I love soda, but need to switch to something else..

shellcan35
shellcan35 Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am someone who needs caffeine throughout the day to keep me going and have always drank soda, however, I don't like anything diet (especially with aspartame or other artificial sweeteners) and not a big fan of coffee. Does anyone know of something that might satisfy my soda cravings and give me a caffeine boost? Hopefully something without HFCS.
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Replies

  • blaaaaah
    blaaaaah Posts: 11
    Sugar free redbull, maybe? It isn't too bad for you, only has maybe 8 calories, no added sugar & gives you an energy hit. But it's a bit of an acquired taste, not everyone I know enjoys it. It's probably still not the best for you, though.

    On the other hand you could always try something like "Berocca", an orange flavoured effervescent tablet that you add to water. Has maybe 15 calories, contains a lot of vitamins & minerals & claims to give you a bit of extra energy. It doesn't taste too bad.
  • maryhannold
    maryhannold Posts: 37 Member
    5hour energy s good.
  • Jennid27
    Jennid27 Posts: 15
    Can't believe this is me writing this because I really miss my vanilla cokes...but I switched to seltzer water...Poland spring vanilla orange and black cherry are really good...sometimes I add a shot of sugar free syrup..yeah, it has Splenda. My surprise finding is that when I get off the soda, I don't miss the caffeine...have more energy within 2 days of water/seltzer and I don't crash anymore in the afternoon. Yes, I do have a mug of tea or coffee (normal mug not super sized) and have given up my afternoon coffee. My boss was a soda addict and now I realize why her (and my) moods were up and down all day. Seltzer does take a while to get used to but your taste will adjust and now I want one instead. Try it...you can start by saving one soda at night or in the am to get you going. I hated coffee too until I found good coffee. Best wishes.
  • Jennid27
    Jennid27 Posts: 15
    Oops...sorry, I meant Polar seltzer.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    I drink S. Pellgrino water now....it's in green glass bottles imported from Italy I think. I like it, and gives me the fizz I crave.
  • seif0068
    seif0068 Posts: 193 Member
    I have had success with just limiting my soda. Don't like coffee, tea, etc. or diet either. I have my one can a day with lunch and have found I actually don't miss the caffeine, and I look forward to my "treat" every day!
  • djc315
    djc315 Posts: 585 Member
    Hemp heart seeds have been giving me a good energy boost. I mix them into my oatmeal in the morning, but they can be mixed into anything. (yogurt, smoothies, cereal, rice...anything you want, really)
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    You can wean yourself off caffeine... it's an addictive drug, so there will be a withdrawal period, but it's not long.

    Alternatives to caffeinated soda that are actually good for you:

    * Green tea---find an Asian grocery, especially Japanese, for a good selection
    * Mate/cimarrón
    * black coffee (if you get decent beans, it really grows on you)
  • mandy_lynn
    mandy_lynn Posts: 165 Member
    I switched to green tea in the morning, and if I need the afternoon caffeine, I'll have a glass of unsweetened iced tea.
  • momofthreesons
    momofthreesons Posts: 162 Member
    I have absolutely nothing to add to this. So sorry I don't have any helpful suggestions. Funny to me only, yeah I get it. I live on coffee until lunch, then its water. When I get home diet cola until bed. Don't forget all the good food mixed in and oh yeah I love splenda. Heaven help LOL <trolls jump now>
  • kimelliott14470
    kimelliott14470 Posts: 10
    I am an avid pop drinker, always have been and always will be. Like you I need the caffeine to survive the day. I switched to Cherry coke zero a few years back and that's all I drink now. It only has sodium in it so I drink all I want during the day. If I run to a store and they don't carry it and I get just regular Coke or Pepsi I can't even finish it now because of the taste. Hope this works for you!
  • shellcan35
    shellcan35 Posts: 12 Member
    Can't believe this is me writing this because I really miss my vanilla cokes...but I switched to seltzer water...Poland spring vanilla orange and black cherry are really good...sometimes I add a shot of sugar free syrup..yeah, it has Splenda. My surprise finding is that when I get off the soda, I don't miss the caffeine...have more energy within 2 days of water/seltzer and I don't crash anymore in the afternoon. Yes, I do have a mug of tea or coffee (normal mug not super sized) and have given up my afternoon coffee. My boss was a soda addict and now I realize why her (and my) moods were up and down all day. Seltzer does take a while to get used to but your taste will adjust and now I want one instead. Try it...you can start by saving one soda at night or in the am to get you going. I hated coffee too until I found good coffee. Best wishes.

    Where do you buy the Polar Spring? I will try this.
  • shellcan35
    shellcan35 Posts: 12 Member
    Hemp heart seeds have been giving me a good energy boost. I mix them into my oatmeal in the morning, but they can be mixed into anything. (yogurt, smoothies, cereal, rice...anything you want, really)

    Where do you find hemp heart seeds?
  • shellcan35
    shellcan35 Posts: 12 Member
    I am an avid pop drinker, always have been and always will be. Like you I need the caffeine to survive the day. I switched to Cherry coke zero a few years back and that's all I drink now. It only has sodium in it so I drink all I want during the day. If I run to a store and they don't carry it and I get just regular Coke or Pepsi I can't even finish it now because of the taste. Hope this works for you!

