The popularity of hard seltzers has surged in recent years, with many drawn to these bubbly beverages as a lighter alternative to traditional alcoholic drinks. But can hard seltzers truly be a part of a weight loss plan? This article explores the pros and cons of incorporating hard seltzers into your diet, offering a balanced perspective to help you make informed choices.
The Rise of Hard Seltzer
Since their debut in 2013, sales of canned hard seltzers have exploded. Soccer moms, college students, and baby boomers alike are all cracking open cans of hard seltzer. One reason for this popularity is that some hard seltzers have fewer calories and carbs than many beers, wines, and cocktails.
What is Hard Seltzer?
Hard seltzer starts with simple drinking water. Carbonation is added to make it bubbly. Most hard seltzers are made with brewed cane sugar and/or malted rice, with soda water and flavorings added. Many contain a little fruit juice, but not enough to add any nutrition. Much like non-alcoholic seltzers, their flavors range from lime and strawberry to passionfruit and pomegranate. The alcohol content of most hard seltzers is 4-6%, which is about the same as light beer. A typical 12-ounce can has about 100 calories and 2 grams of added sugar. Similar to beer, they're about 5% alcohol by volume. It has no fat, hardly any carbs, and low amounts of sodium.
Hard Seltzer vs. Other Alcoholic Beverages
If you are looking for a light, low-calorie, flavorful alternative to traditional alcoholic drinks, having a hard seltzer might be the way to go.
Hard Seltzer vs. Beer
Hard seltzer is as convenient as a can of beer. And its calorie count is similar to that of many light beers. Light beer has around 100 calories for a 12-ounce can and is about 4.2% alcohol. Like hard seltzer, regular beer is about 5% alcohol. But it has 150 calories per serving. Craft beer can total 200 calories per 12 ounces and may be as much as 6.5% alcohol.
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Hard Seltzer vs. Wine
Wine tends to be higher in calories and alcohol than hard seltzer. But the amounts vary, depending on what kind of wine you choose. Keep in mind that a standard glass of wine is 5 ounces, less than half the size of a can of hard seltzer. Average counts per serving include:
- White wine: 121 calories and 10% alcohol
- Red wine: 125 calories and 12%-15% alcohol
- Champagne (4-ounce glass): 84 calories and 12% alcohol
Wine comes out ahead of hard seltzer due to the slight advantage in health benefits, but only if drank in small amounts. Too much wine isn’t healthy either,” says Klug. Wine, on the other hand, contains natural antioxidants that hard seltzer does not have.
Hard Seltzer vs. Cocktails
For calorie counters, it’s an easy choice between hard seltzer and most popular cocktails. While a shot (1.5 ounces) of rum, gin, tequila, or whiskey has about the same number of calories as a can of hard seltzer, sugary mixers can send calorie counts through the roof. For example:
- A small (6-ounce) mojito has 143 calories
- A 4-ounce margarita has 168 calories
- Pina coladas and other frozen drinks can pack 500 calories or more
Hard Seltzer and Carbohydrates
If you’re on a keto or low-carb diet, hard seltzer is one of your better alcohol choices. One can has 2 grams of carbohydrates. Compare that to:
- Beer: 12.8 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving
- Light beer: 5.3 grams per serving
- Wine: Up to 4 grams per 5-ounce serving
- Liquor: 0 carbs, not counting mixers
Just remember that hard seltzer doesn't give you a lot of nutritional value for those 100 calories.
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Gluten Content
Most hard seltzers don't contain gluten, a protein found in grains like wheat and barley. If you're avoiding gluten, that makes them a better choice than beer, which is made with barley. (Wine and distilled liquor are gluten-free). But if you have celiac disease, check the label on your hard seltzer or ask your server. Some brands may not be 100% gluten free.
Hard Seltzer and Diabetes
When you eat or drink lots of sugar or carbs too quickly, it can raise your blood sugar to unhealthy levels. So low-carb, low-sugar hard seltzer is a better choice than many other alcoholic drinks if you have diabetes. But make sure you've talked to your doctor about whether drinking alcohol is safe for you. Drink only when your diabetes is well controlled, and never on an empty stomach.
Hydration Considerations
Nonalcoholic seltzer is a refreshing drink that helps give your body the water it needs. Hard seltzer, on the other hand, doesn’t do that job very well. In fact, no alcoholic beverage is a good choice for hydration. That's because they actually take water out of your body by making you pee more often. Drink plenty of water when you're having hard seltzers or any other type of alcohol. Alternating one can of spiked seltzer with a glass of water can help moderate the alcohol consumption while supporting healthy hydration.
The Potential Benefits of Hard Seltzers for Weight Loss
If you regularly consume alcoholic beverages that are more sugary and caloric than hard seltzer, then swapping for this type of drink may aid weight loss. Hard seltzers with no carbs or sugar can be a good choice if you want an alcoholic beverage option while trying to lose weight.
