“Is sake fattening”? How does it compare to other alcoholic beverages and how to drink it without gaining weight?

Does Sake Make You Fat? Calories in Alcohol Beverages

There are many different types of alcohol beverages, so we will now introduce the characteristics of common alcoholic beverages, including sake, and their calorie content per 100 ml. This clearly shows that sake is not particularly high in calories.

Sake

Sake is classified as "brewed sake" when classified by production method. Sake is made from rice, rice malt, and water, and alcoholic fermentation is performed by the power of yeast. Sake is classified into eight types depending on the "rice polishing ratio" and whether or not "brewed alcohol" is added.

Sake is largely classified into two categories: " Futsu-shu (Everyday drinking sake)" and "Tokutei Meishoshu (Specific Class Named Sake)," and there is a wide range in calorie content. In particular, sake such as nigori-zake (cloudy sake) generally contains more calories due to its high sugar content.

The average amount of calories per 100 ml of sake is about 100 kcal. In terms of the amount of sake actually consumed at an ‘izakaya’ Japanese-style bar, one serving bottle of sake (o-choshi) equals 180 ml, which is about 180 kcal.

Beer

Beer is an alcoholic beverage made from barley fermented by beer yeast. It is characterized by a bitter hop aroma. The calorie content for 100 ml of beer is about 40 kcal. When converted to the actual amount of beer consumed, a can of beer is roughly 350 ml and has approximately 140 kcal. Beer has a low alcohol content, and many people could nonchalantly drink two or three cans of beer, resulting in a high caloric intake.

Shochu

Shochu is a distilled liquor made from potatoes, grains, and other ingredients, and has different calories in Class A and Class B. Class A is made by "continuous distillation" and is cheaper because it can be produced in large quantities at a time. It is often drunk as a "sour" cocktail because it has no distinctive flavor. Class B shochu is made by "single distillation," a process that takes time during primary and secondary fermentation to bring out the aroma and flavor of the ingredients. This method is commonly used for brand-name shochu such as imo-shochu (sweet potato shochu) and mugi-shochu (barley shochu).

The number of calories in Class A is about 200 kcal per 100 ml, and about 150 kcal per 100 ml in Class B.

Whiskey

Whiskey is an alcoholic beverage made from grains such as barley, wheat, rye, and corn. The process is the same as that for beer until the grains are fermented. After fermentation, distillation is repeated several times to raise the alcohol content. The distillate is then aged in casks. Whiskey has about 240 calories per 100 ml. 100 ml of whiskey is about 3 glasses, since a single glass of whiskey contains about 30 calories. Whiskey is a distilled spirit, so it does not contain any sugar.

How to drink Sake without gaining weight

Sake is not particularly higher in calories than other alcoholic beverages. However, there are ways to drink sake that are kinder to your waistline. Knowing how to drink sake in a non-fattening way will help you reduce your calorie intake while continuing to enjoy sake.

Drink warmed sake

While few alcoholic beverages in the world are served warm, sake can be enjoyed both cold and warm. There are several types of warmed sake, and the aroma and taste vary depending on the temperature at which it is heated. “Hitohada-kan” (sake warmed to human body temperature) with a good aroma of rice and koji (malted rice) is 35-40℃, "nuru-kan” (lukewarm sake) with a pronounced aroma is 40-45℃, "jo-kan” (moderately hot sake) with a tight aroma is around 45-50℃, and "atsu-kan” (hot sake) with a sharp aroma and crisp, dry taste is 50-55℃, each one with their own identity.

The recommended way to drink it without gaining weight is to drink it warm, or heated. When the body is cold, the human body tries to store fat for self-protection. Drinking warmed sake also improves blood flow and metabolism.

Drink sake with a side glass of water (yawaragi-mizu)

Drinking too much of any alcoholic beverage will cause you to consume a lot of calories. Also, if you eat snacks, you will be tempted to drink sake as well. By adding "yawaragi-mizu" to your diet, you can reduce the amount of alcohol you consume. Yawaragi-mizu refers to a side glass of water that is drunk with sake. It is said that drinking water with sake in such a way slows down the absorption of alcohol and mitigates the bad effects of drinking. Taking a breather with water can also prevent overdrinking.

Enjoy sake with non-fattening snacks!

Calories in alcohol are said to be preferentially consumed as energy compared to fats and carbohydrates. In other words, alcohol calories themselves are not easily stored in the body.

But that does not mean you should let your guard down. Alcohol also stimulates the appetite, which can lead to overeating snacks. Therefore, in addition to choosing an alcoholic beverage, we should also carefully choose the snacks we eat with it.

Some snacks are high in calories and can be fattening. Especially if you are hungry before drinking, you will munch down a lot of snacks, resulting in weight gain. On the other hand, if you fill your stomach before drinking, you will be able to drink more slowly, which will slow down the intoxication process.

Many of the snacks that go well with sake are generally low in calories. By choosing snacks that are as low in calories as possible and also low in carbohydrates, it is possible to drink sake and not gain weight.

The best and least fattening snacks to go with sake are the classic ‘sashimi’ raw fish, edamame beans, and chilled tofu. Sashimi is the perfect accompaniment to sake, as it allows you to enjoy seasonal fish and the seasonal flavors of the season. Even oily fish can be eaten safely because fish oil is unsaturated fatty acid and non-fattening. Edamame and chilled tofu are made from soybeans and are rich in vitamin B1, which is necessary for the body to convert carbohydrates into energy. Such dishes are easily prepared and served quickly after ordering them at a Japanese izakaya, so you can fill your stomach before drinking and not overeat later.

When it comes to snacks that go well with sake, you cannot go wrong with yakitori grilled chicken. It is healthy because the heat of the charcoal removes the oil. However, if you are thinking more about calories, avoid the skin and go with a salty flavor.

”Sake is fattening" is wrong

By comparing sake with other alcoholic beverages, not only sake is particularly high in calories. You can enjoy sake without worrying about gaining weight simply by being creative in how you drink it and in your choice of snacks. This is true for other alcoholic beverages as well, so be creative in how you take a drink and select snacks.