How to Drink in a Healthier Way

Drinking too much alcohol isn't good for you, but it is possible to incorporate a favorite wine, beer, or cocktail into a healthy lifestyle

By Jennifer Cook

October 26, 2023

Hand holding a cocktail glass with an orange peel, and plates with salad and sandwiches on a wooden table.

Many of us underestimate how much alcohol we drink, according to self-reported surveys of risky drinking. The scientific evidence suggests that there’s really no amount of alcohol that’s healthy for you. But that doesn’t mean you have to give it up. Follow these tips for drinking more mindfully and cutting back on alcohol without going cold turkey.

Drink Fewer Days a Week
If you currently have a drink every day of the week, pick one—or more—days when you don’t. And even if you drink only two or three times a week, consider adding another day to your nonalcohol days.

Have One Instead of Two
On the days you do drink, have a single beer, cocktail, or glass of wine, not two.

Opt for Beverages With Lower Amounts of Alcohol
The alcohol by volume (ABV) can vary widely not just among beer, wine, and spirits but also among alcoholic beverages in the same category. For example, an India pale ale (IPA) beer may have 4.5 percent ABV—or 9 percent. Sweet wines such as Moscato D’Asti tend to have a lower ABV (around 5 percent) than, say, a California chardonnay (around 14 percent). And even among wines of the same type, alcohol levels can vary—one brand of Vinho Verde might have 9 percent ABV; another, 12.5 percent. Gin, vodka, whiskey, and other hard liquors have much higher ABVs—usually about 40 percent. The alcohol level in hard liquor is measured by proof, which is twice the ABV. An 80 proof vodka, for instance, has 40 percent ABV, and a 100 proof one has a 50 percent ABV.

Choose a Smaller Glass
A 2017 study in the journal BMJ found that the larger the wineglass, the more people poured. Because glass sizes vary so much, a serving (5 ounces) will look very different in different kinds of glasses.

Pour Smaller Servings
You could use less gin in your gin and tonic, or order a glass of beer instead of a pint. Eyeballing your pour can be challenging; use a measuring cup or shot glass to get it right.

Eat Before and While Imbibing
Having food in your stomach slows how quickly alcohol gets into your bloodstream. The main effect here is keeping your blood alcohol level low enough so you don’t get intoxicated—but it doesn’t do anything to combat alcohol’s other health effects. Another benefit of eating while you drink: You are likely to drink more slowly. And that, of course, also helps slow the rate at which alcohol gets into your bloodstream.

Alternate Alcoholic and Alcohol-Free Drinks
If you tend to toss back a few more than you should when you’re socializing, try alternating your choice of alcohol with seltzer, soda, or a nonalcoholic beer, wine, or cocktail, says Katie Witkiewitz, PhD, director of the Center on Alcohol, Substance Use And Addictions at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. This may also help you reduce your risk of having a hangover, not only because you drink less overall but also because those other hydrating drinks can counterbalance the dehydrating effect of alcohol.

Set a Cash Limit
Giving yourself a budget for a night out can reduce your drinking and help you save money. So when you head to a bar or restaurant, decide at the outset that you aren’t going to spend more than the price of your favorite drink. And before you go to the liquor store to stock up, have a dollar limit in mind and stick to it.

Track Your Intake
“We actually know that just engaging in the process of monitoring helps people reduce their drinking—just like dietary tracking of food helps people eat less food,” Witkiewitz says. You can use a journal for tracking, but there are also lots of apps that can help you monitor your alcohol intake.

Be Aware of How You Feel
After you cut back, you might notice that you sleep better, have more energy, or have lost weight. Alcohol is fairly high in calories and also hinders fat burning and may increase appetite.

Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Jennifer Cook

Jennifer Cook is an award-winning freelance writer who contributes to Consumer Reports on health, wellness, mind-body, and environmental topics. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley in a farmhouse built in the 1840s. An avid walker and dancer, she feels fortunate to live near wetlands and wild things, and to have easy access to culture and good food.