The holidays are a time of year when many of us have to loosen our belt buckles just a bit, attempting to satisfy our expanding waistlines. It's not our fault; the pumpkin pie, the chocolate fudge, and the buttered yams all sit smugly on the dinner table, daring us to take a bite: yes, we are practically being force fed. Even so, the calories still add up, not just one crumb at a time but also one sip at a time.
In moderation or in abundance, the calories of wine can make a difference in weight. Drinking a few servings a day gives you a few hundred more calories, giving you a few more pounds over time. For this reason, it's important to account for the calories consumed whenever you raise your glass.
As a general rule, a glass of wine contains about 80 calories, when the term "glass" is comparable to 4 ounces and not comparable to a 7-11 Big Gulp. Fortified wine is typically higher in calories and wines with higher alcohol content - because alcohol is where the majority of the calories are generated - may pack a better punch, but they will also pack on more pounds. To put this in perspective, the US Department of Agriculture states that 100 grams of wine with a 12.2 alcohol content have roughly 85 calories; 100 grams of wine with a 18.8 alcohol content have 135 calories. The sugar in wine also plays as much a dramatic role as the alcohol; the higher the sugar content, the more calories it will have. For this reason, some dieters prefer to consume dry wines with lower alcohol content.
Even when the above is taken into consideration, many wines contain a similar amount of calories or only differ by a small number. Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Burgundy, White Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chardonnay, Chianti, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc , Champagne , and White or Red Zinfandel all contain between 90 and 100 calories per serving. To tip the scales, Madeira, Muscatel, Ruby Port , White Port , and Tokay all contain between 160 and 180 calories per serving.
No matter the type of wine consumed, people who drink do run the risk of gaining weight, but the wine itself is not the problem: rubbing the nose of your bottle of Port against your bathroom scale and repeatedly telling it "No" is unwarranted. It's not the consumption of wine that adds pounds, it's the consumption of wine without cutting back on food. Wine, like other liquids, doesn't have the ability to curb our appetite. Thus, many of us start to drink wine without taking into consideration the extra calories and we consume our regular caloric intake through food. When the calories of wine are added to our regular intake, additional calories are consumed. Still, these additional calories are often better for you than additional calories from other alcoholic sources.
When compared to other alcohol, wine has a slight edge. Beer, particularly light beer, may be less caloric than wine, as a 12 ounce light beer typically has 100 calories, but beer doesn't possess the health benefits of wine; it doesn't have the antioxidants. When compared to mixed drinks and straight shots, wine wins bottles down. Mixed drinks, especially when mixed with sugary sodas, and shots of hard alcohol are very caloric and contain no health benefit. They have nothing to offer but calories and they know it, leaving them to sometimes throw themselves down the drain when the bartender is not looking.
Drinking wine doesn't have to equal increased pounds. One way to have your wine and drink it too is to simply adopt physical activity as a means to make up for the additional calories - instead of driving to the bar, walk there; instead of pushing a cart through a liquor store, carry your supplies; instead of drunk dialing your ex-lovers, jog to their house and speak to them. You can also keep from gaining weight by cutting back on the calories consumed through other means - eat less candy during the day; have a banana for a snack instead of a muffin; eat a salad instead of a steak. Adopting a few of these habits will make room for the wine calories you consume. If, for some reason, these habits don't quite work, getting rid of wine is not the answer. Instead, simply remember two little words: liquid diet.
Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.
For more information go to Wine Calories.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Jordan http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Calories-in-Wine&id=387789
Friday, October 26, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Wine Calories - Find Out How Much Calories Are In Wine.
Wine Calories, although they are come in small quatities can add up. Most people have a general idea how many calories they consume when it comes to solid foods, although it is quite common to forget that when we drink, we are still consuming calories. Alcohol drinkers, especially wine drinkers, may be surprised at the calorie intake associate with wine. So how many calories are in wine?
The answer depends on your discernment. Most wines come in under the 100 calorie mark per glass. This is assuming that you are using the appropriate wine glasses. There are fewer calories in wine than most other alcoholic beverages. White Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc come in at 80 calories per serving. Considering that one glass of wine per evening is good for cardiovascular health, this can be a reasonable compliment to an evening meal.
