Make your next drink on a cruise a healthy one. Order a Bloody Mary!

Photo Credit: Windstar Cruises

A Bloody Mary ranks as one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks on both land and sea. Packed full of rich tomato juice, the Bloody Mary offers a variety of health benefits without sacrificing great taste. I love sitting on deck sipping this delicious drink. It took me a few tries to get my taste buds warmed up to the flavors, but now it’s one of my favorite drinks!

According to LIVESTRONG.com, “The main organic compound in the tomato is lycopene. Lycopene gives the tomato its red color and has been found to have antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties.” Also, “tomato juice is a great source of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A and C.  These vitamins help the immune system by destroying the free radicals in your blood stream that damage cells.” And if that wasn’t enough to convince you of the health benefits, tomato juice is a good source of fiber and can be a natural way to treat high cholesterol. 

What’s great about this drink is that there are many variations that you can make, including: different varieties of hot sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, pickled vegetables, garnishing with shrimp, and a twist of lemon or lime. If you can handle it, order it extra spicy to give a nice little jump start to your metabolism!

Photo Credit: Windstar Cruises

Windstar Cruises features their Extreme Bloody Mary on their ships. Their recipe includes fresh vegetables, making it a great choice for a healthy drink. 

Click here for the recipe from Windstar Cruises' Blog.

Enjoy, without guilt, the celery stick that often comes with it!  It can help you to curb unhealthy snacking around the ship.  

The amount of calories in a Bloody Mary can vary depending on the type of mixture you create but, each drink will be around 125-140 calories. The total amount of calories is a lot less compared to ordering a Pina Colada (378 calories) or Margarita (280 calories) plus you get the extra health benefits with a Bloody Mary.

Don’t be afraid to order it at any time of the day too! It doesn’t only have to be the drink of choice at brunch. How do you like your Bloody Mary?  Never tried one? Definitely time to start!

FreshCruiser Tip: Watching your sodium intake?  Hold off on the extra salt.