Guilt-free celebrations with alcohol-free sangria

LIKE SO many people, I use the start of the new year to assess my life and zero in on all the things I want to change. For 2012, I want to focus on being healthier, continue exercising, maintain a healthy weight, and spend more time with family and friends.

And there's no need to wait for January 1 to get working on them. Granted, the onslaught of holiday parties - and the many cocktails they offer - can make that a challenge. But I'm a big believer that you can make sensible choices and still enjoy a party.

That's why I came up with this recipe for alcohol-free sangria, which is based on the popular Spanish fruit and wine punch. It's darn delicious, and family and friends will knock you down to get second and third glasses. And at only 43 calories a glass - downsized from the average 170 calories for traditional recipes - there's nothing wrong with that.

My sangria's sweetness and hint of fruity flavour come from two good-for-you teas - pomegranate and hibiscus.

I also add tons of flavour with fruits - citrus, berries and melon. Feel free to add your favourite fruits. That's the versatility of sangria; it tastes delicious with any combination of fruits. And if you want an even lower-calorie drink, don't eat the fruits and the calories drop to 22 per serving, with just five grams of carbohydrate.

I've added aromatic bitters for a subtle flavour edge. There's a myth about bitters, that using them will make a drink, well, bitter. Not true. They're really just a seasoning for beverages. Bitters are made from an infusion of roots, barks, fruit peels and herbs. If you can't drink even the tiniest amount of alcohol, purchase alcohol-free bitters; they are a little difficult to find but taste just as good.

There's so much super-healthy stuff in this recipe, I'm beginning to think that it's less of a cocktail and more of a health drink. So fill your glass and enjoy!

TIPS

If you have a home carbonation appliance for making seltzer water and the manufacturer says it can be used to carbonate more than plain water (some appliances can do this, while others cannot), you can carbonate the sangria itself instead of making a concentrate and adding carbonated water to that. To do this, prepare the tea as directed using three cups of water. After chilling, strain out the fruits; carbonate, then pour into glasses with ice and divide the fruits between the glasses.

Now Eat This! by Rocco DiSpirito is a column dedicated to healthy versions of the foods we love.