NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — I’ve always loved eggnog. Love love love it. If you’re like me, and enjoy sipping it on the regular, it can be beneficial to find a better-for-you nog that you also truly enjoy.
Typical eggnog – even sans the booze – packs in about 400 calories and 40 grams of sugar in every cup.
There are a few lower sugar options on shelves, but even our ‘love it’ options are still pretty high in added sugar (they’re just the best bets currently on shelves). So if you’re into DIY eggnog, check out this low-sugar protein-rich eggnog that Brooke and Molly made this season!
Tip for richer, thicker eggnog: Add a scoop of unflavored collagen peptides or vanilla protein powder (whey or plant based), whisk or blend with immersion blender.
Note: Nutrition Facts listed are for a half-cup serving, standard for eggnog nutrition facts
LOVE IT!
Almond Milk, Simple Label | MALK Organic Almond Milk Holiday Nog
- 60 calories, 0 sat fat, 6 grams carb, 4 grams sugar (4 grams added sugar)
- Ingredients include filtered water, organic almonds, organic maple syrup, organic nutmeg, Himalayan Pink Salt
- One of the few nogs on shelves with streamlined ingredient list without thickeners, stabilizers
Cow’s Milk | Bolthouse Farms Holiday Nog
It’s not easy to find in stores (and side note, look for it in the produce section), but if you’re lucky enough to see this in your store, try it out!
- 90 calories, 1 gram sat fat, 13 grams carb, 12 grams sugar (9 grams added sugar)
- Ingredients include milk, sugar, agave, whey protein, carrot juice, egg yolks
- 60% fewer calories and 80% less sat fat than traditional nog. Rich & creamy like regular egg nog.
LIKE IT!
Almond Milk | Califia Farms Holiday Nog | Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan
- 50 calories, 0 sat fat, 9 grams carb, 8 grams sugar (8 grams added sugar)
- Ingredients include almond milk, cane sugar, fruit & vegetable juice for color, ginger, sea salt, nutmeg
- Noticeably mild flavor with a thinner texture than traditional eggnog
Oat Milk | Chobani Oat Milk Oat Nog | Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan
- 100 calories, 0 sat fat, 13 grams carbs, 9 gram sugar (9 grams added sugar)
- Ingredients include water, oats, cane sugar
- Good eggnog flavor but thinner consistency; color is more beige than traditional eggnog-yellow
Coconut Water | Harmless Harvest Coconut Nog | Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan
- 50 calories, 0 saturated fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams sugar (0 added sugar)
- Ingredients include organic coconut water and coconut meat, organic cinnamon, organic nutmeg
- Thinner consistency, not quite ‘eggnog’ but a good clean-label alternative
HATE IT!
Most varieties of Classic, organic + otherwise ‘Natural’ eggnog
- 180-210 calories, 5-6 grams sat fat, 25 grams carbs, 17-24 grams sugar (15-19 grams added sugar)
- 400 calories + two days’ worth of sugar in a single cup
- Standard ingredients include milk, sugar (as sugar, HFCS, and/or corn syrup) cream and egg yolks, with nutmeg & annatto/turmeric for color
Most varieties of Reduced Fat, Lowfat, or “Light” Eggnog
- 140-150 calories, 1.5 grams sat fat, 20-25 grams carbs, 18-24 grams sugar (14-19 grams added sugar)
- Reduced fat milk or fat free milk is first ingredient, but also includes high fructose corn syrup or sugar.
- Typically only 25% fewer calories than classic eggnog with same high sugar content of two days’ worth of sugar in a single cup!
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FUELED Wellness + Nutrition is powered by Healthy Portions Meal Co. Learn more about the variety of Eat Fit options at Healthy Portions Meal Co, proud sponsor of FUELED Wellness + Nutrition with Molly on WGNO.
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Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD is a registered dietitian + nutrition journalist in New Orleans, and founder of Ochsner Eat Fit nonprofit restaurant initiative. Tune in to her podcast, FUELED | Wellness + Nutrition and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @MollyKimballRD. See more of Molly’s articles + TV segments at www.mollykimball.com, and sign up for Eat Fit Wellness Bites weekly newsletter, here.
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