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After nearly two years of pandemic-influenced eating habits, most of us are looking to shed some quarantine weight. If you want to hit the gym and get back to healthy eating, you may be wondering if you can keep wine on your menu.
If you love a nice glass of chardonnay or pinot grigio after a long day but are worried about the alcohol adding calories to your diet restrictions, you may want to ditch the bottle for a while. However, there are so many varying opinions on the pros and cons of wine that it can be challenging to keep it all straight.
If you can’t bear to give up your nightly glass of wine, it won’t make that much difference to your dieting efforts. The important thing is to choose a wine that is low in calories, carbs, and sugar. Sweeter wines will be worse for your diet than others, like sauvignon blanc, which is low calories in wine. The key is to find the right wine for your lifestyle and stick to a healthy diet.
Bad Reputation
Wine has a bad reputation when it comes to calorie counting. While it may be easy for diet organizers to advise you to stay away from all alcohol, they are not accounting for lifestyle. If you enjoy wine in moderation, there is no reason that you can’t include it in your healthy diet.
The truth is, it’s not the wine that makes you gain weight. Rather, drinking wine and lowering your inhibitions can cause you to make unwise dietary decisions. Snacking and drinking with the girls may be a great time, but once the wine flows, it’s easy to push that salad aside and go for the cheesecake dessert instead. If you can keep your dietary choices in order, wine isn’t going to tilt the scale in the wrong direction. In fact, wine is known to be helpful to digestion.For those that are trying to manage their weight, having a glass of wine with your meal can help your body to break down the nutrients and reduce bloating and upset stomach.
What Wines to Drink
You may enjoy a sweet wine rather than something drier, but if you want to minimize calories and carbs, changing your wine selection is a must. The best wines to drink for your diet include champagne, chardonnay, sparkling wine, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, and pinot noir. Sweet wines contain more sugar and carbs and should be switched out for a drier wine if you are watching your weight.
Plan Ahead
If you are hosting a dinner party and want to include wine on your menu, choose something light and low in sugar. Pair your wine with a healthy meal and a dessert that maximizes fruit instead of sweets. If you are planning a more casual girls’ night, plan your snacks and make a fruit and vegetable platter to enjoy to minimize cravings.
Nothing is more relaxing than enjoying a delicious glass of wine with a meal or after a long day. If you are trying to manage your weight, follow these tips that will allow you to indulge in wine and stay on track with your diet.