Three to four ounces used to be the standard for a glass of wine. Now, restaurants are pouring twice as much. And if you're ordering more than one, those calories can really add up and pile on the pounds.
Much like our dinner plates, bar glassware is now oversized, and we have no problem filling them up.
For example, the 3-ounce martini of yesteryear is now about 7 ounces, which adds up to around 476 calories. That's about the same amount of calories as two steak and cheese quesadillas.
Light beer is typically less calories than a hearty dark beer. You could grab two 12-ounce Guinness at 252 calories or dish yourself a plate of hot, gooey mac n' cheese.
Eggnog, being a holiday favorite, can vary in calories, but a typical one-cup serving is 342 calories. Add a shot of rum and you tack on 97 more, for 439 calories. That's about what you'll get with a healthy helping of P.F. Chang's battered orange chicken from the grocer's freezer.
And while there are many ways to blend up a margarita with tequila, triple sec and a sweet mix, some restaurants are pouring well beyond the average 12-ounce blender drink. Twenty ounces is now being served at over 600 calories. That's about what you'll get with six full-sized chocolate peanut butter cups.
But not everything is loaded with calories. A single shot of vodka is 64 calories. That works well with zero-calorie soda water. And wine in a five-ounce glass will run you about 110 calories.
So beyond the health risks of overdoing it, keeping the motto "less is best" concerning alcohol consumption is clearly a good choice for the New Year.
