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Achieving fitness goals takes a very tedious formula of exercising and eating right. In a perfect world all beverages would be delicious, while supplying the nutritional value of water. We here at Fitzness know this isn’t true, we also know that not everyone drinks water all the time. For some of you, you’re going to drink a beer every now and then and that is that. Even though beer often leads to weight gain, it does happen to have some nutritional value, so it’s important to know which choices are better or worse than others. After researching a couple of popular beers, I have come to find out that there are actually some medical advantages to drinking beer in moderation, much like red wine.
| Beer | Type | Calories | Carbs | Protein | Sodium |
| Bud Light | Pale Lager | 110 | 6.6 | 0.9 | 0 |
| Blue Moon | Belgian Wheat | 171 | 13.7 | 0 | 8 |
| Yuengling | Lager | 128 | 10 | 1.4 | 0 |
| Guinness (Draught) | Dry Stout | 126 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Heineken | Pale Lager | 150 | 11.5 | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| Corona Light | Pale Lager | 105 | 5 | 1.1 | 0 |
*All nutrition facts came from caloriecount.com and livestrong.com/healthy-eating-guide.
**As you can see, most beers have at least 100 calories, meaning that even two can wreck a calorie count for the day.
At its very base, beer is made up of four ingredients: water, hops, malted barley (malt) and yeast. Within malt contains a multitude of elements, one of which is a polyphenol. Polyphenols are extracts found in many fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants. These specific antioxidants can help lower blood pressure, reduce the chances of heart disease, and increase in HDL (good cholesterol). Don’t use “added nutrition” as a lame excuse for daily consumption of beer. Do use calorie count and polyphenols when making the right choice if you’ve already decided to drink! So, the next time you’re about to crack open a brew, it’s drinkers choice. Just remember to enjoy your beverage in moderation (1-2 drinks).
For more information on caloric count to beer and other beverages always be sure to consult (The Everything Flat Belly Cookbook). Also we want to see you reach your fitness goals, so when you do drink please do it responsibly and ALWAYS have a designated driver.
Compiled with information from:
Essortment
Australian Barley Technical Symposium (WJ Simpson)
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