Lower sugar ideas -refreshment package

[Laurba99]

Trying to find some alternatives to getting frozen mocktails since I’m trying to watch sugar and calories. Besides ordered a little cranberry juice and mostly seltzer -any other healthier ideas for refreshing drinks besides diet soda? I can have some sugar I’m just trying to balance so not diabetic or anything. Thanks!

[neverbeenhere]

wife mixes diet sprite or 
seltzer and

 

Touch of Grenadine(mostly sugar)

POM

Limes

limes and mint (mock mojito)

oranges

 

 

She also has confiscated cantaloupe from the Windjammer and convinced a bartender to make a smoothie from it. 

 

[fla33023]

A low-calorie non-alcoholic drink menu would be great! Shirley Temple - ginger ale, a little grenadine, squeeze of lime and maraschino cherries. 

 

[Rubyfisch]

I asked for mock mojitos with just the smallest amount of sugar.

 

I also liked seltzers with a splash of lime.

[joeyancho]

3 hours ago, fla33023 said:

A low-calorie non-alcoholic drink menu would be great! Shirley Temple - ginger ale, a little grenadine, squeeze of lime and maraschino cherries. 

 

That Shirley is all sugar,  except for the lime. 

[joeyancho]

My favorite is San Pelligrino on ice with lime.  Or a squirt of bitters.  Very refreshing. Zero calories 

[Sizzlechest]

Here's the lowest sugar option:

Bring packets of crystal light. Get 1/2 vodka and 1/2 water and add the Crystal Light flavoring packet. Bartenders will mix this for you if you give them the packet.

 

Some sweet, but not too sweet options would be drinks like a Bloody Mary. However, bartenders may not know how to make other ones.  Here are two I like:

 

Spice cake:

1 part Fireball

1 part Ammeretto

1 part Baileys Irish Cream

 

Nutty Russian:

1 part Frangelico

1 part Kaluha

1-2 parts vodka

 

Unfortunately, the ship I was on was out of Frangelico.

[twinmommy08]

I’m in a similar situation but I try to be completely sugar free. I’m bringing a small bottle of sugar free vanilla sweetener on my next cruise for my coffee.

I’m exhausted about the inability to stock sugar free sweeteners for drinks on the ships. I leave a comment on each survey. I must be in the minority 🙂 

My annoyance is mostly at the coffee counter where you can get so many added flavors but nearly all (if not all) are full of sugar. 

I buy my sweeteners from a particular company online but some of their most popular items are available at local grocery stores. I picked up a sugar free cherry sweetener that is perfect making my Coke Zero cherry or adding flavor to my vodka tonics when I’m out of lime. Point being, there are so many sugar free sweeteners available if they want to accommodate sugar free cruisers. 

[twinmommy08]

4 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

wife mixes diet sprite or 
seltzer and

 

Touch of Grenadine(mostly sugar)

POM

Limes

limes and mint (mock mojito)

oranges

 

 

She also has confiscated cantaloupe from the Windjammer and convinced a bartender to make a smoothie from it. 

 

I had a very sweet bartender suggest I bring him fresh fruit to blend with ice for a mock tail. I never took the offer but what a great idea! 

[brownc424]

1 hour ago, joeyancho said:

My favorite is San Pelligrino on ice with lime.  Or a squirt of bitters.  Very refreshing. Zero calories 

 

Just a FYI, if you don't know and care, bitters do have calories. It's pretty minimal, but a teaspoon of orange bitters is about 20 calories. 

[joeyancho]

17 minutes ago, brownc424 said:

 

Just a FYI, if you don't know and care, bitters do have calories. It's pretty minimal, but a teaspoon of orange bitters is about 20 calories. 

My bad.  But it probably takes at least ten shakes to fill a teaspoon.  

[joeyancho]

Also products such as Mio add sweetness and flavor to anything you put them in, such as bottled water,  club soda or even unsweetened ice tea.  Zero calorie I believe.   I use it to help me drink more water every day.  

Edited January 9, 2023 by joeyancho
Add content

[crzndeb]

2 hours ago, Sizzlechest said:

Here's the lowest sugar option:

Bring packets of crystal light. Get 1/2 vodka and 1/2 water and add the Crystal Light flavoring packet. Bartenders will mix this for you if you give them the packet.

