One is usually enough
Unless you are drinking Suntory All-Free Beer, you might ask yourself: ‘Hey, why drink non-alcoholic beer at all? It still has most the calories of regular beer…’
Well, you’d be right to ask that question, and for the most part, a non-alcoholic beer has just about the same amount of calories as it’s boozy cousin. But why I find that sporty people needn’t worry, is both obvious, and obfuscated.
Perhaps I’m not alone, but when I grab a beer, it’s because I want one. But for some people, the dopamine hit that alcohol unharnesses from that first beer, forces the hand to seek out a second beer. If you’re built like me, this little merry-go-round can just keep going and going. Wouldn’t you know, some of us are never quite able to get off because the dopamine rush is that good!
This is problematic for sporty types: when’s the last time you went for an omelette at your local diner, only to have run up the bill for twenty omelettes in short order. Ya, didn’t think so. Yet, this irrationality can happen with booze. Well: this will not do, if you are watching calories for the sake of staying lean and mean for your sport.
Luckily — at least for me, and most of my non-imbibing climbing friends — non-alcoholic beers don’t pack enough punch with its trace amount of alcohol, to complicate your life. Basically, just as the case with soft-drinks, orange juice, or omelettes, one helping is all I’m interested in having in one sitting.
Like I said, all this should be obvious. But it is nice to know that I can drink a pint of non-alcoholic beer with the knowledge that, sure, it’s not calorie free, but a single serving isn’t going to mess up my semi-strict calorie counting. And best of all, I get to enjoy the taste I’ve come to love, without all the craziness alcohol brings to the table. It’s a win-win.