Pop/soda replacement needed!!

LauraPPate
LauraPPate Posts: 8
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
My husband drinks an insane amount of pop every single day. Not diet, but regular Sprite or Coke. Minimum 2 litres a day. Usually more like 3-4. It's usually Sprite (not that that's a whole lot better than Coke anyway). He can't drink diet anything because the aspartame in it doesn't agree with him. He HATES water. It's bland, has no character to it he says.

He doesn't look like the person I'm sure you're picturing in your head. He's in pretty good shape thanks to his job being pretty physical. He's starting to get a little belly but it's more cute than anything else at this point. He's starting to feel the effects of his outrageous pop consumption however. He gets headaches on a fairly regular basis, he has joint/muscle pain all the time, he's constantly exhausted, and he's only 32!

I know juices aren't much better but they certainly couldn't do any more harm at this point I think. He asked me to check the grocery store to see what I could come up with that isn't pop, but isn't horrible, awful water either. *rolls eyes* The only thing I can think of is Crystal Light, to at least make water a little more tempting for him. I just feel like drinking Crystal Light and calling it water is akin to drinking Sprite and calling it water. Every drink out there is just water with other things added to it, so what makes Crystal Light better for someone?

I figured you guys would have more suggestions than anywhere else....

Replies

  • GladImTall
    GladImTall Posts: 65 Member
    Carbonated water and flavored liquid Stevia... I usually do a Root Beer flavored Stevia and carbonated water- close your eyes- tastes almost the same! No- it's never exactly as good as the original- but it curbed my soda cravings.

    There are a ton of flavored liquid Stevia bottles out there- I got mine at Whole Foods... They have like raspberry/chocolate that I add to my coffee occasionally so I get a different flavor too... A few drops of the stevia and you're good to go!
  • littleali
    littleali Posts: 179 Member
    Flavoured water - peach is lovely!
  • chocolateandvodka
    chocolateandvodka Posts: 1,850 Member
    not to sound completely southern here but - Tea?
    Gatorade?
    flavor mixins for water?
    kool aid?

    i hate soda, so these are the non-water alternatives i occasionally drink when good clear water isn't available.
  • lisapickering
    lisapickering Posts: 374
    What about Perrier (or other sparkling water), he will still kept the carbonation and just squeeze some lemon or lime for flavour... not much different than Sprite.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    If you find sugar free flavor water packets that's not as bad. it'll probably eventually get him more into drinking plane water =]
  • grimms11208
    grimms11208 Posts: 146 Member
    So in the water iasle at most stores...Walmart, Safeway, Nobhill there are flavored sparkling waters. All kinds of flavors there is one called Orange cream...ah-mazing! Anyways I love them because there are no calories, no sodium and some of them are all natural. He might want to try some of those out.
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Clear-American-Raspberry-Blackberry-Sparkling-Water-1-l/16778146
  • Allyonthebeach
    Allyonthebeach Posts: 3 Member
    I buy fruit teas - Raspberry Thriller is my favourite - 2 tea bags in a jug of water. It's not sweet - I guess you could add Stevia, but it has a nice flavour and helps me get my water in and stay away from diet drinks with aspartame.
  • bjclaywell
    bjclaywell Posts: 165 Member
    Would he drink flavored teas (homemade, not store bought)? What about Mio added to water (again with the water things, but I don't know what else to offer up). Is it the carbonation he wants? Or the flavor?
  • tuffytuffy1
    tuffytuffy1 Posts: 920 Member
    I just found some really good sparkling flavored water last night at Giant, I got pink grapefruit (delicious!) and black raspberry. I am also going to try to replace my diet soda with flavored sparkling water instead.
  • ansonrinesmith
    ansonrinesmith Posts: 741 Member
    I use the Crystal Light individual packets!
  • DaniU617
    DaniU617 Posts: 87 Member
    I have given up my soda! It was not as hard as I though it would be, but then again I did not drink as much as he does.
    I would suggest Powerade Zero, Tea, or Flavored water.
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    Crystal Light would definitely be better than full blown soda pop, with its sugar, caffeine, and carbonation.

