Healthy Cocktails

This is a special bonus edition of "Healthy Eating in Athens". Today's entry is not about a specific restaurant, but it is about something that many Ohio University students are familiar with: drinking alcoholic beverages! More specifically, I am here to offer suggestions on how to make that cocktail in front of you as healthy as possible.

Now, we all know that alcoholic beverages are full of empty calories and can lead to stupid behavior. I am not advocating binge drinking either; these are cocktails for sipping, not chugging.

There are research studies from the U.S. and Thailand that suggest that alcohol actually enhances our body's ability to absorb antioxidants. With that in mind, if you're going to order a fruity cocktail you should know where to find the antioxidants.

According to Readers Digest, pulling from a Tufts University study, the top ten fruits rich in antioxidants are:

1. Prunes
2. Raisins
3. Blueberries
4. Blackberries
5. Strawberries
6. Raspberries
7. Plums
8. Oranges
9. Red grapes
10. Cherries

Not all of these make for a delicious tipple. Can you imagine a prune-tini? But there are some fruits that you can incorporate into your sipping schedule without even trying. Such as strawberries. A strawberry daiquiri is delicious, but it is high in calories. It has about 300 calories without whipped cream.

Everything should be done in moderation, and, with moderation in mind, here are some recipes to test your inner mixologist.

• Blackberry Tom Collins: This recipe from White on Rice Couple uses beautiful pictures to illustrate how easy it is to create a refreshing summer treat. Even if you are not in the mood for a drink, it is worth it to look at the lush photography.
• Blueberry Smash: This is super easy to make, plus you get to smash the heck out of some berries. This drink from The Partyblueprints Blog contains only four ingredients, putting it at everyone's skill level.
• Salted Plum Shochu Cocktail: This is more of a foodie option. If you have the funds, time, and access to to shochu, a grain-based Japanese liquor that is low in calories, it might be just the thing to impress even the most jaded palette.
• Raspberry Tart: The Vintage Kitten offers a healthy dose of 1950s sex appeal with her recipes. This calls for ice cream, so be prepared to take an extra hour on the treadmill if you indulge.

As always, I hope you sip well, have an excellent evening, and, as always, everything in moderation.