Alcohol and Your Nutrition

As someone who chooses to drink, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. There are plenty of negative consequences from alcohol that will land outside this conversation’s bounds (SEE: sleep, brain health). Today we’re talking about how troublesome alcohol is for both nutritional quality and quantity considerations. 

Alcohol is shockingly unhelpful from a macronutrient perspective. 

Firstly, alcohol has zero helpful significance from a nutrient perspective. Since alcohol is regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau instead of the FDA, the nutrition labels for alcoholic beverages are often incomplete.

 From a macronutrient perspective, alcoholic beverages don’t fit well in any category (protein, carbohydrates, or fats). Brass tacks, there are seven calories per gram of alcohol, while there are four calories per gram of protein or carbohydrates respectively. There are nine calories per gram of fat. Therefore, outside of fats, there isn’t a more consequential type of “food” to ingest, which is particularly disruptive to weight loss goals, nutrient-dependent health goals, and beyond. 

Our one-on-one nutrition coach services ask our students to count alcohol as carbohydrate and/or fat to keep their intake organized. While learning about the consequences of alcohol can feel like bad news, we find the opposite is true. With knowledge, there’s power in designing a life where things like alcohol (if you want it), can be included in your life while accomplishing your performance and aesthetic goals. 

Curious about DEUCE Nutrition?