5 Clean Cocktails You'll Want to Make At Home

Clean eating is all the rage right now – and for a good reason. If you're a clean eater, you need clean cocktails. Even if you're not a clean eater (yet!), you can still enjoy healthy cocktail recipes.  

When the weekend approaches, it might be tempting to let loose and forego all your clean-eating efforts. Don't despair! Clean cocktails are here to save your Saturday night -- or Sunday brunch, as the case may be. 

Try these five healthy cocktail recipes at home or at a friend's place to see why these delicious drinks are seriously trending right now. Take notes on the ones you love by keeping a cocktail journal. This playful take on a food journal lets you track what you're drinking, even if it's just to inspire new twists on the next round. 

 

Fresh Strawberry Daiquiris

 

One of the reasons alcohol sabotages diets is because your favorite cocktails are so laden with sugar. Daiquiris, in particular, are usually made with rum and a syrupy-sweet mix that comes in a bottle. You dump the contents into a blender and whir it up until it's frothy -- but there's a better way. 

 

Make this recipe for two:

• ¼ cup white rum 

• 2 cups or 1 pint of strawberries  

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 

• 2 cups of ice 

 

You start going clean by paying attention to the mix-ins you select. Rum is already one of the more calorie-laden spirits you can drink. It's fermented cane sugar, so when you're making clean cocktails with it, you need to lighten up on the other ingredients. This is easy when you switch out the big-bottle mixes for fresh strawberries and fresh lime juice. 

Believe it or not, this clean version is actually the original version, although it's more of a challenge to find them made this way in today's tiki bars or resort restaurants. Who knew your healthy cocktail recipes had the added bonus of a little vintage flair?

Everything still goes in the blender until it's frothy, so it's still an incredibly easy drink to make. Just be sure to squeeze the limes of their juice separately and then put the juice into the blender with the rum, strawberries, and crushed ice. If you put the whole lime in, even if it's peeled, you risk making your drink bitter. 

 

Skinny Coladas

 

Piña coladas are another popular drink that gets a bad reputation from high calories. Slash the sugar on this tropical favorite, too, with a few easy trade-offs that keep the tangy-sweet pineapple flavor and reduce the carb and calorie load from more sugary mix-ins. Try this clean version for you and a friend with this blender recipe that serves two:

 

• 1 ounce dark rum 

• 1 ounce white rum 

• 1/2 cup diced pineapple. 

• 2 ounces pineapple juice 

•2 ounces coconut water 

 

The clean changes are subtle, but make a big difference in calories. By using a little less white rum than usual and exchanging coconut cream liqueur or cordial for coconut water, you have a healthier drink.  Garnish your cocktails with fresh pineapple slices instead of the maraschino cherries that get plucked from corn syrup in restaurants. The fresh fruit hits that tangy note you crave from a piña colada. If you miss the creamy texture of the liqueur, add a little extra ice and blend longer to up the froth factor. 

 

Fresh Squeezed Mimosas

 

Who doesn't love a mimosa? This classic brunch cocktail combines champagne and orange juice. Make drinks for a group at home that everyone will love just as much as the high-sugar version. Your friends won't be able to stop talking about how amazing it is to brunch at your place because you show them how to stick to their diets and still have fun on the weekends. 

This one is simple. Replace Champagne with Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine that has up to 15 calories less per serving. Squeeze the OJ yourself to keep your mimosas free and clear of added sugar or preservatives. Don't be surprised if your friends insist you beat the bottomless brunch place. 

 

Infused Gimlets

 

A gimlet is a strong cocktail for those who love the bite of spirits. Normally made of gin or vodka, a bit of sweetened lime juice, a little sugar, and soda water, this cocktail is delightfully old-fashioned -- and pretty high in sugar. 

Trade out the store-bought lime juice for fresh-squeezed juice and skip the added sugar in this version. The real trick is to get an infused vodka. Find one that's made with a citrus kick for added tang. Stock your home bar with skinny vodka and a variety of glasses, so you can make these any time you have an unexpected guest or the party ends up at your place. 

 

Watermelon Cosmos

 

Cosmos might not be as popular as they were a few years ago, but they're still a great drink. Just fruity enough to be fun, but still potent with vodka, this drink deserves a clean-cocktail update. Try this version that skips the sickly-sweet triple sec in favor of extra lime and replaces the high-cal cranberry with low-cal watermelon juice:

• 1 1/2 oz. vodka 

• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice 

• 1 oz watermelon juice 

 

Enjoy these light drinks as part of your commitment to healthy living and keep feeling great day after day, physically and mentally. That's what clean eating is all about.