What Is the Healthiest Holiday Cocktail?

December tends to be the busiest (and wettest) time of year. You might even have more parties on your calendar than usual – hey, now that we’re living in a post-COVID world, you gotta make up for lost time, right?

Part of the party spirit is cheering with something festive. But what should it be? A sparkling glass of prosecco? A red-hued cranberry cocktail? Enriched brandy Eggnog? If you’re toasting with your health in mind, some options are definitely better than others. Special seasonal cocktails are often high in sugar, as are seasonal cocktails coffee drinks and holidays cookies.

Want something a famous nutritionist would endorse? Be well Founder, nutritionist and health coach Kelly Leveque, who has worked with Emmy Rossum, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba and Chelsea Handler, among other celebrities, shares an easy cocktail recipe that’s packed with healthy ingredients and zero sugar . Keep reading to find out how to make it yourself.

Kelly LeVeque’s Thai Chili Cocktail

Ingredients

1/2 serrano or Thai chili pepper, sliced (remove seeds to make the drink less spicy or adjust the amount according to your preference for heat)
3 to 5 drops of NOW Real Food Organic Monk Fruit
1/2 oz. (15ml) fresh lime juice
2oz. (60ml) carrot juice
1 oz. (30ml) sparkling water
1/0.5 oz clear alcohol such as Vodka or tequila (or omit, for a non-alcoholic drink)
tajine chili-lime seasoning (for frosting the glass)

directions

Rim the glass with the Tajin Lime Chili Seasoning.
Crush the chilli with the monk fruit and lime juice. Add it to the glass.
Pour the carrot juice and alcohol into the glass. Top it off with a little sparkling water.

What makes this cocktail a healthy choice

If you’re going to be drinking alcohol this holiday season, LeVeque recommends opting for a clear spirit (like vodka, gin, or tequila) instead of one that also contains fructose, like rum or dessert wines. “The reason for this is that you will already have to metabolize the alcohol in your liver and if you add fructose to that it will double the amount of detox the body has to do,” she says. LeVeque says a clear alcoholic spirit with a dash of citrus and a splash of sparkling water is easier on the body.

You will also notice that his drink contains carrot juice. Carrot juice is linked to immune system support, which is especially important at this time of year. This is because it is high in vitamin C, vitamin Aand beta-carotene. Vitamin C helps maintain the proper functioning of the immune system and also helps in the production of cells. Beta carotene also contributes to cellular function and production. Vitamin A supports immunity by stimulating the production and activity of white blood cells, which protect the body against infection.

All of this is in stark contrast to the sugar, which is linked to decreased immunity. It is an ingredient that is not included in the cocktail recipe at all. Instead, LeVeque swaps it for monk fruit, a natural sweetener. “Monk fruit is probably my favorite alternative sweetener,” she says, adding that natural sugars like coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, molasses, and honey are all less harmful to the body. body than traditional sugar and even have health benefits.

LeVeque says she prefers monk fruit because it has a slightly lower glycemic index than regular sugar, which means it doesn’t raise blood sugar as quickly. “It also contains minerals including calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese, and more antioxidants than honey,” she says.

Of course, even with healthy cocktails like this, she says moderation is still important. Nothing with alcohol can really be considered 100% healthy. And you can always omit the alcohol in this recipe too – it’s just as delicious without it.

However, if you want to soak it up, this is a cocktail you can feel pretty good about. It gives a whole new meaning to the festive spirit, that’s for sure!