It’s Friday! And we’re feeling even more celebratory than usual because this morning I got dressed and then immediately took my jeans off.

Without unbuttoning them.

Over the last few months, I’ve been “running,” which is code for “mostly walking between weeks-long hamstring problems” and keeping an eye on calories in vs calories out. Such a rude awakening the first time I punched my daily calories into my phone and saw just how terrible those weekend margaritas actually were. I mean I knew they weren’t great… but times 3? Ouch.

A single lime margarita was an empty calorie bomb with 300+ calories and nearly 40g of sugar. Per glass. And, um, let’s be honest here. I’m pretty sure that I’ve never stopped at just one margarita.

Ever.

Sure, they’re completely fresh and so much better tasting than any mix you’ll ever find but it is a lot of sugar for something that isn’t frosting. Or doesn’t have frosting on it.

And in it.

So we set out to make a skinny margarita by replacing the sugar in the homemade mix with liquid stevia* and the orange liqueur in the margarita with fresh orange juice. How does that stack up in numbers?

But more importantly, how does it stack up in taste? The skinnier margarita is refreshing, citrusy, and really easy to drink. The orange flavor is brighter and sweetness can easily be adjusted with a couple extra drops of stevia per glass (and I find that it usually needs a couple extra drops but the standard serving amounts are listed below).

And even two of them won’t break your calorie bank or undo all the good you did in the gym earlier today. It’s also a paleo diet friendly if you, like me, have a margarita-loving paleo-following friend.

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Skinny Margarita

Save the calories and sugar - this margarita is fresh, homemade, lower-carb, and much skinnier than the original. And bonus! It's Paleo-friendly!

Ingredients

• 1 cup lime juice
• 1 cup water
• 20 drops liquid stevia
• 6 oz tequila
• 2 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
• Ice
• Salt for glass rim (optional)

Instructions

1. To make a pitcher of margaritas, stir all ingredients together and taste for sweetness.
2. Add additional stevia, if desired.
3. Serve over ice in salt-rimmed glasses.

Notes

Yields: 4 servings

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Estimated time: 10 minutes

*Stevia, agave, and other not-real-sugar sweeteners are either the greatest thing on earth or they’ll kill you, just depends on what you’re reading. Use your preferred not-sugar-sweetener and tweak the recipe to your tastes.