San Diego has been known to be the beer capital of the country. The beer scene in our city is the gold standard, and it’s absolutely phenomenal. What is not so phenomenal is the potential to bust your daily calorie count by indulging in all the delicious brews our city has to offer. With over 150 operational breweries, finding healthy options for brew (along with bites) can be a bit of an overwhelming task. Luckily, we have done the research and taste testing for you- it was a hard job, but someone had to do it. From the well-known hangouts to the hidden gems, we have discovered some of the healthiest libation options out there. 

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Stone Brewery- Escondido

You can not talk about beer and food without mentioning Stone. It serves up some of the best beer and farm-to-table food options in the Western Hemisphere in an almost magical setting. You can pair any of the following delicious and low cal beers with their SoCal Superfood Salad for a dose of antioxidants and veggies. 

Stone To-Go IPA

Style: Indian Pale Ale

ABV: 4.8%

Calories: 134

Stone Levitation Ale

Style: Red Ale

ABV: 4.4%

Calories: 132

Stone Pale Ale

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.4%

Calories: 162

Ballast Point Brewery- Miramar

Ballast Point Miramar is another heavy hitter in town that provides delicious beer with thoughtful and health conscious food options. Ballast Point is arguably San Diego’s Cinderella story of the beer community.  You can pair any of these beers with their fantastic Tropical Fruit Ceviche for a punch of vitamin C and healthy sugars or try their outstanding Blackened Grilled Tacos. Either one will fill you up without dragging you down.

Ballast Point California Kolsch

Style: Kolsch

ABV: 4.2%

Calories: 170

Ballast Point Lager 

Style: Lager

ABV: 4.2%

Calories: 99

Ballast California Amber

Style: Red Ale

ABV: 5.5%

Calories: 165

Ballast Grunion Pale Ale

Style: Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5%

Calories: 165

Ballast Even Keel

Style: Session IPA

ABV: 3.8%

Calories: 114

Saint Archer Brewing Company

While Saint Archer doesn’t provide any food at their brewery, their brews are definitely some low-cal winners and worth mentioning. You can always eat a healthy meal at home before heading out on the town, or whip up something when you return. Fish tacos or blackened salmon pair nicely with all of the following brews:

Saint Archer Gold

Style: Lager

ABV: 4.2%

Calories: 95

Saint Archer Razzelberry Gose

Style: Gose

ABV: 4.0%

Calories: 133

Saint Archer Blonde Ale

Style: Ale

ABV: 4.8%

Calories: 149

Thorn Brewing- North Park

Fairly new to San Diego’s brew scene, Thorn, brings not only a low carb beer, but it’s also Keto-friendly and gluten reduced. Thorn doesn’t have a kitchen, but they offer a nice food truck rotation. Chameleon Cuisine, Epic Eatz, and Tacos la Mezcla can all be found regularly at Thorn. Check out their Keto-Friendly IPA!

Thorn Keto Friendly IPA

Style: Indian Pale Ale

ABV: 4.3%

Calories: 104

Green Flash Brewing- Mira Mesa

A San Diego tried and true, Green Flash serves up a few nice selections all year around. They lack a full kitchen so be prepared to pack a healthy snack or whip up a light salad to pair these brews with at home.

Green Flash Blonde Ale

Style: Ale

ABV: 5.2%

Calories: 149

Green Flash Sea To Sea Lager

Style: Lager

ABV: 4.0%

Calories: 126

Green Flash Passion Fruit Kicker

Style: Tart

ABV: 5.5%

Calories: 171

Enjoying some local beer and food with your friends doesn’t have to completely derail your fitness progress. In fact, it’s recommended to indulge every once in awhile so that you’re more likely to stick to your fitness routine and nutrition program; people who deprive themselves of the food and drink they enjoy often end up binging later on and have a harder time getting back on track as opposed to those who give in to their cravings but pair them with extra water and/or a balanced meal. Check out any of these great San Diego breweries and know that you can have fun and stay healthy all at the same time; we just recommend increasing your water intake, consuming plenty of healthy fruits and veggies and following up your day out with a regular sweat session. Enjoy!

Do you know of any great local breweries serving up low-cal beer that we should add to the list? What are your favorite spots to check out/ beers to try? We’d love to hear from you- comment below!