A typical serving of prosecco contains around 60 calories, which is relatively low compared to other alcoholic drinks. However, if you drink too much of it in a short period of time, the calories can quickly add up! In fact, just one glass of wine can contain upwards of 150 calories. Beer is even worse, with some brands containing as many as 200/240 calories per serving.
So, how can you enjoy a drink or two without overindulging in calories? One way is to choose lower-calorie options like prosecco. Another is to dilute your beverage with sparkling water or club soda. This will help reduce the overall sugar content while still allowing you to enjoy a refreshing drink.
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How much calories in a glass of prosecco?
Not all prosecco are equal in regards to the amount of sugar. In fact, some varieties contain significantly more sugar than others. If you are looking for a healthier option, choose a prosecco that has less than 12 grams of sugar per serving.
Prosecco Brut
Prosecco Brut has the lowest amount of sugar amongst prosecco varieties with only about 0.65 grams of sugar per milliliter. Prosecco Brut is the most popular variety of prosecco, for each glass you'll consume 60-80 calories.
Prosecco Extra-dry
As confusing as it might sound Prosecco Extra-dry has a bit more sugar than Prosecco Brut with 0.85 grams of sugar per milliliter. The calories in a glass of Prosecco Extra-dry are also slightly higher at 70-90 calories.
Prosecco Dry
Prosecco Dry contains the most amount of sugar and has the most calories as well, clocking in at 80-100 calories per glass.
Prosecco Demi-sec
Lastly, Prosecco Demi-sec contains the most sugar of all proseccos with about a gram of sugar per milliliter. This variety has 110-130 calories in each glass.
And what about the sugar in prosecco?
Counting the calories in a glass of prosecco only gives you half the picture. You also need to take into account the amount of sugar present in each serving. As we mentioned before, alcoholic drinks tend to contain a lot of residual sugar, which can be bad for your health if consumed in large quantities.
Sugar is made up of fructose and glucose, which means it has no nutrition value. Too much sugar in our diets can lead to health problems such as obesity, heart disease, type II diabetes and even cancer.
So how much is too much? The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day for women and 38 grams per day for men. That's about six teaspoons of sugar for women and nine teaspoons for men.
To put that into perspective, one can of soda contains about 40 grams of sugar, which is well over the recommended amount! And a single glass of wine can have upwards of seven grams of sugar. So, it's important to be mindful of your sugar intake when enjoying alcoholic beverages.
A gin tonic contains 18 grams of sugar.
A mojito has 25 grams of sugar.
A glass of wine has between two and seven grams of sugar.
A glass of sweet wine like Passito has 25 grams of sugar.
A glass of prosecco can be as low as 1 gram of sugar.
Don't forget about alcohol units!
While we're on the topic, it's important to mention alcohol units. In the UK, it is recommended that men and women drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. One unit is equivalent to about 25ml of vodka, or a pint of beer.
So, what does that mean for prosecco? Well, a standard glass of prosecco contains about 11.25 ml of alcohol. So, if you drink three glasses in one night, you've already exceeded your weekly limit!
So, what's the takeaway?
Enjoy a refreshing glass of prosecco without overindulging in calories or sugar
Choose a prosecco with less than 12 grams of sugar per serving
Be mindful of your alcohol intake and limit yourself to no more than 14 units per week
Cheers!