 

Some sweet, but not too sweet options would be drinks like a Bloody Mary. However, bartenders may not know how to make other ones.  Here are two I like:

 

Spice cake:

1 part Fireball

1 part Ammeretto

1 part Baileys Irish Cream

 

Nutty Russian:

1 part Frangelico

1 part Kaluha

1-2 parts vodka

 

Unfortunately, the ship I was on was out of Frangelico.

They have the Refreshment package, which is no alcohol.

[Woodmnky]

I like the Refreshment Package and work to stay low carb and limit sugar. I bring some Jordan's Skinny Syrup for specialty coffees. 

 

I often asked for drinks to be made with mostly club soda and then a splash of the regular drink mixes (strawberry, margarita, pina colada, ect). I found a splash was enough to flavor the drink without adding a ton of sugar.

[SilkySal]

17 hours ago, joeyancho said:

My favorite is San Pelligrino on ice with lime.  Or a squirt of bitters.  Very refreshing. Zero calories 

Found this:

 

Is San Pellegrino high in sugar?

How many calories are in a can of Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks following the reformulation? There are, on average, 70 calories in each can of Sanpellegrino, approximately 60 calories less than in the previous recipes. Previously, our range of beverages contained an average of 9g of sugar per 100ml.

 

However, 

Is it healthy to drink San Pellegrino?

It's a healthy alternative to sugary sodas. If you opt for sparkling water without added sweeteners, for example, San Pellegrino or Perrier, you can rest assured that sparkling water is a zero-sugar and -calorie alternative to other carbonated beverages like soda.Sep 1, 2021

 

Cheers!

[loman]

I drink the free water at Cafe Promenade . 😁

Cold, wet , and zero calories.

[Mum2Mercury]

On 1/8/2023 at 4:36 PM, Laurba99 said:

Trying to find some alternatives to getting frozen mocktails since I’m trying to watch sugar and calories. Besides ordered a little cranberry juice and mostly seltzer -any other healthier ideas for refreshing drinks besides diet soda? I can have some sugar I’m just trying to balance so not diabetic or anything. Thanks!

Though you're not Diabetic, you're talking about eating (or drinking) like a Diabetic -- and less sugar /fewer carbs is good for anyone.  The two things Diabetics should avoid are fruit juice and regular soda; seriously, a small piece of cheesecake has less sugar.  It's easy to down a lot of sugar without realizing just how much you're taking in, and liquid sugars are delivered to the blood stream more quickly than food-based sugars.  A 12-oz Coke has almost as many carbs as a Big Mac. 

 

You already know that diet soda is a safe bet when it comes to sugar. 

Iced coffee is low carb ... but go with all cream, not half-and-half because milk contains carbs, and go with Splenda instead of sugar.  

White wine (red wine to a lesser extent) is lower in sugar than a mixed cocktail.  

Diet Coke and rum isn't bad ... or similar combinations of diet soda + shot.

Skinny Girl Margarita mix has significantly fewer carbs, but I don't know whether the ship carries it.

 

The hard thing here is that eating low carb /low sugar isn't the same as "healthy eating" that they taught you in school; rather, it's a sub-set of healthy eating with a different set of rules.  For example, fruit is naturally high in sugars; an apple really raises my blood sugar ... yet we all think of that apple as "healthy". 

 

If you want to learn more about lower sugar /fewer carbs, visit https://www.diabetesdaily.com/ ... but be forewarned:  most posters are hard-core; though helpful, they will take you to task if you're lying to yourself about your carb intake. 

On 1/8/2023 at 9:53 PM, twinmommy08 said:

I’m in a similar situation but I try to be completely sugar free. I’m bringing a small bottle of sugar free vanilla sweetener on my next cruise for my coffee ...
I buy my sweeteners from a particular company online but some of their most popular items are available at local grocery stores ...

Thing about drinks is that SO MANY products are available, and many of us are fussy about what we use.  Sugar is (by a long shot) cheaper than other options, so it's no surprise that the ships stock it.  Add to that:  Many people who are careful about sugar on a daily basis say, "Screw that," on vacation and drink things they wouldn't drink at home.  

 

Edited January 10, 2023 by Mum2Mercury

[Mum2Mercury]

55 minutes ago, loman said:

I drink the free water at Cafe Promenade . 😁

Cold, wet , and zero calories.

That is certainly the most healthy option, but most of us enjoy a change-up occasionally.  

