Sugar-Free Free?
Although I am embarrassed to admit it, I am a diet pop-guzzling, Crystal Light-inhaling, sugar-replacement addict. And it needs to end. NOW.
Any creative ways to spice up a nice tall glass of water without adding calories? I've been loving cucumber in my water, but am looking for something a little less "liquid salad" and a little more sweet and, well, Splenda-y.
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18 Comments:
I'd state the obvious here and say head in the lime/lemon direction; or if you are not into sour and want sweet, why not try squeezing some fresh oranges or grapefruit into your water, and floating slices of the same. Less sour than the limes/lemons, a bit sweet, and very healthful.
Also, have you tried Stevia?
juliebugsmama at 10:10AM on 01/16/09
Make a big batch of iced tea, with (or without) any flavors you like.
renzata at 10:18AM on 01/16/09
Water or seltzer + cranberry (or pomegranite or other very strong, good juice). I do the ratio at about 4:1 water:juice. I also will squeeze a wedge of lime in it and add a capful of apple cider vinegar sometimes. You can squeeze in a little agave nectar or honey to add a little sweetness but not go sugar or chemical sugar-sub since you're trying to get away from that.
Also, drink lots of water. Once your body gets used to it, you'll just do it instinctively. After I stopped drinking pop, drinking anything carbonated, I get weird little carbonation ... burps? It's not actually gross, it just takes me by surprise. Beer isn't as bad since I don't drink too often, but once you get your body used to not getting carbonation all the time, it will feel weird to go back.
If you're used to things being sweet, try teas that you don't normally drink. I grew up inhaling sweet black iced tea as a kid, so it's hard for me to drink coffee or tea with NO sugar. But herbal teas, like a citrus rooibos or hibiscus/jamaica or mint teas do pretty well for me with no sweetening.
joyyy at 10:46AM on 01/16/09
I agree with the selzter comments. I mostly drink it plain, but sometimes I mix it with a little lemon or lime juice, orange juice or POM Green Tea. It's delicious and addictive.
Love love love my Soda Club USA!!!
bitchincamero at 11:39AM on 01/16/09
I love plain water. No really, I do. But when I want something "with a taste", other than juices, I make iced tea (iced coffee too) - usually, green tea with lemon and purple basil. Mint would work too, but apparently some people have a strong aversion to mint in their drinks. You may sweeten it with a little bit of honey, if you want "sweet".
brooke29 at 11:53AM on 01/16/09
Lacto-fermented sodas are naturally low-sugar. The fermentation process eats up the sugar and creates a lovely natural carbonation. Kombucha tea too.
schwartz at 12:28PM on 01/16/09
Any of the Zingers, iced.
therealchiffonade at 12:50PM on 01/16/09
I love verjus in my water. If you've never heard of/tasted it before, it's been around since medieva times. It's sort of an almost vinegar. It's lkind of like a sour grape juice. A splash of it in a glass of cold water is just wonderful. It makes the water far more refreshing. If you're interested in trying it and can't find it where you are (it really is a speciality item), you should try frenchfeast.com. It's where I get mine. I usually order a bunch of bottles at a time, along with other stuff (it's a great online food site) since the shipping charge is the same no matter the size of the order.
chisai at 1:09PM on 01/16/09
Why not try honey in some more things? Or agave? It's sugar, but at least it's natural.
KarynMC at 1:27PM on 01/16/09
@chisai - There is some seriously delicious-looking food on that site! Thanks for posting the link.
@KarynMC - I was going to say the same thing (regarding honey and agave)... and best of all, the flavors of those sweeteners (especially honey) are far more interesting and varied than just regular sugar.
Steen at 1:49PM on 01/16/09
Though I cannot relate to your craving (you aren't along though!)
my mother insists she likes the taste of artifical sweeteners.
I have not been able to convert her yet but I have suggested that she try the following to make her water taste like something:
• slices of grapefruit in sparkling (try to get some pellegrino, perrier, or european naturally carbonated spring waters)
• herbal teas with honey maybe? I really like açaï, blackcurrant, camomille and peppermint
• Ratios of juice and water is a great idea from joyy; I would have said to puree some fruits and blend your own italian sodas?
Good luck!
hungrychristel at 1:56PM on 01/16/09
Almost forgot: kudos to you! You don't mention your reason for wanting to cut off the sugar-sub intake, but making these changes can be tough to get used to. Good luck!
Also: vitamin-water-like drinks. When they came out, I thought "How dumb is that, that people would buy a drink for vitamins instead of just taking a vitamin or eating right ..." But now I know that if you don't like to drink pop (diet or otherwise), and especially if you don't like drinks that are overly sweet, these drinks really hit the spot when you're thirsty but need something with much mroe taste than water. Check the label, I'm sure some of them have sugar in them, but if you go from diet to regular pop, regular will seem REALLY sweet, and these drinks have good flavor (usually) without being supersweet.
joyyy at 2:09PM on 01/16/09
-Lemon
-Herbal tea bags.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 2:12PM on 01/16/09
I used to be you. Then I realized that thirst and hunger are two different needs, and eating and drinking are two different processes. If you're really thirsty (your body is telling you that you're low on fluids) nothing is more satisfying than plain water. If you're hungry, drinking flavored liquids doesn't help.
So I switched to plain water, and instead of walking around with a flavored beverage at all times, I learned how to pay more attention to actual thirst, and to drink water when I need it. And it's not like I'm ever that far from water that I need to carry it with me at all times. I live in civilization, and no one dies of thirst in a hour or three.
I still drink flavored stuff, but it's more of a conscious decision rather than a habit that's out of control. I drink coffee in the morning, and I'll drink adult beverages when I want them. During the day, there's water available. If I want something with flavor, I'll usually opt for herbal teas (technically not "tea" but you know what I mean). But it's more like..mmmmm...this is a tasty tea...a relaxing moment in the day, rather than guzzling stuff without tasting it.
dbcurrie at 2:19PM on 01/16/09
I am a diabetic and am constantly looking for low/zero calorie drinks. I have found herbal/fruit iced teas to be a good solution, especially if sweetened with Splenda or Stevia...I also like the True Lemon/Lime/Orange packets (you can get free samples at truelemon.com ) and emergen-c packets. Good luck finding something that satisfies your taste!
mayoxqueen at 6:54AM on 01/17/09
in addition to the verjus idea, i would add pomegranate molasses {available at middle eastern markets and probably whole foods} and mosto, a grape concentrate from italy.
cybercita at 12:46PM on 01/17/09
Apple cider vinegar works too.
renzata at 8:56PM on 01/17/09
i am not sure you can find them at any store, but if you have a japanese/korean store near you, they make plum (ume) tea in packets. so sweet you would never know its not crystal light. just a suggestion for an occassional sweet demand. i cant tell you whats in mine. i cant read the box.
blizcheetah at 12:21AM on 07/01/09