You Won't Believe How Many Calories Those Bottomless Mimosas Add To Your Brunch

Brunch is more of a ritual than a meal. The ceremony starts with pitchers of cheap prosecco hastily mixed with orange juice, which is then followed by overpriced breakfast fare such as the perfect eggs benedict, stuffed French toast, and the "hash" that utilizes the leftovers from last night's dinner service. Finally, the pièce de résistance is a mimosa-induced nap that will have you waking up at 6:00 p.m. dazed, confused, and a little hungover.

But let's be real — brunch is a blast.

This rich mid-day meal, however, can be an unassuming calorie nightmare. Paying $14.99 to $19.99 for unlimited mimosas undoubtedly encourages you to drink your fill, but have you ever stopped to wonder how your body feels about all that bubbly?

The average eight-ounce mimosa (most recipes call for a blend of three parts sparkling wine to one part orange juice) contains between 150 and 200 calories, which isn't too bad on its own — but who really has just one mimosa during an unlimited brunch? Knocking back four or five Champagne flutes-worth of these dangerously drinkable cocktails can load you with 1,000 extra calories. After the addition of a hollandaise-laden eggs Florentine, or a juicy breakfast burger with a side of French fries, you could be looking at a 2,000-calorie meal!

If you're concerned about overdoing it on sugary glasses of sparkling wine, try opting for the Bloody Mary, which is a combination of tomato juice, vodka, hot sauce, and Worcestershire (though there are dozens of different variations on the Bloody Mary). Although these drinks aren't any less caloric, they're a little more difficult to gulp down. If you do decide to go down the treacherous mimosa path, it's best to be more careful in choosing the rest of your brunch fare. Avoid any foods that are whipped cream-topped, cereal-encrusted, or Nutella-stuffed, and stick with something simple like fried eggs and home fries or one of these other healthier brunch options.