Marsala also weighs in at a mere 80 calories per serving while Chablis is a mild 85 calories. Red Zinfandel as well as the majority of other popular wines, comes in at 90 calories per serving. Riesling, Chardonnay, White Burgundy, and Cabernet Sauvignon all round out at 90 calories per 4 ounce serving. Topping it off with just 5 additional calories you can sip Red Burgundy, Red Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Merlot, Rhone, or Rose.
Considering that most people have more than just one glass, the remaining wines are considered to be a little heftier in calorie count. While a single 4 ounce serving may only add about 100 calories to an evening, those who drink wine regularly tend to do so with a certain amount of vigor, consuming between 3 and 5 glasses in an average evening.
Wines such as Mosell, Pink Champagne, and Chianti contain 100 calories preserving while Sangria and Sauterne climbs that calorie ladder by and additional ten calories. Dry Champagne meets them in the middle at 105 calories.
It's not just about the wine calories when trying to maintain a low calorie lifestyle and still participate fully in social events or a romantic evening. Some calories are easier to burn while others are easier to store. Wine comes from fruit which is a form of sugar. The sugar in wine, even dry wines, makes the calories a bit harder to burn off. Sugar that comes from fruit is a natural and healthy energy, although once the fruit has been fermented, the sugar content raises and becomes more fructose-like than its original form.
Other wines weigh in much heavier in the calorie counting battle. Muscatel comes in at 160 as does Madeira. Tokay sneaks up to 165 while White Port hits 170. Ruby Port tops the list at 185.
Now, keeping in mind that an average gin and tonic comes in around 280 calories and that most frozen delectable alcoholic drink can average 800 calories or above, wine is certainly a low calorie choice given the options.
And of course we are all familiar with a "beer gut," which is never referred to as a "wine gut." Regular beer can be anywhere from 140 to 200 calories per 12 ounce serving and light beer weighs in on average around 100 calories. The conception that light beer means that it is calorie free has produced a high level of sales for the lighter version of the basic favorites. In no way are these beers saving on significant calories. Not to mention they are filled with empty calories.
It is perfectly possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle and still enjoy the occasional evening out or a couple glasses of wine with dinner. The wine drinker is fortunate as the calorie count in most wines do not necessarily call for large alterations to diets in order to enjoy a few drinks. For the occasional social wine drinker, cutting out about 100 calories per meal during the few days before a social event will help to keep a solid daily average. The calories in wine are low enough that most people can simply cut out the desserts offered at the social event and just one or two lighter calorie meals preceding the event. For daily wine drinkers, skimping a few calories out of every meal will allow for basically normal eating and avoid the build up of additional calories.
Skipping meals before a social event is not likely to keep the calorie count down. In fact, it is likely to raise the overall calorie count for the evening, as alcohol in any form lowers blood glucose levels and tells the brain to signal to the body that it is experiencing hunger. A few drinks in the system and what would normally be a decision based on health becomes a decision based on a lack of willpower or the attitude that "it's only one night, it can't hurt to throw my cautions to the wind!" Which can be true, but in most cases those who are trying to maintain a low calorie diet are tempted to "make up" for their sinful evening by crash dieting the following two or three days which only creates yo-yo dieting.
Wine calories can easily be adjusted for simply by keeping track of the basic consumption for each situation and adjusting by about 100 calories for each glass of wine. Unless someone is a continual and heavy wine drinker, the daily food consumption really shouldn't suffer due to the alcohol consumption. If it is, then it is time to get some help.
About the Author
David Beart is the owner of www.professorshouse.com. Our site covers cooking, wine, marriage, forums and relationships.
The answer depends on your discernment. Most wines come in under the 100 calorie mark per glass. This is assuming that you are using the appropriate wine glasses. There are fewer calories in wine than most other alcoholic beverages. White Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc come in at 80 calories per serving. Considering that one glass of wine per evening is good for cardiovascular health, this can be a reasonable compliment to an evening meal.
Marsala also weighs in at a mere 80 calories per serving while Chablis is a mild 85 calories. Red Zinfandel as well as the majority of other popular wines, comes in at 90 calories per serving. Riesling, Chardonnay, White Burgundy, and Cabernet Sauvignon all round out at 90 calories per 4 ounce serving. Topping it off with just 5 additional calories you can sip Red Burgundy, Red Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Merlot, Rhone, or Rose.
