Looking for soda/pop suggestions

daylitemag

Hey All,

I'm looking for suggestions for a diet soda. Specifically, I'm wanting something that has limited or at least less than avg amount of artificial sweeteners. I have been avoiding all sugar and artificial sweeteners for the past two months but am getting bored with plain water and soda water. Is there a "diet" beverage that is flavoured but has less artificial sweetener? Doesn't have to be carbonated. Thanks.

pedidiva

I avoid artificial sweeteners, too. That said, I like the La Croix sparkling waters. I like the lemon, lime, and grapefruit ones.

ki4eld

I like using Mio flavors. I can use a little or a lot and even mix flavors. The black cherry in a sparkling water is a lot like a cherry coke.

baconslave

How is Zevia? It's a soda supposedly sweetened with stevia. I keep seeing it but it's pricey, so I'm afraid to sink $ on a 6-pack if I don't know whether or not I'll like it.

Kitnthecat

I buy Zevia but wait for it to go on sale. I bought 4-6 packs recently for $3.99 a pack, that's about the cheapest price I've seen in Canada. But I only buy it for special occasions. I can't afford to make this part of my regular routine. I consider it to be an occasional treat.

I don't like all the flavours, but love the root beer and my daughter loves the cream soda. I enjoy them with a bit of vodka sometimes.

daylitemag

Good suggestions, thank you. I'm definitely going to try the MIO and will try to find La Croix. According to their website it should be here in Canada at Whole Foods or Sobeys (in case anyone else reads this and wants to find it).

nvmomketo

I just go with carbonated waters.
I will buy zevia for my boys once in a while. I find it very sweet and tend to skip it. I can see it being a nice mix.

SoosannahK

I use some lemon slices and some stevia in my water. I have a big 32-oz water bottle.Taste like watered down lemonade to me and is a nice change and I can use the same two lemon slices all day. I have been trying to cut out the diet sodas and I found that plain water gets a little boring at times myself. I also brew a single serving of tea in the evening with my meal, ice it and sweeten with stevia. I don't dare brew a whole pitcher or I wont drink my water.

anglyn1

I like la croix also. My husband puts a few drops of Mio in his to give it more flavor.

Christine_72

What about "coke life", the green can. I think it's sweetened with stevia.

DoctorShock

Coke Life is sweetened with stevia extract and cane sugar. It's still about 90 calories and 24g of carbs for a 12-oz can.

Christine_72

DoctorShock wrote: »

Coke Life is sweetened with stevia extract and cane sugar. It's still about 90 calories and 24g of carbs for a 12-oz can.

Yikes. Scrap that!

daylitemag

DoctorShock wrote: »

Coke Life is sweetened with stevia extract and cane sugar. It's still about 90 calories and 24g of carbs for a 12-oz can.

Given that I'm currently consuming less than 20G net per day, I think I will give this one a pass. LOL

Christine_72

daylitemag wrote: »

DoctorShock wrote: »

Coke Life is sweetened with stevia extract and cane sugar. It's still about 90 calories and 24g of carbs for a 12-oz can.

Given that I'm currently consuming less than 20G net per day, I think I will give this one a pass. LOL

Can't say I blame you! They're heavily advertising it here in Oz at the moment. They eluded to it being sugar free.. Aah advertising

marlamp10

I use the Mio drops, also (and Crystal Light drops). But I'm a big fan of bubbles, and have found that drinking club soda with a slice of lemon, or even with a few Mio drops, really hits the spot when I'm looking for that zing.

phxteach

I know you said you don't want artificial sweeteners, but is erythritol on that not list? If you are willing, the Bai5 drinks use it... and are flat out amazing. As far as Zevia, they often offer coupons on their website.

krazyforyou

I drink Sparkling Ice carbonated waters. Try them.

ladipoet

Virgil's "Zero" Sodas:

http://reedsinc.com/product/virgils-zero-black-cherry-cream-soda-copy/

Ingredients: Purified Carbonated Water, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf Extract, Natural Fruit Flavors and other Natural Flavors, Spices. Gluten Free. No Preservatives, No Caffeine, No GMO’s, and No artificial anything!

