New Year’s Eve Tips for Keeping It Keto – Opinion

Thanksgiving and the holidays that follow it, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, can spell trouble for anyone trying to maintain their health and enjoy the food and drink the season has to offer at the same time. Before Thanksgiving this year, I shared some ideas on how to keep it keto (low carb/high fat or paleo) while still enjoying some tasty desserts worthy of bringing around to a host’s holiday table.

But, what about New Year’s Eve? For the Keto-minded reveler, there are many potential pitfalls. In this special, featured edition of my VIP column “Higher Culture,” I keep the focus on some ideas you might want to consider when choosing what to drink — and what to avoid drinking.

Let’s start with a wider view. In general, alcohol and losing weight aren’t pals. The Diet Doctor site reported there are at least two reasons to consider ditching alcohol completely: “The more alcohol you drink, the harder it is to lose weight, since the body tends to burn alcohol before anything else. Drinking alcohol can also make you want to eat more.” I don’t have to explain why this is relevant to New Year’s Eve parties, do I?

Moderation will be your best bet if you want to have a drink tonight. The keto rule of thumb is to choose the smallest amount carbs, according to Diet Doctor. You can choose to drink wine, beer, or both. A dry wine (rather than a sweet) is my safest choice. Beer (wheat) is by its nature not keto-friendly.

But what if you’re really wanting some cocktails instead? If you aren’t concerned about the carbs involved (or keeping keto isn’t in the cards, for whatever reason), there’s already a nifty guide right here at RedState.

More than once, I’ve referred you readers to the encyclopedia of drinking known as Brad Slager and his VIP column in these pages, “Dipsology: Beyond The Basics.” I will do it again right now, with his latest libations offering centered on the biggest party of the year, New Year’s Eve. (See “Dipsology: Beyond the Basics — Some Champagne Options for Your New Year’s Revelry“)

In his column, like the one he wrote about holiday-derived drinks, Brad shared several fun recipes for merrimaking, though the ones he included in the new column all revolve around the night’s signature beverage, champagne. Whether you want a stylish Bellini (something I’ve enjoyed here in Phoenix at brunch) or the brilliant Sapphire Eye (the color coming from the Blue Curacao), he’s got you covered.

Keto Options

Here’s the hard truth: champagne or sparkling wine or prosecco (and cocktails made from them) will never be keto-friendly. For example, the lovely blue drink has not only the liqueur (at a whopping seven grams of carbs per ounce) and the champagne (three grams) in it, then you’re adding lemonade; It’s straight-up sugar in a glass. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a cocktail to toast in 2022.

Spirit Hub boasts a list of keto, paleo, vegan (yeah, I know), and other alternate drink recipes for New Year’s Eve. Each drink is made with a sugar-free simple syrup (or mixer) and the magic happens. The site recommends Swoon. These are the ones that I loved.

Moscow Mule😂😂 pic.twitter.com/53261LWRr9

— Anna (@GoodhopeNot) December 31, 2021

Keto Moscow Mule: This is one of the easiest cocktails you can make with only three ingredients. The lime wedges can be added as garnish. This uses Swoon’s ginger lime mixer, vodka, and lime juice.

tom collins – lemon juice, simple syrup, gin and soda
It is fresh, citrusy and crisp, with carbonation. A keeper pic.twitter.com/8qPDcCAI8e

— Daniel Sapsford (@midg3t_ninja) December 30, 2021

Low Carb Tom Collins: The ingredients here are simple syrup, lemon juice, seltzer, natural sugar substitute Stevia… and sugar-free gin. That’s a new one on me. Let me know how it goes. Spirit Hub calculates that you’ll save two grams of carbohydrate by skipping the traditional cocktail cherry on top — but, c’mon, it’s pretty!

One margarita per day will keep the Omi at bay. pic.twitter.com/WrUQ4fPLGd

— Gennefer Gross (@Gennefer) December 31, 2021

This last one is a staple of party life year-round, not just on New Year’s Eve. There’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer night than a chilled glass filled with a margarita, right? The tweet below does not contain any medical advice. It was written by Dr. Fauci, and no one without a sense for humor.

Paleo Margaritas are a simple drink made with lime juice, tequila, sugar-free syrup and orange juice. It’s a mystery to me how this is low-sugar with the latter in it, but you can take it up with the source.

Additional tips

The last concern you’ll want on your mind as we turn the page on the year is how to make up for the extra carbs that are inevitable on this holiday.

Konscious Keto site points to aiming to get in more exercise and, you gotta love the way they put this, “[p]lan to make room in your dietary budget to allow for more liquid calories.” Now, keep in mind that keto isn’t a way of eating that stresses counting calories in any way. It’s part of why I like it better than most other plans. What they’re suggesting here is to use a light hand on some of the carbohydrates you would otherwise have consumed in food from earlier in the day. These should be saved, for other words. Because you’ll want them for a tasty adult beverage (or two) sometime tonight.

Readers, Happy New Year!