myFM: the best eggnog

This seasonal drink is enough to tip the scales of fat and sugar before you get to any holiday cookies or grandma's meatballs and sausage rolls. Then add in the traditional spiced rum, because that’s how it’s done, and your liver will be wanting to hibernate. 

Coming in at 290 cals, 34g of sugar per 1 cup of your traditional dairy nog, that’s 8 ½ teaspoons. I checked out PC World's Best Eggnog with the ingredients of“milk ingredients, sugar, water, frozen egg yolk, guar gum, carrageenan, natural flavour, rum, natural colour, spice, dextrose.” (episode 93 of the 5 Worst ingredients flagged carrageenan) 

Are the plant based any better? 

Soy Nog is one that I’ve tried. Quite creamy and pleasant. It comes in at 160 cals per cup, no fat, and 24g of sugar which is 6 teaspoons.  

Earth’s Own Oat Nog looked pretty good and while I haven’t tried it, oat milk is creamier than almond for instance. It comes in at 180 cals per cup, 18g sugar, and a bit of fat. Ingredients areOat Base (Filtered Water, Gluten-Free Oats), Cane Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavour, Sea Salt, Gellan Gum, Nutmeg, Locust Bean Gum, Cinnamon, Turmeric, Amylase

Then there’s almond and coconut milk nogs. They’re all quite similar to oat and soy, but some brands have a higher amount of sugar. So as ever, read your labels. 

A conversation that I so often have at this time of year, why not just eat what you want, drink what you want and deal with it in January??? Well, because you have to live with yourself until then and you don’t realize the impact of unhealthy eating until it’s too late; your pants don’t fit, you’re not sleeping, your skin is rashy or acne, joints are hurting and your digestion is not happy. By then, the back tracking that you have to do doesn’t feel worth the deprivation and anxiety. Instead, take it one mouthful at a time and choose wisely. Finding that balance, that midpoint where you’re enjoying yourself, but also being mindful is the best place to be, for now and later. 

Audio coming soon!