happy hour, low-calorie snacks, low-calorie drinks

We love happy hour (that’s why it’s rarely contained in just an hour). But, on top of a slight office hangover the next morning, your weeknight festivities could have you waking up a little, shall we say, “plumper” than you were yesterday.

Many of us don’t realize how many happy hour calories we’re actually consuming. Once those high-calorie cocktails are in our inhibition goes down, cravings go up and we overload on the finger food ordered along with that second (or third!) margarita. Well, it’s time for a wakeup call ladies: One Long Island Iced Tea has more calories than two Big Macs. Two! Yep, it’s depressing news, but don’t hole up in your apartment just yet. Instead, avoid packing on those pounds by ordering intelligently.

We broke down five popular happy hour cocktails and snacks and gave you similar—read: lower calorie—ones to opt for instead. No one will even know that you’re watching your sexy figure. Because it just comes naturally, right?

Cocktails…

Swap your Margarita for a glass of Sangria.
A restaurant-sized margarita—in an eight-ounce cup—can have over 700 calories in it. Yes, it’s our south-of-the-border favorite, but Sangria in a similar-sized glass only adds up to about 240 calories—a big improvement with that same exotic taste.