Considering that most people have more than just one glass, the remaining wines are considered to be a little heftier in calorie count. While a single 4 ounce serving may only add about 100 calories to an evening, those who drink wine regularly tend to do so with a certain amount of vigor, consuming between 3 and 5 glasses in an average evening.
Wines such as Mosell, Pink Champagne, and Chianti contain 100 calories preserving while Sangria and Sauterne climbs that calorie ladder by and additional ten calories. Dry Champagne meets them in the middle at 105 calories.
It's not just about the wine calories when trying to maintain a low calorie lifestyle and still participate fully in social events or a romantic evening. Some calories are easier to burn while others are easier to store. Wine comes from fruit which is a form of sugar. The sugar in wine, even dry wines, makes the calories a bit harder to burn off. Sugar that comes from fruit is a natural and healthy energy, although once the fruit has been fermented, the sugar content raises and becomes more fructose-like than its original form.
Other wines weigh in much heavier in the calorie counting battle. Muscatel comes in at 160 as does Madeira. Tokay sneaks up to 165 while White Port hits 170. Ruby Port tops the list at 185.
Now, keeping in mind that an average gin and tonic comes in around 280 calories and that most frozen delectable alcoholic drink can average 800 calories or above, wine is certainly a low calorie choice given the options.
And of course we are all familiar with a "beer gut," which is never referred to as a "wine gut." Regular beer can be anywhere from 140 to 200 calories per 12 ounce serving and light beer weighs in on average around 100 calories. The conception that light beer means that it is calorie free has produced a high level of sales for the lighter version of the basic favorites. In no way are these beers saving on significant calories. Not to mention they are filled with empty calories.
It is perfectly possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle and still enjoy the occasional evening out or a couple glasses of wine with dinner. The wine drinker is fortunate as the calorie count in most wines do not necessarily call for large alterations to diets in order to enjoy a few drinks. For the occasional social wine drinker, cutting out about 100 calories per meal during the few days before a social event will help to keep a solid daily average. The calories in wine are low enough that most people can simply cut out the desserts offered at the social event and just one or two lighter calorie meals preceding the event. For daily wine drinkers, skimping a few calories out of every meal will allow for basically normal eating and avoid the build up of additional calories.
Skipping meals before a social event is not likely to keep the calorie count down. In fact, it is likely to raise the overall calorie count for the evening, as alcohol in any form lowers blood glucose levels and tells the brain to signal to the body that it is experiencing hunger. A few drinks in the system and what would normally be a decision based on health becomes a decision based on a lack of willpower or the attitude that "it's only one night, it can't hurt to throw my cautions to the wind!" Which can be true, but in most cases those who are trying to maintain a low calorie diet are tempted to "make up" for their sinful evening by crash dieting the following two or three days which only creates yo-yo dieting.
Wine calories can easily be adjusted for simply by keeping track of the basic consumption for each situation and adjusting by about 100 calories for each glass of wine. Unless someone is a continual and heavy wine drinker, the daily food consumption really shouldn't suffer due to the alcohol consumption. If it is, then it is time to get some help.
About the Author
David Beart is the owner of www.professorshouse.com. Our site covers cooking, wine, marriage, forums and relationships.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Wine Calories - Facts to Know About Wine Calories.
What do you know about wine calories? Wine is nothing more than fermented grapes, but wine varies in flavor, smoothness and color, due to the type of grapes, climate, soil and production methods. Red wine is made from red grapes; white wine from green; and rose, or blush, from red (not a mixture of red and white, as some people believe). Research has found that red wine helps with blood circulation and, in moderation (one 4- to 6-ounce glass daily) is good for the heart.
The number of wine calories in an average glass (4 fl oz/115ml) is shown in the table below. Wine can contain up to 15% alcohol by volume and alcohol has lots of calories. As a comparison alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram. The more alcohol a wine contains the more energy that wine will contain. Therefore to lose weight it may be best to cut out wines and other alcoholic drinks until you have reached your goal weight. It's also a good idea to use non-alcoholic drinks until the weight is lost.