'Nuff said.

macchiatto

My favorite is Diet A&W in terms of taste but that might not fit the bill for you. I don't drink it very often anymore though. I've been wanting to try Zevia; waiting to find it on sale.

DittoDan

Make your own "sparkling" drinks. Mix probiotics or wine yeast in any fruit juice (diluted) for 24-48 hours at 68-72 degrees. Makes a "sparkling" carbonated drink that tastes great and has low carbs (the yeast or probiotics eat the sugar). Kombucha is another drink that is fermented fairly low carb, but is quite expensive. You can make Kombucha, but its fairly complicated and slow.

If you use probiotics to produce the carbonation, you can use a sweetener called "Just Like Sugar" a highly soluble fiber that probiotics will feed upon. It tastes great and is inexpensive.

I may make a blog about the above, in the future.

Dan the Man from Michigan

Sunny_Bunny_

The Canada Dry sparkling water is good too. La Croix is another favorite of mine.
I find sparkling ice too sweet and you're likely not getting any less artificial sweetener in them than in Coke.
I occasionally have Minute Maid light also, but I find it heavily artificially sweetened too, so I actually add water to it and give half the can to one of the kids or save it for later. It's not carbonated.

daylitemag

Thanks again for all the great tips. I am def going to try some of these.

cynlyn2010

I buy Zevia too when I find it on sale. Otherwise the La Croix flavored waters are awesome.

thubten1

Have you ever tried tonic water? The "diet" version has no carbs and tastes quite different from all the other sweet drinks

Sunny_Bunny_

thubten1 wrote: »

Have you ever tried tonic water? The "diet" version has no carbs and tastes quite different from all the other sweet drinks

Good call. Diet tonic is good too.

lithezebra

If I liked soda, I'd make some kind of syrup with erythritol and flavoring, and add it to seltzer water, like maybe erythritol dissolved in hot water, cooled, added to selzer, with a squirt of lemon or lime.

Erythritol is an alcohol sugar that isn't usable because it ends up being excreted, so it has no calories.

pwrfl1

Vitamin Water Zero- made with stevia,

Sunny_Bunny_

lithezebra wrote: »

If I liked soda, I'd make some kind of syrup with erythritol and flavoring, and add it to seltzer water, like maybe erythritol dissolved in hot water, cooled, added to selzer, with a squirt of lemon or lime.

Erythritol is an alcohol sugar that isn't usable because it ends up being excreted, so it has no calories.

Does xylitol work the same way? I remember reading that these two were considered the "best" artificial sweeteners in The Bulletproof Diet. It was explained pretty much just like you said above. I think xylitol works the same, but I'm not sure I'm remembering the details.
Anyway, if so, it gives another option too.

daylitemag

lithezebra wrote: »

Erythritol is an alcohol sugar that isn't usable because it ends up being excreted, so it has no calories.

Thanks. This is helpful.

lithezebra

Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »

lithezebra wrote: »

If I liked soda, I'd make some kind of syrup with erythritol and flavoring, and add it to seltzer water, like maybe erythritol dissolved in hot water, cooled, added to selzer, with a squirt of lemon or lime.

Erythritol is an alcohol sugar that isn't usable because it ends up being excreted, so it has no calories.

Does xylitol work the same way? I remember reading that these two were considered the "best" artificial sweeteners in The Bulletproof Diet. It was explained pretty much just like you said above. I think xylitol works the same, but I'm not sure I'm remembering the details.
Anyway, if so, it gives another option too.

What I've read is that xylitol has calories, but has a low glycemic index and isn't metabolized as a carb, so you'd have to count the calories, but not the carbs. Xylitol is tasty, gives a lot of people a bit of the runs (so start with small amounts), and is toxic to dogs. Keep anything that you add xylitol to away from pets. I used a blend of xylitol and erythritol to sweeten an absolutely delicious chocolate cheesecake for Christmas Eve dinner.

lithezebra

I wonder if vanilla soda would taste like cream soda.