Champagne on the Beach
 

This is from today's SBD's daily dish - hope everyone has a fabulous New Year's Eve-

Champagne on the Beach

This New Year's, you don't need to skip the champagne toast to stay true to your healthy eating plan. For this special occasion, a glass or two of bubbly is allowed starting in Phase 2. Just make sure you drink with a meal or immediately following one, since food will help slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream — and keep your blood sugar levels steadier (which keeps cravings at bay).

Since different types of champagne have different amounts of sugar, it's important to know what to look for so you can select one that is approved for The South Beach Diet™. During the champagne-making process a sugar and liquor blend (a "dosage") may be added to the bottle right before it's corked. The amount of dosage determines the style of champagne. Extra brut, for example, has no added dosage, making it the best choice for South Beach Dieters. Brut and extra-dry varieties have only a small amount of added sugar and are, therefore, acceptable second choices.

Once you've selected your champagne, try this festive Phase 2 champagne punch recipe:

New Year's Champagne Punch

Makes 18 one-cup servings of punch

Ingredients
1 package sugar-free ruby red grapefruit drink mix
8 cups cold water
1 teaspoon sugar-free orange drink mix
2 bottles of extra brut, brut, or extra-dry champagne
1 liter club soda


Instructions
Following the directions on the package, combine 8 cups of water with the appropriate amount of sugar-free ruby red grapefruit drink mix. Add all the other ingredients except champagne. Chill well. Pour into punch bowl and add champagne. Happy New Year!