Alternatives to soda?

I confess I have a pretty bad addiction to diet coke. I drink a LOT of it. Every day. I'm trying to quit or at least dramatically lower my intake of it. But I can't drink just water and nothing else all the time, so what are your favourite alternatives? Currently I have a cup of green tea with lemon, but I'd like a bit of variety too. :)
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Replies

  • Lissa7215
    Lissa7215 Posts: 3 Member
    I love diet soda too. I think it's mostly because of the bubbles. I switched to flavored seltzer and flavored sparkling water. It helps increase my water intake without adding the extras (like sodium) that diets sodas have.
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    Diet Snapple, Crystal Light, Propel, Water. I think that your green tea with lemon is the best though.
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    I like just plain water or LaCroix (grapefruit and coconut).
  • whitney_simpson
    whitney_simpson Posts: 77 Member
    I like doing sparkling water with a slice of lemon when I am really craving a soda. I quit drinking soda 16 months ago and still get cravings for a coke.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Why are you looking to give up zero-calorie soda?
  • Why are you looking to give up zero-calorie soda?
    Because it's still not the best thing to drink, and is expensive to buy a lot of it.
  • Marcidy
    Marcidy Posts: 39 Member
    Coffee or infused water! I make a big pitcher of water with chopped up fruit inside and let it sit overnight. The water is so fruity and sweet by morning! I love making it with grapefruit or oranges. I plan on trying it with mangos and strawberries later this week
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
    Iced tea, unsweetened. Or iced coffee, with a little sugar.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    Water - water with lemon, water with lime, water with cucumbers and mint, water, water and more water. You'll for get about soda in about 2-3 months.
  • iarelarry
    iarelarry Posts: 201 Member
    GIVE UP SODA?!?!

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  • Rebretta
    Rebretta Posts: 2 Member
    I'm trying to drop the soda as well. I've stopped buying it for home and started buying unsweet tea (which I add Splenda to). I will sometimes get soda when I eat out. I'm thinking about trying fruit infused water. I don't care for water in general. I saw a great idea where you freeze lemon slices with water in muffin pans. I'm thinking I'll start making a pitcher of water with fresh fruit in the evening and have it good and cold by morning for my work day. I also have a cup that has an insert you add fruit to (to keep the bits out of your straw!).
  • try flavored water...like Sparkling Ice....it's carbonated and some of the flavors are really good. I have tried Propel packets and Crystal Light to flavor my water...but they are either too sweet or too bitter...I know I should cut out all soda...but the new Kickstarts by Mtn Dew are only 80 calories...a ton of caffeine and I only drink one a day. I have also added a new addiction of Coke Zero. I have to admit the only diet sodas that I can handle are Diet Dr. Pepper, Dr. Pepper 10, and Coke Zero. Diet soda really isn't too bad for you as long as you aren't drinking several of them a day.

    The down side to the Sparkling Ice is that they are $1 each, but worth it when I want something cold.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    I drink water with either Mio or Dasani Zero Calorie water enhancers. Not as good as pop, but at least it doesn't taste like water.
  • kganc001
    kganc001 Posts: 317
    Vitamin Water just put out a sparkling fruit drink thing...0 cal and fizzy. So delicious.

    I also buy the dasani water enhancer pink lemonade flavor since I drink a lot of water at work and it's a small little squeezey that fits in my purse.
  • brichnic
    brichnic Posts: 14
    I love Lipton Diet Green Tea Citrus!
  • ashleymcn01
    ashleymcn01 Posts: 108 Member
    I only drink water with the True Lime Black Cherry Limeade packets. Like others have said, once you get started on something else, you'll forget all about soda! Also, if you need the caffeine, have an unsweetened tea with a Truvia packet and/or lemon.
  • TheBunnyStrange
    TheBunnyStrange Posts: 20 Member
    I drink a lot of club soda. lots of bubbles and no calories
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    I like sparkling water because you get the fizz of soda. It's a little bitter/tart because of the carbonation, but if you drink diet soda then you're used to that. I add lemon slices and lavender or mint from my garden sometimes.

    You could make some Italian sodas by mixing sparkling water with flavored syrups. You can use regular or sugar free syrups and control how much you use according to your taste and dietary needs.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Why are you looking to give up zero-calorie soda?
    Because it's still not the best thing to drink, and is expensive to buy a lot of it.
    If the money's the prime factor, water/soda water is pretty much your default option. Just be aware that bottled water or soda water often has added sodium and/or other "stabilizers" and is often not a substantial savings over store-brand diet soda.

    Diet sweet tea is fundamentally the same thing as diet soda

    What additives, in particular, are you concerned with?
  • lisaanne1369
    lisaanne1369 Posts: 377 Member
    BEER !
  • sasu27
    sasu27 Posts: 51
    I am trying to give up Diet Mountain Dew because I think it is affecting my anxiety. Since I am also trying to avoid the fake sweeteners, I can't drink flavored water like I used to, so I just ordered some fruity teas from Republic of Tea that are supposed to taste really good as ice tea. If you like tea, that might be something to try.

