Healthy Eggnog: Best and Worst Picks

Eggnog is a love-it-or-hate it holiday tradition – and those who love it really love it. If you enjoy it here and there throughout the holidays, just sip and savor your favorite variety. But be aware that a single cup can pack in 400 calories and 40 grams of sugar. So, if eggnog is a daily indulgence throughout the holiday season, it pays to find a better-for-you nog that you truly enjoy.

Fortunately, there are a few lower-sugar eggnog options out there that taste pretty good, too. Read on for a list of them.

Note: Nutrition facts listed below are for a half-cup serving.

Top picks for healthy eggnog

Tip: For richer, thicker eggnog, add a scoop of unflavored collagen peptides or vanilla protein powder (whey or plant based), and whisk or blend with an immersion blender.

Bolthouse Farms Holiday Nog

• 80 calories, 1 gram saturated fat, 13 grams carbs, 12 grams sugar (9 grams added sugar)
• Ingredients include cow’s milk, sugar, agave, whey protein, carrot juice, egg yolks
• 60% fewer calories and 80% less saturated fat than traditional eggnog
• Rich and creamy like regular eggnog

Califia Farms Holiday Nog

• 50 calories, 0 grams saturated fat, 9 grams carbs, 8 grams sugar (8 grams added sugar)

• Ingredients include almond milk, cane sugar, fruit and vegetable juice for color, ginger, sea salt, locust bean gum, gellan gum, nutmeg

• Dairy free, soy free, vegan

• Noticeably mild flavor with a thinner texture than traditional eggnog

Elmhurst Oat Nog blended with cashews

• Per half-cup: 100 calories, 0 grams saturated fat, 18 grams carbs, 9 grams sugar (8 grams added sugar)

• Ingredients include water, oats, cashews, cane sugar

• Dairy free, soy free, vegan

• Good eggnog flavor but thinner consistency; color is more beige than traditional eggnog-yellow

Decent options for eggnog

Almond Breeze Almondmilk Nog

• 70 calories, 0 grams saturated fat, 14 grams carbs, 11 grams sugar (11 grams added sugar)

• Ingredients include almond milk, cane sugar, rice starch

• Dairy free, soy free, vegan

• Decent flavor, good color, thick consistency

• My top pick for taste among lighter eggnogs

Kalona Organic Classic Eggnog

• 210 calories, 9 grams saturated fat, 15 grams carbs, 15 grams sugar (11 grams added sugar)

• Ingredients include all-organic whole milk, cream, cane sugar, sugared egg yolks, eggnog spice, vanilla extract

• No stabilizers, ultra-streamlined ingredient list

• Decent flavor and texture; separates easily

• It’s is highest in calories among all eggnogs sampled, but is lower in added sugars

Worst picks for eggnog

So Delicious Coconut Nog

• 90 calories, 2 grams saturated fat, 15 grams carbs, 15 grams sugar (15 grams added sugar)
• Ingredients include coconut milk (water, coconut cream), cane sugar, sea salt, guar gum, nutmeg, xanthan gum, annatto for color
• Dairy free, soy free, vegan
• Flavor and color are all milder than traditional eggnog with a thinner consistency, yet added sugars are still 15 grams per half-cup

Most varieties of classic, organic + otherwise “natural” eggnog

• 180-210 calories, 5-6 grams saturated fat, 25 grams carbs, 17-24 grams sugar (15-19 grams added sugar)

• 400 calories and two days’ worth of sugar in a single cup

• Standard ingredients include milk, sugar (labeled as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and/or corn syrup), cream, egg yolks, nutmeg and annatto/turmeric for color

Most varieties of reduced fat, low-fat or “light” eggnog

• 140 calories, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 20-25 grams carbs, 18-24 grams sugar (14-19 grams added sugar)

• Reduced-fat milk or fat-free milk is the first ingredient, but also includes high fructose corn syrup or sugar

• Typically only 25% fewer calories than classic eggnog with the same high sugar content (two days’ worth of sugar in a single cup)

Looking to creative with your eggnog? Try our Eggnog Frozen Yogurt recipe.

Editor’s note: Registered dietitian Molly Kimball offers brand-name products as a consumer guide; she does not solicit product samples nor is she paid to recommend items. A version of this article originally appeared on WGNO.