    Honestly, the guy just needs to get used to water. Nothing is more refreshing than a big glass of cold ice water. It takes some adjustment, but once you get on the water kick you don't want anything else... I actually crave water now.
  • javamonster
    javamonster Posts: 272 Member
    President's Choice has these sparkling fruit juices that are really good, no added sugar. Going to be a bit pricier than pop of course! I like different iced teas, too. I just found this powdered stuff, Stash teas makes them. No sugar added. A little bit of agave (or sugar if you want) would sweeten up the teas. I'll also buy soda water and juice (anything, orange, a combo, cranberry, etc) and mix them. That would be cheaper than the PC cans. Just make sure you buy the 100% juice, not the cocktails.
  • rebsaganes
    rebsaganes Posts: 112 Member
    Crystal Light has a new naturally sweetened mix too.
  • barberella
    barberella Posts: 199
    I have to agree with the tea..Iced tea like Snapple. I used to love my diet cokes and diet mt dew but realized the carbonation makes me feel bloated and yucky. and like your hubby, i think water is yucky too although I try to force it down. So, I turned to Snapple. Bret Michaels' Snapple version is yummy! It's called Trop-a-Roca..Oh, but wait, it's got aspartame in it..Try the Compassionberry..Anyway, it's all good..Oh, I also drink a ton of Iced Coffee too..Ok, not a ton, but that also helps me to stay away from pop..
  • momburntdinner
    momburntdinner Posts: 44 Member
    Is the only thing that bothers him aspartame, or is it all artificial sweeteners? Because I believe crystal light has some sort of sweetener in it as well, and I don't think it's aspartame.. I'm pretty sure it's splenda.. They make diet sodas with splenda as well if this wouldn't upset his stomach.

    Maybe you can switch him over to iced tea? They make packs you can brew in cold water. Have him add some lemon and he can use honey to sweeten it, or agave nectar or sugar in the raw or hell, he could even use regular sugar... I'm going to venture a guess here and say that the sugar he uses to sweeten that is going to be far less than 3 liters of sprite. :) If splenda doesn't bother his stomach, they make a 1/2 sugar and 1/2 splenda mix as well.
  • momburntdinner
    momburntdinner Posts: 44 Member
    I just found some really good sparkling flavored water last night at Giant, I got pink grapefruit (delicious!) and black raspberry. I am also going to try to replace my diet soda with flavored sparkling water instead.

    I have tried that black raspberry soda water at Giant as well. My dietician said it's just as bad as diet soda. :(
  • NiciS72
    NiciS72 Posts: 1,043 Member
    I particularly like La Croix Lime Sparkling Water. All of the La Croix sparkling waters are all natural with no artificial sweeteners. I know Costco sells them the cheapest around me, but if you can get a 12 pk for $4 it's a good buy.

    Good Luck!
  • julk_1212
    julk_1212 Posts: 20 Member
    I LOVE soda too, so I understand how finding a substitute is hard. You need something sweet and tasty without the sugar cals and bad stuff. I found that apple spiced tea is amazing!!!! I also like orage spice and raspberry zinger. All naturally sweet and take the edge off of needing soda. Love the stuff. Though I still have a diet cherry coke once a day... but thats a huige decrease for me!!!
  • katharos3
    katharos3 Posts: 154 Member
    When I was pregnant, I wanted to avoid sodas, and I always avoid artificial sweeteners. So I would mix mineral water (plain, no sweetener) and 100% fruit juice together. It satisfied my "need" for soda but it has 1/2 the sugar. :)
  • samblam
    samblam Posts: 9
    I usually take my favorite juice lately it has been a strawberry kiwi juice and mix it with Perrier water
  • sumjoy
    sumjoy Posts: 84 Member
    Most of the sweetened drinks at the store that do not contain sugar contain aspartame, splenda or sugar alcohols (xylitol). There are a few with Stevia in the natural food grocery stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts.

    Aspartame converts to formaldehyde when it gets to certain temperature and formaldehyde is a carcinogen.
    Splenda is a derivitive of chlorine and has an adverse effect on the thymus gland which regulates the immune system.
    Xylitol (sugar alcohols) tend to cause gas and diarrhea.
    Stevia - FDA originally refused to add Stevia to their list of "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) food additives because it was shown to have an adverse effect on the liver, but it must've been added in the past year or two because it is everywhere now.
    Truvia is a combination of Stevia and Xylitol.
    Sweet n' Low (pink packets) do not have any reported adverse effects.
    Sugar, honey or agave are good natural products in small amounts.

    Carbonation in the sodas has a naturally occuring sodium, which is what might be causing his aches and pains due to the effects of constant swelling, inflammation and water retention.

    Green tea is beneficial in that it boosts metabolism and is high in beneficial anti-oxidants. Flavored teas are good, too. Perhaps, he could lower his soda intake and drink more water and tea.
  • NiciS72
    NiciS72 Posts: 1,043 Member
    I forgot to add that I used to drink AT LEAST 2-3 24 oz. Diet Pepsi's a day and now I drink NONE!. Another option is the Crystal Light Pure as I beleive it is all natural i.e. no sweeteners. There is also True Lemon, True Lime, True Orange, and True Grapefruit, all of which I beleive are all natural. Hope these ideas help!
  • nekosimba
    nekosimba Posts: 239 Member
    My boyfriend works at Pepsi and they sell Aquafina 10cal. It is a flavored water, but unlike most flavored waters, it is more like juice than just a light flavor.

    Or if he likes the carbonation, try carbonated flavored waters.
  • iamahealthychick
    iamahealthychick Posts: 207 Member
    I like 1/4-1/2 cup of juice with a can of club soda or some such.
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