How can I drink less soda and thus not rot my teeth anymore?
I don't drink much soda by most people's standards. Sometimes I'll have one for lunch or dinner, but I want to cut it out entirely. I drink lots of tea, but a lot of times I'd rather drink something cold, and preferable made with real and less sugar. I hate drinking just plain water. I've been drinking Honest Tea a lot lately, but surely that's not the only thing out there. What are your favorite non-soda substitutes?
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18 Comments:
I'm a fan of Poland Springs flavored sparkling water. Just water, co2 and natural flavors. No sugar or artificial sweeteners. I found that if I drink it, it eliminates my desire for an afternoon soda. 0 calories!
pageycooks at 4:18PM on 04/25/07
Soda water and juice. I find it refreshing. Just don't get tonic water by accident. I know there are pre blended soda/juice drinks out there. But I like to mix myself.
Sweetie at 4:18PM on 04/25/07
Sugar is not your only enemy when it comes to bottled beverages. Watch out for the sodium content of some lo-cal, carbonated drinks.
hatlady at 4:26PM on 04/25/07
It does contain aspartame, but I am a crystal light junkie.
malenky at 4:47PM on 04/25/07
We've been drinking a lot of Glaceau Vitamin Water lately. It has fewer calories and contains a significant amount of vitamins. It's sweetened with fructose. They even make one with caffeine if you need it. It doesn't seem to coat the teeth as soda does, which should lead to less tooth decay than soda.
ronfrankl at 4:58PM on 04/25/07
Use a straw.
Rae at 5:27PM on 04/25/07
I'm a fan of mixing soda water and juice too. Pom Wonderful is a good one to try, and plain old orange juice too.
K at 6:19PM on 04/25/07
I'm at the begining of exams AND feeling like I'm coming down with something AND Genaurdi's (supermarket) had a 10 for $10 sale on Glaceau water today. Talk about good timing. I've had their Power-C flavor before - it's great when I feel a cold coming on and want to get some extra C.
But today I tried the Energy flavor. The label says it's got 50 mg of caffeine in it, which (I looked the numbers up online) is slightly lower than the average cup of coffee and about half of what a shot of espresso has. Needless to say, my caffeine consumption in general is up right now, so that 50 mg didn't really do much for me.
Other than that, thumbs up for Glaceau vitamin waters. I don't really like soda, so I usually just drink water & coffee, but they're great if you want something with a little more taste.
segalbraith at 6:43PM on 04/25/07
If you don't like water, how about mineral water with lemon or lime?
One of the above posts reminds me of an English "squash" drink. The squash should be available in bottled form in specialty shops in the States. You thin it down with water -- very fruity and delicious.
TikiPundit at 8:30PM on 04/25/07
Try mineral water. I have a friend who got her boyfriend off of Cokes by subbing it with LaCroix Mineral Water in cans in various flavors. Sometimes it's the ability to grab a can and go and LaCroix is just that!
FoodPorncess at 10:06PM on 04/25/07
Drink Diet. Why does anyone not drink diet anyway? Regular soda is terrible for you...although I suppose the risk of brain cancer is supposedly lower. I actually don't think that tea is very good for your teeth either, although coffee is way worse. So, my advice is, Diet Coke and Honest Tea, that's what I like.
mdp at 12:18AM on 04/26/07
There is a drink out there that has all the qualitys of a soda and none of the bad side effects. They taste really good! Dole makes them, they are called sparklers...I don't know if they are a canadian thing, or if they are available in the USA...try hunting them down.
I also have seen recipes for "soda". I am sure if you searched online, you could find some. I've made homeade gingerale from a recipe I have, and it was really really good - without all the sugar and additives!
Lilartist at 9:43AM on 04/26/07
If you're over hot tea, try brewing a big pot (literally, a large cooking pot) of your favorite tea, then adding some honey and lemon, or whatever fruit is appropriate for the tea flavor. Once it's cool, it makes a super-refreshing drink in which you can totally control the indgredients. I like Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile or Tazo Green Tea with Ginger.
savecara at 10:08AM on 04/26/07
Seltzer and cranberry juice
nelson5757 at 10:34AM on 04/26/07
My response probably isn't going to help to much. But...
I think it's worth trying to get a taste for plain water. I mean, unless it makes you want to vomit, in which case maybe not. When I was little I used to drink soda and juice all the time, NEVER plain water, but then I made myself get a taste for it (by drinking craploads of it all the time) and now I prefer water over everything else.
Then again, I'm addicted to sugar in all its other forms, so...I'll probably get diabetes anyway.
A non-water drink that I do like (there aren't that many!) is barley tea. It has a natural sweetness to it and it tastes really good cold.
roboppy at 11:55AM on 04/26/07
i'm with K - someone once poured me a mix of Pom with raspberry seltzer - it was nice, and cut the strong flavor of the pomegranate, which is something i don't really enjoy straight up.
j at 12:49PM on 04/26/07
Hi, thanks for all the suggestions. I will definitely take up some of your suggestions, especially the fruit juice and soda thing. Other beverages I've found include the Jones Organics line, SweetLeaf Teas, IZZE soda, etc.
toastykitten at 12:36AM on 04/27/07
When I worked in a bar, underage, the bartender got me addicted to carbonated water with bitters and citrus. It takes some getting use to, but it sure cuts thirst pdq!
tgchi at 10:31PM on 05/03/07