To drink healthy, you don't need to stick with just wine (though an earlier post told you all about how to do that in the lowest calorie way too). Keep thee non-alcoholic staples in your house and you'll be ready to whip up some low calorie and high taste fun drinks anytime: Sparkling water - but don't worry, I am not going to tell you to just make vodka-sodas ( a.k.a. the Skinny Bitch) with it. You can get a lot more exciting than that - think wine spritzers, fruit puree splashes and even mixing with a simple infused vodka. And sparkling water is lower in sodium than club soda, so for the healthiest fizzy, get the real thing. Blue Agave Nectar - I love this stuff! This organic and all natural sweetener is lower on the glycemic index than sugar, meaning it doesn't spike your blood sugar as severely as sugar-- which also means you don't crash as severely either. I use this whenever a recipe calls for simple syrup. But Ii also add it to several of my infused vodkas when I am trying to create more of a liqueur or a schnapps-type spirit, but without the artificial flavor or unnecessary sugar. Mojitos, margaritas, chocolate martinis all benefit from the use of this healthier alternative to the white devil itself, sugar. Light, low-carb and home-squeezed mixers - Just because your favorite bars don't stock up on light juices (and WHY is that!?) doesn't mean your home bar can't be smarter than that. Cranberry juice comes in low-sugar and even diet versions. Though nothing compares to making your own at home, and combining it with - you guessed it -- blue agave nectar rather than sugar. It's easy, too - a 3-step process that will have you enjoying a lightened up Cosmo on no time! Besides cranberry juice, other must haves include low sugar orange juice, fresh squeezed lime juice, and home-made sweet and sour mix. Check back for Liquor Chick recipes for these light juices. Crystal Light packets are handy little flavor bursts for mixing drinks too. Champagne punches, vodka and gin drinks are made tastier with flavors like fruit punch, kiwi strawberry and pink lemonade (of course, you'll need to mix the packet with water first- hey, another healthy perk to drinking like Liquor Chick -- hydration!!) Select sodas - Fresca is the best choice in terms of carbs, calories and usability. This diet-friendly mixer adds only two calories per serving. And the tangy citrusy taste mixes well in a margarita, wine spritzer or countless other healthy mixed drinks. Besides fresca, Diet Coke is always in my pantry for a quick diet coke and vanilla vodka or diet coke and light rum drink. Fresh fruits - not only for making your own fresh-squeezed juices, but also for a simple way to add huge flavor to your drinks whether by muddling with some (yep!) Blue Agave Nectar or just dropping in, fresh fruits are mandatory in any home bar. Add pineapple chunks and berries to wine spritzers, champagne punches and any vodka drink to dress up an otherwise boring healthy cocktail. When the fruit flavors blend together you'll have unique and fun concoctions that will make you not miss that artificial daiquiri mix or high-sugared mojito at all. Suggested fruits: oranges, limes, lemons, pineapples, strawberries, raspberries. Miscellaneous - Coconut Milk (which has lots of health benefits) makes for tropical tasting healthy mixed drinks. It is fabulous with champagne and grapefruit juice! Or with rum and lime. It's an easy additive that delivers fancy taste to usually vanilla drinks... Speaking of vanilla, the vanilla bean is a smart bartender's go-to flavoring. Its taste is so potent that it usually flavors a half bottle of vodka in less than a day. And its simplicity makes it a quick and easy way to add some complex flavor to any drink recipe (a Skinny Vanilla Bitch would not be scorned as being boring!) Olives - a staple in martinis, olives are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A dirty martini (which substitutes juice from olives for vermouth) is quite a healthy way to do your drinking. Low-sodium tomato juice - Never, ever use Bloody Mary Mix in your home bar (don't you wish all the other bars prescribed to this advice too?). Tomato juice with its disease-fighting antioxidants and minerals, is a much healthier choice, and makes for a tastier drink too. It lasts forever, so even if you only drink one every Sunday, you'll be stretching your healthy habits well into the New Year! Fresh Mint - for infusing spirits like rum and vodka, and for making healthier mojitos. Yes, I will make you a mojito in my home bar (bartender's most hated drink to make), but only if you make me an Old Fashioned first... ~~~ And with this fairly comprehensive list of must-haves, you will be ready and able to serve anyone that comes along -- and if that's just you and your husband on a random Tuesday night, then all the better!! At least you'll be mixing something cooler than A Skinny Bitch! Take this list with you next time you head to the grocery store. And do it tomorrow -- looks like we'll all be snowed in on Wednesday!!! Leave a comment below yo let us know what favorite healthy staples are always in YOUR home bar. We'll be adding to this list often.
