Nothing is better than an ice-cold drink in the summer heat — that sudden freeze first hitting your lips, followed by a sumptuous and satisfying fizzle — but many of our favorite beverages usually carry back to back buzzkills: all that excess sugar, unhealthy artificial sweeteners, and dyes, not to mention acidic additives that are packed into such a tiny can.
It is definitely challenging to break the habit of drinking soda on a daily basis, but it’s even more challenging when you don’t have healthy alternatives. Here are some healthier substitutes to drink when you’re frustrated with your decision and want something fizzy.
Flavored Water
Flavored waters are all over the place nowadays, however most of them either have added sugars or artificial sweeteners. A healthier choice is natural flavoring. A lemon wedge is a common option, but some other tasty alternatives could be a strawberry slice or even a cucumber. The options are endless, and you can even take the infusing process one step further by purchasing water bottles with fruit infuser inserts that store fruit and keeps your water flavored all day long.
Iced Tea
Iced tea is a better alternative to soda. This because it can satisfy your sweet cravings and isn’t as high in sugar. If you are trying to cut down on all the sugar you consume and want a tasty beverage that’s refreshing as it is healthy, iced tea is your best choice. Just as soda has caffeine added to give you a jolt in the morning, iced tea also has the same “pick-me-up” affect without all of the sugar!
You can make and drink any kind of tea you prefer: for example, green, herbal or black. Making your own iced tea is an effective way to control the quantity of sugar in your drink — add honey instead!
Kombucha
Kombucha is like a health-conscious soda. It’s a combination of tea, sugar and honey among other ingredients. It’s good for those who want to replace their sugary soda with something nutritious and sweet. Despite sugar being one of the main ingredients, kombucha has health benefits such as probiotics which prevent constipation. Importantly, you will get plenty of bubbles in this fermented drink much like soda, but the caffeine and alcohol content is lower which makes it a healthier alternative.
Homemade Lemonade
Whipping up a batch of homemade lemonade is a great alternative for anyone who’s feeling adventurous and wants to control what they’re putting into their cup. Homemade lemonade is an excellent alternative to the competitor products on store shelves. Many store-bought lemonades don’t use fresh ingredients and overuse sweeteners. It’s important to know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Homemade lemonade is cheaper and more customizable than anything else available at a grocery or convenience store. You can add herbs, fruit, carbonation or even use full-fat ice cream or yogurt as a base.
Sparkling Water
If you’re not a fan of soda, but still enjoy the taste of bubbly drinks, sparkling water make a great alternative. Sparkling water is just carbonated water, so it doesn’t have any sugar or calories. It can be plain on its own so add fruit for some flavor without adding sugar. Some options that come to mind are strawberries and raspberries since they go along very well with either lemon or orange (depending on whether you prefer your sparkling water with or without pulp!). To add something sweet and fruity to your drink try kiwi (also delicious paired with lime).
Iced Coffee
Coffee is a great beverage for when you’re craving soda but don’t want the extra sugar or artificial sweeteners of soda. Just add a few ice cubes to the coffee and voila – you have a low-calorie iced coffee that will keep you awake and focused throughout the day!
As long as you make sure that you’re not pouring tons of sugar into your coffee (!), iced coffee can be refreshing to drink during the summer (or whenever). Coffee will percolate through your bloodstream quicker than soda, which will perk you up and help you focus.
Vegetable Juice
Vegetable juice can be an excellent alternative to fresh vegetables, but not quite as good for you because there’s no fiber. Vegetable juice also contains less sugar than fruit juice, but it can be high in sodium so it should only be used as a supplemental drink rather than a primary one because of this. As always, try to stay away from prepackaged versions and make your own if possible!
Coconut Water
Coconut water can be a great alternative to soda. While most sugar-free versions can be very sweet and refreshing, always check the label first when buying or choose straight out of the millions of coconuts that are available and never have any additives in them.
Why Avoiding Soda is Better for Your Health?
Cutting back on sweetened soda (and other sugary drinks) not only drastically reduces your intake of added sugar but can improve your overall health. Studies show that overconsumption of sugary drinks is linked with weight gain, insulin resistance, and diabetes. By reducing soda consumption and switching to healthy alternative beverages like the one above you may begin to notice the following benefits:
- Sleep better
- Lose weight
- Improved immune system
- Decreased risk of osteoporosis
- Increased energy
Giving up soda is a healthy choice, and while it might seem tough to give it up entirely, there are so many tasty and refreshing alternatives to soda that are both better for your diet and kinder to your tastebuds. It can be hard to stop drinking soda once you get into the habit of having it every day but with this list of drinks instead of soda, it makes it a little bit easier to change your diet gradually!