Replacing Alcohol With Mocktails Can Be Delicious and Nutritious

If you have any health concerns or are taking medications, always check with your doctor before adding any new juices or other mocktail ingredients to your diet. For example, grapefruit and grapefruit juice are not allowed in your diet if you take a blood thinner, such as warfarin. People with Diabetes and anyone with blood sugar concerns should also be extra careful about the overall sugar content of their mocktails.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and we’re sharing a mocktail recipe from our nutritionists, Lauren Plunkett and Miriam Jirari. Part of the reason people opt for non-alcoholic cocktails and not just water is that they want to feel included. Essentially, this means that they want their drink to not only taste great but look fancy too!

Tips for a nourishing mocktail:

Garnish your drink with one of the ingredients
Place the mocktail in a glass you typically wouldn’t use
Add a little umbrella or flower for visual flair

Mocktails are hydrating, non-addictive, inexpensive, and boast more nutrients than alcoholic drinks. They also won’t impact decision making or sleep, and remain safe for pregnant individuals, the chronically ill, and children.

Despite their benefits, replacing alcohol with a glass full of sugar isn’t a healthy swap. Thus, your mocktail should use real fruit and herbs, minimize simple syrup, contain micronutrient density, and use real food-based ingredients. Avoid ingredients like sodas, artificial flavors and colors, corn syrup, and tonic water, which is actually high in sugar.

Mango-Green Tea Refresher

Chilled green tea with a dash of turmeric is used as the base, a combination that’s loaded with antioxidants, catechins, and polyphenols that may help prevent chronic disease. The mango purée adds vitamin C, fiber, and sweetness.

2 cups filtered water

1 green-tea bag

⅛ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon agave syrup (or 5 stevia drops)

1 large ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks, or 1 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Lime wedges and fresh mint for garnish

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Remove the pot from the heat and add the green-tea bag, turmeric, and agave syrup to the water. Stir to combine the ingredients and let steep for 2 to 3 minutes (no longer, or the tea may become bitter). Remove the tea bag. Set pan aside to cool.

2. Add the mango, lime juice, and 3 tablespoons of water to a blender or food processor and blend until puréed. Set aside.

3. Once the green tea has cooled, pour it into a pitcher or large jar, then stir in the mango purée until combined. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour or up to three days. Serve over ice and garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of fresh mint.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 62 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 15 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 13 g sugars (2 g added), 1 g protein, 4 mg sodium.

This recipe is best made to order and not stored in the fridge.

Disclaimer for people with addiction history: In early recovery from alcohol addiction, sobriety can be fragile. You’re still implementing new habits and establishing a routine and triggers are more likely to affect you. In early recovery, it’s best to try and avoid situations where alcohol may be present and do your best to avoid things that remind you of your past compulsions. In this phase, you’re still transitioning and changing your lifestyle, so it may be harder to maintain sobriety even while pretending to drink an alcoholic beverage. Be mindful of where you are in your recovery and make this decision wisely.

Visit Included Health for all behavioral health needs, including preventive and specialty areas such as depression and substance abuse disorders. See a therapist on your phone, at home or on your lunch break.

Resources:

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Our Editorial Team is composed of our leaders, clinicians, and care coordinators, as well as other Included Health employees, all who are working to raise the standard of healthcare for everyone. Together, they combine decades of subject matter experience across all fields of healthcare.

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