4 Tricks for a Healthier Happy Hour

healthier happy hourI’m never going to be the kind of person to turn down an invite to meet up with my girlfriends for happy hour. It’s the best way to catch up on what’s going on in everyone’s lives! But I also don’t want to throw my healthy lifestyle out the window just because I’m at a bar. Here’s how I get around all the high-calorie cocktails and fried bar bites tempting me during happy hour.

Julianne Hough’s Tricks for a Healthier Happy Hour

Don’t go overboard on bar bites. Here’s the thing, if I show up to a bar starving, there’s no way I’m turning down those truffle fries or nachos. That’s why I always make sure I eat something before I walk out the door to meet my friends—a little protein goes a long way to keeping me satisfied. And if I do want a snack while I’m there, I look for things on the menu like grilled skewers or veggies with hummus or guacamole (even if it says those dips come with chips, ask for cut veggies instead).

Use happy hour as an excuse to stay moving. I try not to slide into a booth and stay there—instead, I think about how I can squeeze in some steps at the bar. I have the taxi drop me off a few blocks from the bar and walk the rest of the way, take the stairs if I have the option, and always offer to be the one to head up to the bar to grab someone a drink. At the end of the night I check my Fitbit Flex 2 and am always surprised at how many steps I got.

Go with a low-cal cocktail. Unless it’s a special occasion, I try not to order super sweet drinks. I’d rather sip on a glass of wine or, if I’m craving a mixed drink, something like a vodka soda with lime. I also love those new alcoholic seltzers that were everywhere all of a sudden!

Always double fist with water. It’s hard to not want to keep sipping on something at a bar, so I always go cocktail, water, cocktail, water. This way I’m pacing myself and staying hydrated, which is something I’m constantly trying to be better at (it’s good for your skin, energy, digestion, and more). This strategy also helps save some money, since you end up ordering fewer pricey drinks this way!

13 Comments   Join the Conversation

13 CommentsLeave a comment

  • Great advice! Question: Does anyone out there have a lower carb recipe for a yummy strawberry daiquiri? I’ve tried adding less mix and more water and that works okay, but that mix is crazy high in carbs! I don’t drink them very often but would love a lower carb solution when I do!

  • I love the suggestion to eat some protein before you go. I use the same thing around the holidays for parties. Eat healthy before so you are or starving and look for healthy choices at party.

  • Asking for cut veggies instead of chips or fries has been my healthy go to for the past year. Like the water, alcohol, water, tip. I always alternate veggie with hummus or guacamole and just veggie. Great tips. Thank you for sharing. My fit bit goals help keep me on track every day.

  • It is important to live a healthy lifestyle, but 1 glass of wine occasionally should not kill your fitness regimen. I also like the idea of taking a cab to the bar and leaving the bar in a cab. DUI’S are not fun, very expensive and dangerous to the person driving & the innocent people in other cars .

  • Hi Julianne, I am fifty eight years old, french, lived and love living in uk for 38 years but go back very regularly and going through menopause! Late i know!
    I have never been big but it is all relative. I am extremely active but love food(portion is my problem, not what i eat), i have a very good, healthy, some of it homegrown diet. Having quit two to five cigarettes a day back in January, i have put on, slowly but surely a few pounds. I have gone on to the MB diet (Metabolic Balance Diet) which brings me to say that a lot of the things you said above make sense to me, specially the protein first! I went up to 9 stones 3 lbs and this morning i am at 8 stones 4lbs. So very please and my change of attitude and habits are here to stay, i hope. However food and drinks are a real pleasure but we need to pace ourselves and enjoy it still.
    Enjoy reading your article. Thank you for reading this.

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