Light vs. Dark Beer

In lieu of the upcoming sporting event of the year, I decided to share some drinking knowledge.

If you have ever tried to detox, or loose weight, the number ONE thing people tell you is to STOP drinking. That is all fine and dandy, and if you can, more power to you.  Alcohol is full of empty calories and sugar.

But I grew up in Idaho and went to the University of Idaho... not exactly the type of environment that helps with moderate drinking. Lets be clear, I am not talking about alcoholism, I am not talking about binge drinking, or AA; I am talking about social situations that lean towards a social beer now and then. For example: rodeos, concerts, camping, happy hour with friends, ladies night, etc. 

So my best suggestion is moderation, and education! If you like to have a glass of red wine on a Friday night after a loooong week, then I say DO IT! If you prefer and nice cold Dos Equis on a Sunday afternoon of boating, then I say DO IT! But if you're trying to trim down educate yourself on the types of beer/wine/hard alcohols that won't completely derail you from your ultimate goal. This little blurp is soley dedicated to beer. Stay tuned for hard alcohol and wine.

Beer100.com (click here for the full list) has a great list of imported and domestic beers with their respective calorie content. I found that website last year when I was trying to educate myself on which beers had the most calories. To my dismay, like most people, I was operating under the illusion that light beer (in color) = less calories. Not true. Perfect example, Dos Equis Lager actually has MORE calories than the Amber, 156 vs. 149 respectively. Not a huge difference but a difference none the less. I have summarized a few of the most common beers, and a few that I drink regularly in the table below:

Brand	Alcohol (ABV)	Calories 12 oz
Blue Moon	5.40%	171
Bud Light	4.20%	110
Bud Light Lime	4.20%	116
Bud Light Platinum	6.00%	137
Budweiser	5.00%	145
Coors Light	4.15%	104
Coors	4.91%	149
Corona Extra Beer	4.60%	148
Corona Light
Dos Equis XX Imported Beer	4.70%	149
Dos Equis XX Special Lager	4.90%	156
Guinness Draught - Bottle	*	126
Guinness Extra Stout	4.27%	153
Miller Genuine Draft	4.70%	143
Miller Genuine Draft "64"	2.80%	64
Miller Genuine Draft Light	4.20%	110
Miller High Life	4.70%	143
Miller High Life Light	4.20%	110
Miller Lite	4.20%	96
Milwaukee's Best	4.30%	128
Pabst Blue Ribbon	4.65%	144
Red Stripe Lager Beer	5.00%	153
Tsingtao Beer	4.79%	153
Weinhard's Blonde Lager	5.10%	161
Weinhard's Hefeweizen	4.90%	151
Weinhard's Pale Ale	4.60%	147

So while I was "cleaning" up my diet, I read something that I had heard about but never quite believed. Guinness has fewer calories than Budweiser or Coors Original. WHAT you say? But Guinness is so dark, and full bodied (making my mouth water just thinking about it). Welp, its true. Guinness actually has fewer calories than a glass of skim MILK! Weighing in at a shocking 126 calories per 12 ounces.

Now there are other beers that contain fewer calories than Guinness, including all the obvious ones, Bud Light (110), Coors Light (104), or Miller Light (96). But few "lighter" beers also contain small quantities of iron, calcium, phosphates, some vitamins (including vitamin B) and fiber, according to Guinness Master Brewer, Fergal Murray (thatsfit.com). A study from Wisconsin also found that Guinness has antioxidants, and could even protect the heart! I wouldn't go as far as saying that Guinness is "Good for You", but if you're going to drink, why not drink something as delicious as Guinness?

Side note:
Something I hear all the time while drinking Guinness is, "Ugh! Aren't you full? I can't drink more than one of those!" Case and point. Another reason I made the switch to dark beer (typically Guinness) is, (1) I cannot drink them as fast as lighter beers, and (2) typically I drink about 1/2 as many because of it. Another added bonus is some dark beers, particularly Porters and Stouts, have more alcohol in them! But be warned they could also have double the calories!