Lower in Calories
Spiked seltzers typically have only 100 calories per serving. Compare that with a margarita or an IPA beer, which can have upwards of 200 calories, and drinking the seltzer is clearly the winner. Substituting a hard seltzer for other types of alcoholic drinks may reduce your caloric intake by about 50 to 100 calories.
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Serving Size Consistency
Registered dietitian and author Rosanne Rust says portion control is a bonus with canned hard seltzers. “Unlike a glass of wine or a martini, where a glass size could be anywhere from 5 to 10 ounces, hard seltzers are consistently the same size,” she explains.
Reduced Carb and Sugar Intake
Specifically, hard seltzers that also limit carbs and sugar may be even more waistline-friendly than those that don’t, since they have fewer total calories. They don’t add to your daily carb or sugar totals.
Lower Alcohol Content
They’re lower in alcohol than typical beers, wine, and liquors. Hard seltzers won’t affect you as quickly as harder drinks - and those lower alcohol levels also mean fewer calories to count.
Potential Downsides
Yet you might consider drinking them in small amounts as part of a balanced diet, as they could contribute to cravings and slow down your body’s fat-burning process.
Not Necessarily Zero Calories
“Zero carbs and sugar” doesn’t mean zero calories. While each hard seltzer in this list may contain around 100 calories, the calories can begin to add up after multiple drinks. And while they are lower in calories, they are not calorie-free. Hard seltzers, while being lower in calories compared to other alcoholic drinks, do not provide a significant amount of nutrition and are therefore considered to be a source of empty calories.
Potential for Overconsumption
Because these cans go down easily, you need to watch how many of them you have. “In some cases, the illusion of a lower-calorie drink may give someone the notion that they can consume more of them,” says Rust. “The low numbers on the label can lull people into thinking hard seltzer is actually healthy. While one serving is low in calories, if you drink several, the calories start to rack up,” says Heather Klug, a registered dietitian at Aurora Health Care.
Impact on Metabolism
Drinking alcohol isn’t ideal for weight loss in many ways, including your metabolism. When you drink, “your body prioritizes metabolizing alcohol and slows down burning fat,” says Smith - which is echoed by the experts at the Cleveland Clinic. Also, depending on how much (and how often) you drink, the extra calories could stall weight loss.
Poor Food Choices
Alcohol can lead to poor food choices.
Carbonation Concerns
Carbonated beverages aren’t necessarily helpful for weight loss. Rust isn’t convinced that the purported benefits of fizzy drinks on appetite are all they’re cracked up to be. “While a study on rats showed that carbonated water led to increased secretion of hunger hormones, this is inconclusive and may not translate to humans,” she says, citing this research. When you drink a beverage with carbonation, like hard seltzer, you are literally drinking air pockets.
Dehydration
Tammy and Lyssie point out that hard seltzers don’t support hydration like non-alcoholic seltzer can. Again, they’re still alcoholic beverages.
Dental Health
“Some spiked seltzers have a low pH, which can lead to tooth erosion,” explains Jack Hirschfeld, DDS, a clinical instructor at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s School of Dental Medicine. Acidic foods and drinks, like certain spiked seltzers, can soften the enamel on your teeth.
Specific Hard Seltzer Options
Anna Smith, RDN, in-house registered dietitian for Lose It!, recommends the five hard seltzers below, which contain zero carbohydrates and zero sugar per serving.
- Michelob Ultra: Michelob Ultra offers different variety packs of seltzers, but if you want one with zero carbohydrates and zero sugar per serving, look for the signature collection. While this seltzer does list “organic cold-fermented cane sugar” as an ingredient, it carries the “zero sugar” label in accordance with FDA requirements (0.5 g or less).
- Flying Embers: Flying Embers, another USDA-certified organic beverage line, offers one zero-carbohydrate and zero-sugar hard seltzer: Riviera Spritz.
- Crook & Marker: The Crook & Marker zero sugar hard seltzer line consists of four flavors, two of which have zero carbs: tangerine and black cherry.
- Canteen Spirits’ Vodka Soda: As another option, you might try Canteen Spirits’ vodka soda. Exactly as the name implies, the drink combines vodka with soda water. It’s also gluten-free.
- Viva Tequila Seltzers: Available in select states and online, Viva tequila seltzers contain zero carbs and sugar for just 88 calories a can.
PBR High Seltzer is a unique non-alcoholic seltzer that creates a “buzz” through cannabis instead of alcohol.
Tips for Incorporating Hard Seltzers into a Weight Loss Plan
- Moderation is Key: The guidelines for hard seltzer should be the same as regular alcohol guidelines. Be mindful of how many hard seltzers you’re consuming.
- Hydrate: Drink plenty of water when consuming hard seltzers.
- Choose Wisely: Opt for hard seltzers with zero carbs and sugar for fewer calories.
- Track Your Intake: If you track your macros, log alcohol as fat, net carbohydrates, or a combination of both.
- Consider it a Treat: If you choose a White Claw instead of a different 100-calorie treat, for example, “you may still lose weight,” Hunnes explains.
- Don't Start if You Don't Drink: Health experts agree that if you don’t already drink, don’t start. And if you do opt to imbibe, do so in moderation.