As a general rule, a glass of wine contains about 80 calories, when the term "glass" is comparable to 4 ounces and not comparable to a 7-11 Big Gulp. Fortified wine is typically higher in calories and wines with higher alcohol content - because alcohol is where the majority of the calories are generated - may pack a better punch, but they will also pack on more pounds. To put this in perspective, the US Department of Agriculture states that 100 grams of wine with a 12.2 alcohol content have roughly 85 calories; 100 grams of wine with a 18.8 alcohol content have 135 calories. The sugar in wine also plays as much a dramatic role as the alcohol; the higher the sugar content, the more calories it will have. For this reason, some dieters prefer to consume dry wines with lower alcohol content.
No matter the type of wine consumed whether vintage from the secret cellar or ordinary, people who drink do run the risk of gaining weight, but the wine itself is not the problem: rubbing the nose of your bottle of Port against your bathroom scale and repeatedly telling it "No" is unwarranted. It's not the consumption of wine that adds pounds, it's the consumption of wine without cutting back on food. Wine, like other liquids, doesn't have the ability to curb our appetite. Thus, many of us start to drink wine without taking into consideration the extra wine calories and we consume our regular caloric intake through food. When the wine calories are added to our regular intake, additional calories are consumed. Still, these additional calories are often better for you than additional calories from other alcoholic sources.
The number of wine calories in an average glass (4 fl oz/115ml) is shown in the table below. Wine can contain up to 15% alcohol by volume and alcohol has lots of calories. As a comparison alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram. The more alcohol a wine contains the more energy that wine will contain. Therefore to lose weight it may be best to cut out wines and other alcoholic drinks until you have reached your goal weight. It's also a good idea to use non-alcoholic drinks until the weight is lost.
As a general rule, a glass of wine contains about 80 calories, when the term "glass" is comparable to 4 ounces and not comparable to a 7-11 Big Gulp. Fortified wine is typically higher in calories and wines with higher alcohol content - because alcohol is where the majority of the calories are generated - may pack a better punch, but they will also pack on more pounds. To put this in perspective, the US Department of Agriculture states that 100 grams of wine with a 12.2 alcohol content have roughly 85 calories; 100 grams of wine with a 18.8 alcohol content have 135 calories. The sugar in wine also plays as much a dramatic role as the alcohol; the higher the sugar content, the more calories it will have. For this reason, some dieters prefer to consume dry wines with lower alcohol content.
No matter the type of wine consumed whether vintage from the secret cellar or ordinary, people who drink do run the risk of gaining weight, but the wine itself is not the problem: rubbing the nose of your bottle of Port against your bathroom scale and repeatedly telling it "No" is unwarranted. It's not the consumption of wine that adds pounds, it's the consumption of wine without cutting back on food. Wine, like other liquids, doesn't have the ability to curb our appetite. Thus, many of us start to drink wine without taking into consideration the extra wine calories and we consume our regular caloric intake through food. When the wine calories are added to our regular intake, additional calories are consumed. Still, these additional calories are often better for you than additional calories from other alcoholic sources.
Wine Calories - How Much Calories Does Ruby or White Port Wine Contain
Wine calories can amount to a great deal especially if you are drinking Ruby or White Port wines. A 4 fl oz of Ruby Port Wine contains 185 calories and the same amount of White Port Wine contains 170 calories. So far for the wines that I know Port Wine contains the most calories.
Madeira, Muscatel and Tokay all have high content of calories per 4 fl oz. Madeira and Muscatel have 160 calories and Tokay has 165 calories. There are other notable ones like Sangria and Suaterne.
A great number of people do not have knowledge of these information and ruin their diet due to lack of knowledge. I believe with this little knowledge you can enjoy your meals with wine and still count your weight loose calories. You will agree with me there are Great Secrets to Wine Cellars and some of the best wines don't really count the calories.
Look out for the next post, I will share more wines and their calorie content per the 4 fl oz.
Madeira, Muscatel and Tokay all have high content of calories per 4 fl oz. Madeira and Muscatel have 160 calories and Tokay has 165 calories. There are other notable ones like Sangria and Suaterne.
A great number of people do not have knowledge of these information and ruin their diet due to lack of knowledge. I believe with this little knowledge you can enjoy your meals with wine and still count your weight loose calories. You will agree with me there are Great Secrets to Wine Cellars and some of the best wines don't really count the calories.
Look out for the next post, I will share more wines and their calorie content per the 4 fl oz.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)