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Healthy · Gluten Free · Easy Recipes

Papa Jim’s Light Citrus Margarita

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Papa Jim’s light citrus margarita is light, crisp, cool, and refreshing!

Light Citrus Margarita

Did you know that a typical margarita has anywhere from 500 to 800 calories per drink? HOLY CRAP RIGHT!?! That’s what I said the first time I fell for the margarita trap! Think about it…you’re on vacation at a beautiful sunny beach in Mexico, having a blast, and you order a marg. It’s super delicious, obviously because it’s LOADED with sugar, and so you order another. I mean, hey, you’re on vacation right? And then before you know it, you’ve already consumed your entire caloric intake (and then some) for the entire day…in the form of margaritas.

Boo.

So you wake up the next day with a wicked hangover and you’re like “Ughhhhh I am NEVER doing that again.” A – you feel like crap because of the excessive amount of sugar you consumed, paired with the excessive amount of alcohol you drank (oy vey tequila) and B – you feel super guilty because you let yourself drink 2,000 + calories worth of margaritas. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to eat my calories and also know that I’m getting some sort of good nutritional value from them!

Light Citrus Margarita

I’m a total believer that everything is good in moderation, so I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever let yourself indulge, whether that be an 800 calorie margarita (just 1, not 4) or a big slice of chocolate cake (like the real deal chocolate cake, not a “diet” chocolate cake…). BUT, when faced with the option to have a super sugary (hangover calling your name) margarita with a whopping 800 calories OR a super crisp and clean tasting light citrus margarita made with the freshest of ingredients and minimal sugar, I’d personally opt for el numero dos. (that means #2).

Don’t you want to have your #margarita & eat cake too? #LightMargarita

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So, when I first met my in-laws (before they were my in-laws), I immediately noticed two things about them. 1 – they are pretty conscious about their health and fitness and 2 – they like to party and have a good time. Well, how can one do both? It’s alllll about balance people and that’s something they taught me well. Sunday through Thursday they work their butts off. Literally. My father-in-law gets up at 3 AM sometimes just to get his 60 minute treadmill cardio session on and my mother-in-law is a Pure Barre rockstar phenom. So why would they just throw all that hard work out the window on the weekends or on vacations?

Light Citrus Margarita

Well, I’ll let you in on their little secret….the DON’T! Papa Jim (my super rad father-in-law) crafted this awesome Light Citrus Margarita so they could enjoy their favorite drink without completely derailing from their health and fitness regiment. This light citrus margarita also now makes a regular appearance at our family dinners and parties!

The light, crisp, cool taste of the margaritas really pairs well with any spicy Mexican dish! Because the margs are so light and fresh, the ingredient list and recipe is really easy too! Only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes, and you’ll be pretending you’re on a Mexican beach in paradise. All you need is:

Anejo Tequila

Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Agave Nectar*

Splash of Diet Sprite or Soda Water

Only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes, and you’ll be pretending you’re on a Mexican beach in paradise

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5.0 from 6 reviews
Papa Jim's Light Citrus Margaritas
 
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Papa Jim's light citrus margaritas are the light, crisp, cool, and refreshing!
Author:
Cuisine: Mexican, Cocktails
Serves: 1 Serving
Ingredients
  • 2 Oz Anejo Tequila (Don Julio is Papa Jim's fave)
  • ½ Oz juice from fresh squeezed Lime
  • ½ Oz juice from fresh squeezed Orange
  • ½ Oz Agave Nectar
  • Splash of Diet Sprite (or Soda Water)
Instructions
  1. Squeeze fresh limes and fresh oranges into separate containers. Mix all ingredients together, pour over ice & enjoy!

So for tonight’s Cinco De Mayo’s fesitivities, make Papa Jim’s Light Citrus Margarita and you won’t have to feel guilty about drinking your entire day’s worth of calories in one margarita glass! We paired this cocktail with these Easiest Crock-Pot Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos and this Skillet Mexican Street Corn! All three recipes are SUPER easy and will let you enjoy your fiestas, rather than slaving away at cooking all day!

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Light Citrus Margarita

WHAT ABOUT YOU?:

  • Would you rather eat or drink your calories?
  • Do you believe everything is good in moderation?
  • What’s your favorite cocktail when on vacation?


**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through one of these links, I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Thank you for supporting the blog and making A Fit Philosophy possible!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. i am with you, i like eating my calories and see what im consuming! This looks amazing, I love fresh margs way better than all that sugar! Thanks for sharing! I cannot wait to try!

    Reply

  13. omg, your in-laws sound like my kind of people!! how awesome to have that sort of positive reinforcement in your life. and yes, the drinks in mexico (especially at shitty hotels) have the nastiest cocktails. literally melted candies and tequila. no thanks.

    Reply

  14. 800 calories?? Say it isn’t so! I wish I had read this blog post months…err..years ago! Just think of all the calories I could’ve saved! I will definitely be trying this recipe out! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  18. This is such a fresh beautiful margarita recipe! I love how simple it is and filled with so much citrus flavor. Yum! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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