[AshleyDillo]

23 hours ago, SilkySal said:

How many calories are in a can of Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks following the reformulation? There are, on average, 70 calories in each can of Sanpellegrino

 

They were referring to the plain San Pellegrino from glass bottles, which is unflavored sparkling water.  The canned drinks you are referencing are a different product.

[SilkySal]

4 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

They were referring to the plain San Pellegrino from glass bottles, which is unflavored sparkling water.  The canned drinks you are referencing are a different product.

I stand corrected, thanks!

Description

Treat guests to an elegant taste of Italy with these 24 bottles of 16.9-ounce SANPELLEGRINO sparkling mineral water. Load up bar chillers with these bottles of sparkling mineral water. The elegant Italian taste profile has a palate-cleansing, flavor-enhancing quality that's suited for pairing with food and medium to full-bodied wines. Each bottle of SANPELLEGRINO sparkling water contains no artificial ingredients, has low sodium content and zero calories, making it a guilt-free alternative to soda.

• Ideal for working from home
• Quench your thirst with sparkling water
• 16.9 oz. capacity
• 24 bottles per carton
• 16.9 oz. bottle is easy to take along in a purse or backpack
• Contains naturally balanced minerals for a crisp, clean taste
• Product is kosher

[PolicromaSol]

On 1/8/2023 at 2:36 PM, Laurba99 said:

Trying to find some alternatives to getting frozen mocktails since I’m trying to watch sugar and calories. Besides ordered a little cranberry juice and mostly seltzer -any other healthier ideas for refreshing drinks besides diet soda? I can have some sugar I’m just trying to balance so not diabetic or anything. Thanks!

 

Forego the refreshment package entirely and stick to coffee and tea. Then you can reserve your calorie intake for the things you can chew. 😉 Besides, desserts always taste better with black coffee and tea, IMO. (Assuming you're not having milk.) 

 

And think of it this way.... If you then have one or two mocktails a day, you're saving money!

[twinmommy08]

6 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Though you're not Diabetic, you're talking about eating (or drinking) like a Diabetic -- and less sugar /fewer carbs is good for anyone.  The two things Diabetics should avoid are fruit juice and regular soda; seriously, a small piece of cheesecake has less sugar.  It's easy to down a lot of sugar without realizing just how much you're taking in, and liquid sugars are delivered to the blood stream more quickly than food-based sugars.  A 12-oz Coke has almost as many carbs as a Big Mac. 

 

You already know that diet soda is a safe bet when it comes to sugar. 

Iced coffee is low carb ... but go with all cream, not half-and-half because milk contains carbs, and go with Splenda instead of sugar.  

White wine (red wine to a lesser extent) is lower in sugar than a mixed cocktail.  

Diet Coke and rum isn't bad ... or similar combinations of diet soda + shot.

Skinny Girl Margarita mix has significantly fewer carbs, but I don't know whether the ship carries it.

 

The hard thing here is that eating low carb /low sugar isn't the same as "healthy eating" that they taught you in school; rather, it's a sub-set of healthy eating with a different set of rules.  For example, fruit is naturally high in sugars; an apple really raises my blood sugar ... yet we all think of that apple as "healthy". 

 

If you want to learn more about lower sugar /fewer carbs, visit https://www.diabetesdaily.com/ ... but be forewarned:  most posters are hard-core; though helpful, they will take you to task if you're lying to yourself about your carb intake. 

Thing about drinks is that SO MANY products are available, and many of us are fussy about what we use.  Sugar is (by a long shot) cheaper than other options, so it's no surprise that the ships stock it.  Add to that:  Many people who are careful about sugar on a daily basis say, "Screw that," on vacation and drink things they wouldn't drink at home.  

 

I appreciate your thoughtful post. I avoid real sugar because it messes with my digestive tract. I’d rather not be in the bathroom for my vacation 😉 

 

 

[Foodluvr]

If you're on a ship with the freestyle Coke machines, there are tons of sugar-free sparkling water options, sugar-free, Powerade, sugar-free, punch, etc. 

[cruisin from florida]

On 1/8/2023 at 4:36 PM, Laurba99 said:

Trying to find some alternatives to getting frozen mocktails since I’m trying to watch sugar and calories. Besides ordered a little cranberry juice and mostly seltzer -any other healthier ideas for refreshing drinks besides diet soda? I can have some sugar I’m just trying to balance so not diabetic or anything. Thanks!

Smoothies at the Spa bar. They juice fresh veggies and fruits along with fresh ginger, etc. Really refreshing!