It’s all too easy to slurp down hundreds of empty calories without even realizing it. Soda and other sugary sips, coffee and all its add-ons, signature cocktails, and more — these beverages do little to satisfy your appetite but have a huge impact on your health and waistline.

Fortunately, I have two fabulous reasons to raise your glass this St. Patrick’s Day —delicious drinks that you can whip up to celebrate this or any special occasion. Chill out, quench your thirst, and don’t sweat the calories. Mix your own refreshing versions of these classic drinks at home. Cheers!

Carrie Bradshaw and the Sex and the City crew made the cosmopolitan popular by ordering it night after night while gallivanting around Manhattan, but there’s no way you could drink it that often and still fit into your designer jeans. So curb your cosmo cravings, and instead, fill your glass with my special “Cosmopoli-trim.” You can sip and snip without skipping a beat. Throw in a dash of green food coloring for a fun and festive touch!

COSMOPOLI-TRIM
makes 1 serving

My Cosmopoli-trim has about half the alcohol of your typical fruity cocktail, so you’ll be able to enjoy yourself without getting too tipsy. Sweet and tangy cranberry juice mixes with hints of lime to create a delicious signature summer drink that’s refreshingly lower in sugar and calories.

3 ounces cranberry juice
2 ounces berry-flavored seltzer, preferably cranberry
1 ounce vodka
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 lime wedge (optional)

Combine the cranberry juice, seltzer, vodka, and lime juice in a glass over ice and stir. Garnish the glass with the lime wedge, if desired. 

nutrition information PER SERVING
105 calories • 0 g protein • 0 g total fat (0 g unsaturated, 0 g saturated) • 0 mg cholesterol • 11 g carbs • 0 g fiber • 10.5 g total sugar (10.5 g natural, 0 g added) • 0 mg sodium

Looking for a refreshing cocktail? Beware: Some drinks may cool you off, but they can also weigh you down. Take your typical Long Island iced tea, which contains five different types of alcohol — vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and triple sec — as well as sweet-and-sour mix and cola. It can pack as many as 440 calories per glass. Have a few of those this St. Patrick’s Day and you’ve just drank your day in calories!

I created a slimmer sip while on vacation with my extended family (all 29 of us!) in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It has become our cocktail of choice when we’re relaxing in the Berkshires. I’m hoping you love it as much as we do. Bottoms up.

BERKSHIRE ICED TEA
makes 1 serving

Not only did I give this classic drink a new name after one of my favorite places on Earth, but I also gave it a healthy spin, thanks to the grapefruit juice (ciao, cola!) and lemon-ginger tea bag (so long, sweet-and-sour mix). Of course, you can easily prepare a virgin version instead (skip the alcohol and it’s just 25 calories). Whichever you choose, kick back and sip on.
 
1 lemon-ginger tea bag
¼ cup 100% grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon vodka
1 tablespoon rum
1 wedge fresh grapefruit (optional)
1 sprig mint (optional)

Place the tea bag in 1 cup of boiling water and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bag and allow tea to cool in fridge.

Once cool, mix in the grapefruit juice, vodka, and rum. Stir and add ice. Garnish with grapefruit wedge and mint, if desired.

nutrition information PER SERVING
90 calories • 0 g protein • 0 g total fat (0 g unsaturated, 0 g saturated) • 0 mg cholesterol • 6 g carbs • 0 g fiber • 6 g total sugar (6 g natural, 0 g added) • 0 mg sodium

In these bright, colorful pages, of From Junk Food to Joy Food best-selling author Joy Bauer shares how you can drop the calories in your most fattening, sugary, calorie-filled favorites—without compromising flavor. With a few simple tricks, Joy helps us transform a bacon cheeseburger from a whopping 1,100 calories to a mere 425 . . . and General Tso’s Chicken from an alarming 1,000 to a slimming 260. Featuring more than 120 recipes, most with ingredients you have in your kitchen now, you can stop denying yourself the flavors you love and learn to make the recipes you want with joy! 

To get an idea of how many calories you can save by making some smart food swaps, watch this video from The Today Show. A typical order of wings with blue cheese can clock in at around 1,200 calories. But Joy Bauer shows how just a few changes can make this tasty treat healthy without skimping on flavor.