash with Pomagranet juice.

4. Drink lighter colored liqueurs. Think vodka, gin, or white tequila. Your body can process these easier.

5. Know the exact calorie count. For example, 2 ounces of gin or vodka has 130 calories in it. If you’re splashing a little La Croix in there that’s nothing. If you wanted to sweeten up a drink 1 tsp of sugar is only 16 calories.

So let’s get this weekend started! Now we can all sip a little smarter and have some guilt free cocktails!