Cool Summer Drinks for Low Carb Dieters

It's almost summer, time for grilling and sunning on the patio. Here are some low-carb drink choices to keep your summer cool and airy. 

Ah, summer! Time to relax on the deck, kicking back with friends. But if you're not careful, you can undo an entire winter's worth of low-carb weight loss in one or two drinks. Soft drinks, beer, wine, smoothies all contain a large amount of carbohydrates, and may add more than you would expect that your calorie intake carbs. An 8 oz serving of cola alone contains about 27-30g carbohydrate. Add rum to it and ... yes, you see the problem. 

"Then we will drink diet because 'you think. But this in itself creates problems, large amounts of sodium and / or potassium. And, frankly, would not be bored with the same diet soda, all the time? 

Here are some great new drinks that are sure to become your favorites. 

Icy Almond Cappuccino 

A Canadian summer tradition is an iced-coffee drink served by our most famous donut shop. But one small serving (12 ounces) of this delicious treat packs a huge 32g of carbs, all from sugar. This low-carb substitute gives you all the Yummy, and none of the resulting stomach. 

Recipe: Serves 2 * 1 tablespoon instant coffee or 2 teaspoons instant espresso crystals * 

    * 1 tablespoon (about) boiling water 

    * 1 ½ cups unsweetened with Almond Milk (for example, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze) 

    * 2 packets sugar substitute (Stevia, Splenda, etc.) 

    * 1 cup ice 

   1st In a small cup or bowl, combine coffee crystals with water to dissolve. Pour into blender. 

   2nd Add almond milk, sweetener and ice. 

   3rd Blend for 2-3 minutes on high until ice is finely crushed. Serve in a chilled glass with a straw. 

   4th To make it really special, add a little cocoa or cinnamon dusted on top, or a blob of unsweetened whipped cream. A mocha version can be made using chocolate-flavored almond milk. 

* The author favorite is the new Via instant coffee from Starbucks. If you use one package will suffice because of its intense flavor. 

Flavoured Water - Cool as cucumbers 

Flavoured waters are big hits at the moment - but if you read the ingredients you quickly realize that there is much more than was bargained for, a lot of artificial sweetener, artificial flavorings, and sometimes colors and oil (which acts as a flavor carrier ). 

Make your own flavored waters quickly and easily. Simply slice 4-6 slices of a combination of the following ingredients, adding a two-quarter pitcher (2 liters) of filtered tap water or carbonated filtered water: 

    * Cucumber 

    * Cranberry 

    * Oranges 

    * Lemons 

    * Limes 

    * Grapefruit 

    * Strawberries - sliced 

    * Raspberries or blackberries (fresh, whole) 

Some cool combinations: cucumber and lime, cranberries and lemons, grapefruit and raspberries. 

Use organic if possible, and be sure to washed fruit or cucumber before slicing. 

Tea for two (or more) 

Granny always said, never wasting a good pot of tea ... cold leftover tea in the pot was poured into a jar, ice cream and lemon juice added (about 1 tablespoon per quarter), and stored in the fridge for a cold drink the next day. 

Iced tea can be made from many different types of herbal teas on the market today. The trick is to brew the preferred tea double strength, let cool, then pour into pitcher over ice. Lemon, lime or sweetener may be added to taste. Some good teas for glaze: peppermint, rosehips, Constant Comment ©, chai, rooibos, green or ginger. Be brave and experiment a little! Add some almond milk for a rich iced chai, which is sure to wow family and friends at the next barbecue. Combine mint with green tea in a spectacular drink full of anti-oxidants.

Aqua vitae: Low-carb wine and beer 

No discussion about summer drinks would be complete without a discussion about alcohol is the main beverage of choice at many barbecues and picnics. Fortunately, low carb'ers market needs spurred breweries to create low-carb beer. Bella Online writer Lisa Shea has compiled a great list of low-carb beers with a comparison of their nutrition and taste. Her choice is Amstel Light, Thin Ice and Mike's Light lemonade. Click on Low Carb Beer Comparison Chart for her complete list. 

For oenophiles, a number of wineries producing low-carb wines. Brown-Forman, for example, introduced a few California wines with names based on their carb counts; One.6 Chardonnay and One.9 Merlot. McWilliams Winery of Australia has released a Sauvignon Blanc and a Shiraz called Balance, with 1.5 and 3 g carbs, respectively. In large cities, your local liquor store or wine supplier helping to find other choices. 

But if your choices are limited in your region, an alternative is a Wine Spritzer. One gram of wine with 3-4 ounce of soda or sparkling mineral water and a wedge of lemon or lime, creates a refreshing drink. True, the wine is diluted but so are carbs, making a little go a long way. And the water works well to keep you hydrated in these warm summer evenings. 

Low carb'ers happy! With a little research and a touch of creativity, a whole world of refreshing drinks await you!