These days we are all looking for a reason to celebrate safely and St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. Heads up, you don’t have to actually be Irish to have a good time and a lot of folks like to cheers this special day with a frothy pint of Guinness. The good news is that while Guinness might not be GREAT for you, one pint can provide a nutritional boost, especially after a St. Patrick’s Day jaunt in your favorite green track suit.
Crunching the Numbers
There are about the same number of calories in Guinness than say, a Bud Light. It is an odd but true fact that a frothy, creamy pint of Guinness weighs in at about 125 calories for 12 ounces while its American counterpart Bud Light tips the scales at about 110 calories per 12 ounces. Also surprising, Guinness only has 1 gram of sugar and actually 2 grams of protein. These numbers look so good, they are making me thirsty.
Vitamins and More
Darker beers, sometimes referred to as Stouts; get their dark color and rich favor from roasted barley. It is this grain that gives the beer quite a few vitamins and minerals. Some of the nutritional highlights include antioxidants, B Vitamins, soluble fiber and prebiotics, which are what helps promote healthy bacteria that aid digestion. All good stuff.
Alcohol
Surprisingly, Guinness actually contains less alcohol than many of its beer colleagues. A pint of Guinness hits the charts at 4.2% alcohol by volume while Bud Light hovers in the 5% range as do most hard seltzers. So yes, if you are avoiding alcohol please do not drink Guinness. However, if you are okay to have a beer after a run, by all means Guinness is one of the least boozy options. While beer cannot replace water; a once in a while pint shouldn’t hurt much. If you are into it, try the water/beer double fist. Take a picture, and send it to us.
As a disclaimer, we are not scientists or nutritional experts. We like to run and have fun. So do yourself a favor and grab some green gear for you and your crew, and follow that rainbow to the proverbial pot of gold-and by gold I mean a cool a six-pack or a 4-pack if you're into the cans. After all, marathon season is just around the corner. Fall is gonna be big!
