We all have read many posts or articles telling us exactly what we should and shouldn’t be eating or drinking if we’re attempting to be on the healthy track… and all of those suggestions say to cut out unnecessary calories and sugar that is ever present in alcohol. For those of you that don’t know, I hear my fellow wine-o’s groaning and throwing their drink at me, virtually. However, now we have a reason to rejoice! Or so I think...
If anyone is great at replacing “fatty” foods with alternatives, it’s me. I’ve turned my vices into staples; my love of mashed potatoes into Cauliflower Mash, and my passion for pasta into Zoodles. So… “Jaycie, what about wine?!”
WAIT - Did somebody say wine???
ANY of my friends could tell you, I drink a butt-load of wine (ha ha)! Or at least I do when I indulge. Otherwise, a favorite alternative of mine is Bon Affair.
I’m not sure if you all are fans of the television show Shark Tank, but I used to watch it a lot. It’s basically about struggling start-up businesses that walk in to a room with a panel of wealthy entrepreneurs and pitch their ideas for sponsorship or stake in their business. On one of its episodes, a woman walked in asking for help with her low-calorie wine business (Check it out HERE if you want to watch the excerpt).
My friends Jeannette, Lola and Francois enjoying the Semi-Sweet White (and some sandwiches).
She pitched her idea, and rattled off facts about how her wine, called Bon Affair, is great for the fitness savvy, active, working woman. She goes on to say that Bon Affair contains zero added sugar, has 6.5% alcohol content, includes grape seed extract, and vegan natural flavors on top of natural minerals and magnesium (or electrolytes). There are two main wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah spritzers (they have also recently come out with two others, the Semi-Sweet White and Red).
I brought both Semi Sweet Red and White bottle to a girl's hike with friends up to a beautiful picnic spot in the Conejo Valley last week. We sampled them with some tasty Goat cheese and Uniekass Robusto Cheese. I’ve become a huge fan, to be honest.
Check out these nutrition labels!
Disclaimer from their website: "Bon Affair does not claim to have any health benefits. None. At all. Wine spritzers contain alcohol, not wheat grass.”
It was brought up at my girl's hike, though, that the decrease in it's alcohol content is slightly a deterring factor. In any regular glass of sparkling wine, for comparison at an average of 13%, there's a significant difference in the 6.5% alcohol content as well as it's halving the nutritional values. My girlfriends were discussing if it was worth it to them to supplement the values for the taste and content of enjoyment of the beverage itself. I opted to make a chart to show the difference between similar wines.
After reviewing the facts, they preferred not to exchange one for the other. In every individual's tastes, as well as their ranking of food priorities, there are things many people wouldn't exchange in similar fashion with food items (e.g. my boyfriend won't exchange potatoes for cauliflower) It's simply personal preference at that point.
If you’re looking for a diet-approved glass of wine, look no further! I include it in my daily meal tracker if I choose to indulge in this, and it doesn’t hurt my progress. I have to say, it’s not *REAL* wine, but it’s just as great as an alternative relative to zoodles!
For more info like this, join my e-mail list HERE! I like to think that I have all the best substitutions!
