21 Light Beers to Toast with This New Year's Eve

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Updated by Melissa Rudy, 12/27/16

3-2-1, Happy New Year!

If you choose to toast the New Year with a cold one, pick a beer that's not going to weigh you down. Beers vary in calories, so choose one of these lighter versions (all servings are 12 ounces):
  1. Bud Select 55: 55 calories
  2. Miller 64: 64 calories
  3. Beck's Premier Light: 64 calories
  4. Michelob Ultra: 95 calories
  5. Busch Light: 95 calories
  6. Natural Light: 95 calories
  7. Amstel Light: 95 calories
  8. Miller Lite: 96 calories
  9. Yuengling Lager Light: 99 calories
  10. Corona Light: 99 calories
  11. Heineken Light: 99 calories
  12. Budweiser Select: 99 calories
  13. Keystone Light: 104 calories
  14. Coors Light: 104 calories
  15. Labatt Blue Light: 108 calories
  16. Bud Light: 110 calories
  17. Bud Light Lime: 116 calories
  18. Sam Adams Light: 119 calories
  19. Michelob Light: 122 calories
  20. Natural Ice: 130 calories
  21. Bud Light Platinum: 143 calories

How to Read a Beer Label


The nutritional information on a beer label is more or less the same as what you'll see on food packages and non-alcoholic drinks. At a glance, you can see the number of calories, fat grams, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and various vitamins and nutrients.

You may also see some non-nutritional information, including ABV (Alcohol by Volume); IBU (International Bittering Units, which indicates the volume of hop resins in the beer); FG (Final Gravity, which measures the density of the beer); Plato (a measure of the amount of fermentable sugar); Lovibond, SRM or EBC (indications of the beer's color); and the bottling and expiration dates.

Not a Beer Drinker?


Get some ideas for slimming down cocktails and learn which high-calorie drinks to avoid at all costs, and sip on some suggestions for diet-friendly alcohol choices. 

What to Consider Before Drinking

  • Just because a beer is "light" doesn't mean it has less alcohol than full-calorie beers. The alcohol volume will vary by brand, so be sure to check the label.
  • The effects of alcohol last longer than you may think. In most cases, the liver processes approximately one ounce per hour.
  • Coffee doesn't magically erase the effects of alcohol. The only "cure" for intoxication is time.
  • The CDC warns that drinking excessively can have dangerous short-term and long-term risks.
  • Always drink responsibly. Choose a designated driver or call a transportation service if you've had too much to drink.
Happy New Year from all of us at SparkPeople!