The holiday season is finally upon us: a time for seasonal celebrations filled to the brim with tempting treats and concoctions. But before you start coming up with your game plan to avoid Grandma’s peppermint bonbons this year, maybe you should rethink where the bulk of your holiday calories are really coming from: your drinks.

The majority of beverages we consume contribute empty calories to our diet. This means they are high in calories, but very low in nutrients. In fact, milk is considered to be the only truly nutrient dense liquid out there. So what are these low-nutrient beverages doing for us? They’re adding unnecessary calories or displacing calories from nutrient rich sources.

Between holiday treats like party punches, sweetened cocktails, eggnog and hot cocoa, it can be hard to keep track of how many calories you’re really consuming at each celebration. However, after reading this article, you can better prepare yourself to keep your seasonal sipping in check.

Just as at the popular ugly sweater parties on campus, it’s easy to spot the biggest contributor to the celebratory calorie count: alcohol. Just a few beers or shots of liquor can equate to an entire meal calorie-wise.

Three beers pack about 440 calories (about 25 percent of the calories needed in a day) and contributes less than five percent of any of your essential vitamins and minerals. In comparison, a plain ham and cheese sandwich provides you with 20 grams of protein, and essential vitamins and minerals like calcium and iron, for nearly 100 fewer calories.

So instead of beer, you choose a simple soda at your next holiday get together, thinking you’re avoiding all negative consequences. Yet just because a drink is alcohol free doesn’t mean it is necessarily a healthy choice.

Just two cans of non-diet soda have about 270 calories (13.5 percent of a 2,000 calorie diet) with no nutritional benefit. Choosing diet soda, which contains zero calories, won’t add any healthful nutrients to your diet, but it won’t add any unwanted calories. However, too much of any soda (just like Mom told you) isn’t good for your dental health.

So what about those milk-based holiday delights? Everyone needs their dose of calcium, right? The benefits of the calcium in drinks like hot cocoa and eggnog, however, is outweighed by their high sugar and fat content. Just 8 fluid ounces of eggnog packs 345 calories with about 50 percent of those calories coming from fat.

Your favorite medium cup of Starbucks hot chocolate, though it packs 45 percent of your daily calcium requirement, also contributes 370 calories with almost 40 percent of those being from fat.

It’s easy to get boggled by all of these numbers, and even easier to give into all of these seasonal temptations! So the number one thing you need to remember about making the right choices this holiday season is moderation.

Holiday beverages are fine as long as they remain something special that you enjoy only once in a while. You can drink and be merry and avoid adding on countless calories this winter, if you simply remember to enjoy all things in moderation.

If you’re curious about the nutrient content of your favorite foods and drinks check out the USDA’s nutrient calculator at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ or write your question to the column at [email protected].

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe is a low-calorie seasonal drink rich in vitamin C that is sure to be a success at any get-together.

Spiced Cranberry Punch (serves six)

Ingredients:

CRANBERRY SYRUP:

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

2 cups water

2 tablespoons honey

PUNCH:

1 cup water

1/4 cup honey

3 sticks (2 inches each) cinnamon

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 1/2 cups pineapple juice

1/2 cup lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)

4 cups sparkling water

pineapple slices and lemon slices pierced with whole cloves, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. To make the cranberry syrup: in a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries and water, bring to a low boil and cook until the berries pop (about 5 minutes).

2. Set a sieve over a bowl and pour the mixture into the sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all the juice. Discard the pulp. (You should have about 2 cups juice.)

3. Return the juice to the saucepan, add the honey, and simmer for 10 minutes. Do not let boil and do not overcook or the cranberry syrup will gel. Store in the refrigerator.

4. To make the punch: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, honey, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil and continue to boil gently for 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon and cloves. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

5. Add the cranberry syrup, pineapple juice and lemon juice to the honey mixture and chill until serving time.

6. Just before serving, pour the punch over ice in a punch bowl and add the sparkling water. If desired, garnish with pineapple and lemon slices.