Beer: The Fat and Skinny Side of What You Drink

Beer is a top pick on the alcoholic beverage list for a lot of people. It’s delicious, filling and is also a good source of vitamins and minerals. It can aid against coronary heart disease, increase your good cholesterol and can even reduce the development of kidney stones. The thing about beer though, is most of it is full of carbohydrates and calories. If you’re not careful, throwing a few back can add unwanted weight to the waist line and aid in forming the oh-so-stylish beer belly. The main components of beer that determine how good or bad it is for you are the calories, carbs and alcohol content. The higher they are, the worse for you they will be. When choosing a beer you want to look for one that is both lower in calories and carbs and isn’t too high in alcohol content if you are conscious about possibly adding a few pounds here and there. Below is a list of some of the most fattening and least fattening beers.

Most Fattening (200 calories and above per 12oz serving)

• Flying Dog Gonzo: 269 Calories, 18.6g Carbs, 8.7% Alcohol
• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot: 330 Calories, 32.1 g Carbs, 9.6% Alcohol
• New Belgium 1554: 205 Calories, 25g Carbs, 5.6% Alcohol
• Olde English High Gravity 800: 220 Calories, 14.6g Carbs, 8.0% Alcohol
• Steel Reserve: 222 Calories, 16g Carbs, 8.1% Alcohol
• Flying Dog Double Dog Pale Ale: 292 Calories, 15g Carbs, 10.5% Alcohol
• Flying Dog Horn Dog: 314 Calories, 18.9g Carsb, 10.5% Alcohol
• New Belgium Trippel: 215 Calories, 20g Carbs, 7.8% Alcohol
• Sierra Nevada India Pale Ale: 231 Calories, 20g Carbs, 6.9% Alcohol

Least Fattening Beers (199 calories and below per 12oz serving)

• Miller Genuine Draft “64″: 64 Calories, 2.4g Carbs, 2.8% Alcohol
• O’Doul’s: 70 Calories, 13.3g Carbs, 0.4% Alcohol
• Yuengling Light: 98 Calories, 6.6g Carbs, 3.8% Alcohol
• Milwaukee’s Best Light: 98 Calories, 3.5g Carbs, 4.5% Alcohol
• Miller Lite: 96 Calories, 3.2g Carbs, 4.2% Alcohol
• Michelob Ultra: 95 Calories, 2.6g Carbs, 4.1% Alcohol
• Anheuser Busch Natural Light: 95 Calories, 3.2g Carbs, 4.2% Alcohol
• Bud Light: 110 Calories, 6.6g Carbs, 4.2% Alcohol
• Coors Light: 104 Calories, 5.3g Carbs, 4.15% Alcohol
• Rolling Rock Premium Beer: 120 Calories, 10g Carbs, 4.5% Alcohol

 If you’re trying to watch the weight, then be a bit more conscious about what kinds of beer you drink. Keep in calories and carbs in the back of your mind when making your selection. Those few calories that you save here and there will actually add up to a lot over time, leaving you both feeling and looking better.