The holiday season is a time to celebrate with friends and family, but sweets and drinks at parties can take a toll on your health. Think healthy this New Year’s Eve by trying these festive and tasty guilt-free beverages, and remember everything in moderation is important.
Some tips for guilt-free spirits:
– Take a pass on beverages with added sugar, choose drinks that are naturally sweet like natural fruit juice or sparkling water.
– Moderation is key. If you are consuming alcoholic holiday beverages, have no more than two a day if you are a man or one a day if you are a woman. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol has been linked to liver, colorectal and breast cancers.
Favorite guilt-free holiday beverage recipes:
Pomegranate Spritzer
Serves 4
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 cups sparkling water or club soda
Juice of one lime
Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and serve. Use festive holiday drink stirrers stuck through a Maraschino cherry.
PREVENTION NOTE: Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants– and in peak season in the winter. Limes have high amounts of vitamin C.
Lemon Orange Fizz
Serves 4
2 cups orange seltzer
2 tablespoons frozen lemonade
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Lemon wedge
Ice cubes
Combine seltzer, lemonade and lemon juice. Fill glasses with ice and top with seltzer mixture. Add lemon wedge for garnish.
PREVENTION NOTE: Lemons are high in vitamin C, aid in digestion and pack a lot of flavor in few calories. Flavored seltzers are great mixers because of their low sugar content.
Holiday Cider
Serves 4
8 cups of apple cider
1 pear chopped
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 orange, halved and sliced
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
Add all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, let cool and serve warm. The festive color of this beverage will jazz up your holiday party.
PREVENTION NOTE: Cranberries are full of vitamin C, fiber and vitamin K. Ginger is a power packed ingredient, it has many health benefits and is known to soothe an upset stomach.
This Thursday, make these guilt-free beverages as part of your healthy holiday. Healthy eating is an essential step in cancer prevention that you can incorporate into your everyday eating habits. Learn more about healthy eating and reducing your risk for cancer at preventcancer.org.
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