    A couple that I ordered:
    http://www.republicoftea.com/hibiscus-tea-sampler-cube/p/V20007/
    http://www.republicoftea.com/organic-usda-mint-fields--/p/V00682/
    http://www.republicoftea.com/organic-usda-flowering-fruit
    /p/V00681/

    There tea is amazing, and worth the price. I like the Be Well teas as well as the chocolate teas.
  • sunshyncatra
    sunshyncatra Posts: 598 Member
    Seltzer or water with a slice of one or a combo of the following: lemon, lime, orange, mango, strawberry, cucumber, watermelon, pineapple, mint leaf, etc. (for stronger flavor, soak them in your water overnight for the next day)
    Tea (there are so many different flavors and varieties)
    Coffee
  • CALABRESE3
    CALABRESE3 Posts: 86 Member
    I like either Mio and water or soda stream soda flavors mixed in seltzer water...they really take care of my coke cravings...with little to no calories:)
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
    Try flavored water -- adding propel zero to your water bottle, or crystal light, or vitamin water zero. You could also try tea (hot or cold) with truvia or stevia in it.

    Not sure how much soda you drink, but maybe try to cut back by one soda a day, each week cutting back a little more. Or maybe try going one day a week without soda, slowly increasing the number of days you don't drink soda -- although if you do that, make sure you don't increase how many sodas you're drinking the other days.
  • melshearin
    melshearin Posts: 1 Member
    whatever you do don't quit cold turkey- you'll have the worst headaches of your life! slowly step away, I use Iced Tea for the caffeine and on the days i find that I miss soda so much I need one, I have one- eventually you wont crave it.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    I have cut way back on Diet Coke because I know I'm someone who reacts to the artificial sweeteners with a ravenous attack of the munchies.

    I like "fizzy water." Not all grocery stores carry flavored carbonated waters without any artificial sweeteners (commonly aspertame) but some do. Trader Joe's has a great version. If you are in the southeastern US, Syfo waters are carried in Publix and Wynn-Dixie. La Croix is another brand without the artificial sweeteners and some Piggly-Wiggly stores carry it.

    Unflavored sparkling or carbonated waters are easier to find and you could just add a lemon slice or the like to them.

    Just read the ingredients labels carefully. If it has more than "carbonated water" and "natural flavors," its likely to be loaded with artificial sweeteners.
  • rose228822
    rose228822 Posts: 186 Member
    I confess I have a pretty bad addiction to diet coke. I drink a LOT of it. Every day. I'm trying to quit or at least dramatically lower my intake of it. But I can't drink just water and nothing else all the time, so what are your favourite alternatives? Currently I have a cup of green tea with lemon, but I'd like a bit of variety too. :)

    Yeah my bf loves diet coke and just recently is trying to kick the habit...he doesn't like green tea (very good) so sometimes he will have iced coffee or drink some of the juices that are a lighter version. I used to drink regular coke all the time and started drinking water instead and after a few weeks of headaches my craving disappeared and now when I take a sip of his coke it tastes really syrupy:) Good luck to you!
  • Yeah, why is it exactly that you want to cut down on diet Coke?

    If it's because of the caffeine content (which is the reason why I try not to drink too much of the stuff), there are ALOT of diet sodas that are Caffeine-Free such as the diet A&W rootbeer! :-) Just look at the labels!

    If it's just because of the fact that it's soda and has a "fizzy" quality that you're trying to cut down on, I would try Nestea Zero or Powerade Zero - both of which are amazing! There's also Mio that you can use in your water and I love that stuff!!

    If it's because of the sodium levels, I think your best bet is to switch to herbal teas (there are SO many flavors out there to choose from like Apple Cinnamon, Green, Blueberry Acai, Strawberry Pomegranate, Chai, Lemon Ginger etc. etc.) Another idea would be to make a huge pitcher of water with some fruit on the inside to naturally flavor it (you could try blueberries, strawberries or whatever your preference is)

    Other ideas: Talking Rain sparkling flavored waters are delicious (Black Raspberry is my fave), you could also try Unsweetened Almond Milk at only 30cals for a cup, cocoa made with cocoa powder & splenda, or have some black coffee (assuming that caffeine isn't the issue at hand)

    If all else fails, have a good old glass of water!

    Hope this helped! xx
  • runningagainstmyself
    runningagainstmyself Posts: 616 Member
    I have found that my addiction to soda water comes from loving the bubbles, too. I've lately worked myself into a routine of soda water with slices of lemon and lime. Tastes just like soda, fizz and all. No artificial flavours, no artificial sweeteners, no massive salt intake.

    Warning: You have to look at soda water labels. Some of them come with a LOT of sodium per serving.
  • I drink fruit infused waters. LOVE! You put them in your water and it flavors the water naturally. No artificial sweeteners, zero calorie, and it's delish!

    I like:
    Strawberry and lemon
    mint, lemon, cucumber
    orange
    mango and ginger
    pineapple
    strawberry and mint

    Usually frozen fruit works better, it holds its form longer and the flavor is stronger in the beginning. I have an infuser water bottle that I love, love, love!