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The 7th annual #AlcoholFreeFor40 challenge starts today, with the goal of going 40 days alcohol free, tracking certain labs and physical metrics pre- and post-challenge making it your own self experiment to truly see the impact of giving up alcohol, inside and out.

But simply because a drink is “zero proof” doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good for us. In this week’s FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, bar expert Ethan Skaggs joins us to share recipe and product tips for zero-proofing our way through the Alcohol Free For 40 Challenge, the Eat Fit way.

Interested in going #AlcoholFreeFor40?  See more at www.AlcoholFreeFor40.com and check out CRAFT: The Eat Fit Guide to Zero Proof Cocktails (Pelican Publishing, 2022), hitting store shelves this fall (preorder with promo code AFF40 for 20% off and bonus zero proof recipe, here).

ZERO PROOF SPIRITS | Some are designed to replace a particular spirit, others, like Seedlip, are simply distilled botanicals that add a cocktail-like flavor and feel to any drink.

NA BEER | Molly’s top pick, hands down, is Surreal Brewing’s line of zero-proof, non-alcoholic beers, ranging from IPA to Kolsch to porters, all with little or no added sugars.  Surreal is offering viewers 15% off throughout the Alcohol Free For 40 Challenge with promo code 15SBCAFF40 at SurrealBrewing.com.

ALCOHOL-FREE WINE | Wine just might be the hardest category to find a non-alcoholic variety that you truly love.  opinions vary widely, so we’ll just leave it at this: experiment with a few different brands and styles to find an alcohol-free wine you enjoy.

RECIPE | Eat Fit’s Zero Proof French 75

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

For the drink:

  • 1 ounce zero-proof gin
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Eat Fit Simple Syrup (recipe below)
  • 4 ounces zero proof sparkling wine
  • Ice
  • Lemon swath, expressed, for garnish

For the simple syrup:

  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup Swerve granular or 1 ½ cups granular allulose

Instructions:

For the simple syrup: In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and add sweetener. Stir to dissolve and continue to heat for 10 minutes. Pour into heat-safe glass container and refrigerate to chill. Store unused portion in airtight container in refrigerator for up to four weeks.

For the zero-proof cocktail: Combine gin, lemon juice and Eat Fit Simple Syrup in a small shaker tin filled with ice. Shake and double strain into a tall champagne flute. Top with zero-proof sparkling wine and garnish with expressed lemon swath.

Note: The lemon juice really fizzes up the sparkling wine. Tilt the champagne flute as you pour the sparkling wine to keep it from overflowing.

Per serving: 25 calories, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 sodium, 6 grams net carbs, 0 fiber, 4 grams sugar (0 added sugar), 0 protein

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FUELED Wellness + Nutrition is powered by Smoothie King. Learn about Eat Fit at Smoothie King; click here for the full list of Eat Fit options available at Smoothie King, proud sponsor of FUELED Wellness + Nutrition with Molly on WGNO. 

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Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD is a registered dietitian + nutrition journalist in New Orleans, and founder of Ochsner Eat Fit nonprofit restaurant initiative. Tune in to her podcast, FUELED | Wellness + Nutrition and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @MollyKimballRD. See more of Molly’s articles + TV segments at www.mollykimball.com, and sign up for Eat Fit Wellness Bites weekly newsletter, here.