Learn how to make a healthier fresh strawberry margarita with good quality Tequila, fresh and frozen berries, lime juice and no added sugar or mixers. Perfect for summer parties, barbecues, Mexican dinner parties and Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
As much as we’re told to limit alcohol consumption for optimal health, there is something about sharing a delicious and refreshing cocktail or a glass of crisp, cold wine on a summer day.
As a nutrition coach, I don’t like to put too many restrictions on my clients and instead of cutting out alcohol altogether (which can be a big behavioural change for some), I prefer to educate about moderation and better drink options.
When it comes to health and drinking, it is best to choose cocktails with low-sugar ingredients, clean spirits or dry wines. This is why I love simple mixed drinks you can make with fresh fruit and no added sugar, such as this fresh strawberry margarita. It’s refreshingly zingy and tangy from lime and sweet from strawberries and has no sugar or syrup or premade sugary mixes.
Fresh Strawberry Margarita
This strawberry Margarita is made with good quality Tequila, a little Cointreau (orange liqueur), fresh and frozen strawberries and lime juice. Traditional Margarita has added sugar or sugar syrup but you won’t find any of that in my recipe.
Choosing The Spirits
As spirits, tequila and Cointreau are pretty good choices. Tequila is made from the agave plant and if you get the good stuff made with 100% agave, it won’t give you a massive hangover like Jose Cuervo used to in your teens.
On top of that, tequila is one of the healthiest spirits as it’s low in calories (70 kcal per 30 ml) and it won’t spike your blood sugar. Mexican researchers from Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados Biotechnology and Biochemistry Irapuato have found that the agave in tequila is non-digestible and will not raise blood sugar levels as much as other booze.
Cointreau is distilled from sweet and bitter orange peels and pure alcohol from sugar beets. It’s probably on the sweeter side of things but we’re only using 15ml which is about 4 grams of sugar.
Fresh Strawberries
Using fresh and frozen strawberries allows me not to use any ice, which gives more concentrated strawberry flavour and sweetness, thus replacing the need for any added sugar. Plus, you get all those nutrients from fresh fruit.
Calories in this fresh, low-sugar strawberry margarita are 193 kcals per serving with 24.5 grams carbs, 14 of which are from sugars in the fruit and Cointreau. In comparison, a regular frozen strawberry margarita such as this made with Tequila, Triple Sec, strawberries and frozen limeade mixer come in at 353 kcals, 37 grams carbs, 27 of which are from sugar and has less fibre.
PS. This is a semi-frozen margarita, so it’s not going to give you that ice cream headache you can get from over frozen cocktails.
PPS. Make sure to also check out my Peach Prosecco Bellini cocktail here.
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Ingredients
- 1 fl oz. tequila 1 shot / 30 ml, see notes
- 15 ml Cointreau see notes
- 4 fresh strawberries chopped
- 2/3 cup frozen strawberries
- Juice of 1/2 lime juice
- Double martini glass or another lovely cocktail glass
- For sugar rim: stevia sugar granules
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Process until smooth, stopping and scraping the sides as you go. If the mixture is not blending properly, add a splash of water to get it going.
- Rub the rim of the cocktail glass with a wedge of lime. Spread a little stevia sugar on a plate and dip the rim to dust it with a few white sprinkles. This is optional.
- Serve with a lime wedge and a fresh strawberry if you like.
This sounds like a perfect way to start my favorite day of the week!!! Sounds delicious:-) Take care, Terra
Yes, it’s a perfect way to start any day of the week 😉 Enjoy!
Hey, this is just great. I have been hosting a series called Food on Friday which features a different food or ingredient each time. This week, for fun, we are doing cocktails and mocktails. If you would like to link this in – this is the link Food on Friday