    I enjoy the taste of Coke Zero too, never tried the Cherry Coke Zero. Does this have caffeine in it?
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
    I love RockStar Lemonade! It's so good and for 8 oz it's only 10 calories and 1 sugar not bad at all. I don't mind diet pop at all so I don't know if it has a taste like that at all. Also all my nursing friends like spark, never had but one drink of it but a lot of my friends love and live by it.
  • Bubbaluh
    Bubbaluh Posts: 39 Member
    I find the ABSOLUTE best replacement is Flavoured diet mineral water, It completely satisfies that craving for soda and is only 5 calories per 200ml, Of course you still need to drink water but its the best replacement for that craving!
  • laura0001
    laura0001 Posts: 18 Member
    Seltzer water!
  • Sharkington
    Sharkington Posts: 485
    Try some black teas - you can even put honey and milk in it if it's...your cup o' tea. (hurr hurr hurr)
    Also, do you eat breakfast? Including some fruit in your breakfast can boost your energy level. Even an apple in the middle of the day can help. At least it does for me. Breakfast is a must if I am getting out of grizzly mode.
  • mrs727remedy
    mrs727remedy Posts: 25 Member
    Hemp heart seeds have been giving me a good energy boost. I mix them into my oatmeal in the morning, but they can be mixed into anything. (yogurt, smoothies, cereal, rice...anything you want, really)

    Where do you find hemp heart seeds?







    amazon.com has them i was looking at them today
  • djc315
    djc315 Posts: 585 Member
    Hemp heart seeds have been giving me a good energy boost. I mix them into my oatmeal in the morning, but they can be mixed into anything. (yogurt, smoothies, cereal, rice...anything you want, really)

    Where do you find hemp heart seeds?






    amazon.com has them i was looking at them today


    Yes, amazon does have them. Or if you have a local health food store, they probably do too. Give them a try. I like the energy they give better than caffeine, it feels natural.
  • Cook_27
    Cook_27 Posts: 51 Member
    If you can try really hard to break the habit. I've cut out soda for 2 1/2 weeks now and I have more natural energy from working out and what not. When I am under energy I take a b-12 vitamin which really gives me a boost and is good for me to. B-12 also helps out with your metabolism so WIN WIN! If you just need some type of soda, I really don't like diet drinks either so the only one I can tolerate when I have to have soda is Dr.Pepper 10. Although when you quit soda you don't crave it hardly at all and when I try to drink it I have a hard time cause it makes me all bubbly. My body has been loving all the water I've been giving it. Good luck!
  • Karabobarra
    Karabobarra Posts: 782 Member
    I replaced my soda with unsweetened Iced tea...if I don't get enough caffeine I will take a caffeine pill.. (not that healthy I know but I've already given up dairy, soy and gluten... I will not give up caffeine) lol
  • ropermom
    ropermom Posts: 52 Member
    ARIZONA GREEN TEA WITH GINSENG! :smile:That's what quenched my urge for cokes.Great picker upper.
  • dough21
    dough21 Posts: 216 Member
    Try MONSTER ABSOLUTELY ZERO or MONSTER ZERO ULTRA. It's flavored with Erythritol which IMO is night and day better than aspartame. There hasn't been enough research on Erythritol to see if it's any better for you than aspartame but at least it doesn't have a nasty aftertaste. I also haven't noticed an increased appetite whilst consuming those beverages as one does with aspartame.
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
    Almond milk, raw honey, and raw cacao powder
    not caffeine but theobromine.
  • jimshine
    jimshine Posts: 199 Member
    I too have taken up drinking unsweetened iced teas. I also drink diet green iced tea sometimes if I want something sweet. Regular iced tea unsweetened takes a little getting used to, but it didn't take me long. It was a hot summer and I was building a nightclub attached to a restaurant and someone brought over a pitcher of unsweetened tea. It was so bitter and "wrong" tasting, but I was thirsty. By the end of the next day I was accustomed to it.

    Here is a warning. Once you kick soda and sweet drinks, your pallet will change. There will be foods you didn't like before that taste good and foods you liked that will taste bad.
  • laurynwithawhy
    laurynwithawhy Posts: 385 Member
    If all you really need is the caffeine, just take caffeine tablets. I know you can buy them anywhere online, they might even sell them at GNC but I'm not sure. Better than empty calories or a fake fizzy drink!
  • CrystaLight74
    CrystaLight74 Posts: 88
    Green tea or black tea for the caffeine.

    Zevia is a calorie free, sugar free, low sodium, low carb alternative to soda pop. It's sweetened with stevia (a natural, very sweet, herbal alternative to sugar, which can be a bit of an acquired taste), but they do have a caffeinated cola that is pretty good. They have many different flavors. The two I prefer are the black cherry and the cola (they also have caffeine free cola). I am not a big pop drinker to begin with, but it's a nice treat every now and then. Kroger carries it as well as some health food stores/co-ops.

    HTH :)
  • verdemujer
    verdemujer Posts: 1,397 Member
    I really like the TRUE Lemon drink packs and :heart: the TRUE Limeade Black Cherry. I like to mix the Limeade with Seltzer water for some bubbles sometimes. For caffenie - Starbucks sells a lemon lime or hibiscus flavored powder that you mix with water that is made with green coffee. I only like to have one cup of coffee and then the odd green tea in the morning. After that I drink water or my True Lemon/Lime stuff. But if I really want the caffine early in the day, I'll use the Starbucks Refresher packs - the caffeine gives me a bit of a buzz.
  • hatethegame
    hatethegame Posts: 267 Member
    Go to Walmart and get you some Walmart brand MIO energy. You can squirt it in water and BAM,, you'll have flavored water with Caffine in it.

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