If your New Year's resolutions included healthier lifestyle changes, it’s likely you put exercise and diet on the list. You may have even decided to make a couple of lifestyle changes around drinking, or at least vowed to cut back a bit since the holiday parties over the last month.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to live a healthy lifestyle, and it doesn’t need to be as drastic as Dryuary or as painful as staying in while the friend group goes out after work. Here are some ideas to live a healthier lifestyle AND enjoy your wine too.
HEALTHY SERVING SIZE
Don’t get us wrong, we love a good bottle of wine. But one problem with bottles is that there’s a temptation to finish it once opened. Sure, you can save a bottle for the next day, but does it ever taste as good?
We’re biased, but with a can of wine the appropriate serving is already there. And for larger two-serving cans, it makes it easy to split with a significant other or roommate, that way you both can indulge wisely. So ditch the bottle and choose canned wine instead! You’ll prevent pouring glass after glass until (before you know it) — oops, the bottle is gone.
LOW-SUGAR WINES
There’s a new wave of wine trending in the market and that’s low-sugar wines. These wines can air on the dry and tart side, but there are some great options that many people enjoy. For sparkling wines, pick a Brut or Extra Brut style to limit the amount of sugar in your glass of bubbly.
The lowest sugar varieties of red wine include a dry Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. For white wines, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay are your best bet. Some brands are even dedicated to producing wines with no added sugar, and a simple search can help you narrow down options when it comes to choosing wines without additional sweeteners.
LOW ALCOHOL WINES
If you still want to order a couple drinks out with friends, consider lower alcohol wines (less than 12% ABV for whites, and less than 14% ABV for red wines). You can even find natural wines under 10% ABV for a significant lighter alcohol load. While shopping at a liquor or grocery store, look at the label to find the amount of alcohol in each bottle of wine.
LIMIT DRINKS TO A FEW NIGHTS A WEEK
It’s recommended that men have a maximum of 14 drinks per week and women drink a maximum of 7 drinks per week. While that suggests a drink every day is perfectly fine, those that wish to cut back might consider limiting the number of days they drink. Of course, the amount consumed still matters, but it might be less tempting to pour that second glass night after night if there’s no drinking in the first place.
But again, that’s what canned wine is for, right? Keep portions in check and the nights you do drink wine can still feel indulgent while supporting your health and wellness goals.
