Slushies with Real Fruit Juice

Shaved ice is sure to cool you off on a hot day. You can cut calories and increase nutrients by swapping flavored syrups with real fruit juice. A large cup of shaved ice topped with four ounces of 100% pineapple juice has 60 calories.

Honey Iced Tea

Honey has slightly more calories per teaspoon than granulated sugar, but its complexity and concentrated sweetness can add a new flavor to your drink even when using less. Sweeten your iced tea by dissolving one teaspoon of honey in four ounces of strong-brewed tea that is slightly warm or at room temperature. Pour over ice and add six ounces of cold water. The final glass has only 21 calories.

Modified Mojito

The mojito is a great poolside party drink that can be adjusted to lower the calories while keeping that familiar flavor. In a cocktail shaker, combine ice, one ounce of rum, one ounce of lime juice, one teaspoon of sugar, and one tablespoon of chopped fresh mint leaves. Shake to mix well. Strain and pour over ice. Top off with four ounces of club soda for a 90-calorie drink.

Fruit & Yogurt Shakes

The more ingredients in your shakes and smoothies, the higher the number of calories, so keep it simple. All you really need for a delicious, thick smoothie is yogurt and fruit. Blend together ½ cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt and ½ cup of fresh or frozen strawberries for a smoothie snack with only 94 calories.

Light Beer

If you enjoy beer, summer cookouts simply aren’t complete without it. Fortunately, there are plenty of light beers available that fit the low-calorie criteria. In a 12-ounce serving, the following beers all contain fewer than 100 calories:

Homemade Lemonade

You can cool off with a quick single serving of lemonade for only 60 calories. Combine four ounces of fresh-squeezed lemon juice with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add ice and six ounces of cold water. Garnish with lemon slices.

Iced Coffee

Skip the extras like whipped cream and flavored syrups and you can enjoy an occasional iced coffee without blowing your calorie budget. Starbucks’s grande iced coffee with non-fat milk contains only 25 calories.

Sparkling Water with Summer Berries

Adding fresh fruit to your water is a low-calorie way to boost flavor. Add ¼ cup of sliced fresh strawberries and ¼ cup of fresh blueberries to a large, 16-ounce glass of club soda. The flavor will grow stronger as the water sits. If you have frozen fruit instead of fresh, it will also serve as ice to keep your water cold. The drink contains 32 calories if you eat the fruit when you are finished sipping.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.