Last Updated on February 9, 2022 by James Matthews
Whether it’s the sweet taste, the variety of flavors, or the fizz that tickles your tongue, we all have to admit that sodas always leave us wanting more. When the sun’s heat feels too unbearable, or the meal you’re having is a bit too heavy, a sip of soda down your throat is all you need to make things right in the world.
In this whirlwind of health-seeking, it’s only fair to start looking more into this beverage that many of us find so irreplaceable at times. If you’re wondering what is the healthiest soda to satisfy your cravings without falling off the wagon, you’re in the right place. We’ll get to know all about healthy and unhealthy sodas, what makes each so, if we should opt for diet soda, and the different kinds of sugar in each can.
| Healthy Soda | Rating |
|---|---|
| Izze Sparkling Juice | 4.7 |
| Blue Sky Soda | 4.5 |
| Stevia | 4.4 |
| United Soda | 4.4 |
| Poppi Soda | 4.3 |
| Olipop | 4.1 |
| Wave Soda | 3.8 |
What Makes a Soda healthy?
Healthy sodas are carbonated flavorful water without all the additives. They have zero sugar added to them. They have zero artificial colors or flavors, and as few calories as possible.
Carbonic acid is okay in sodas, but watch out for high fructose corn syrup which aids in weight gain and causes health issues.
Healthy sodas don’t cause bone density loss and help indigestion. They are simply tasty hydration substitutes for water.
Healthiest Soda Options
Although Soda’s been gaining a reputation for being unhealthy, it’s important to realize where the danger lies and eliminate it. It’s the sugar and the artificial additives that lead to weight gain and disease.
What then, if we can find soda options that are both low in calorie count and are made purely of natural ingredients? Without further ado here is your answer to what is the healthiest soda! Check these out and indulge guilt-free.
Wave Soda
With only 15-25 calories per can and brought to you in seven different flavors, you’ll find your thirst quenched and your taste buds singing seven different songs.
The flavors and sugar are only derived from the fruit naturally. And it’s caffeinated to give you the boost of energy you need.
Izze Soda
Its rich fruit flavor brings your favorite season right to the tip of your tongue. Furthermore, all of its ingredients are naturally extracted from the fruits making it too heavenly to be true.
It’s 90 calories per can, but keep in mind that these calories are pure fruit, no sugars added. It’s also free of caffeine so you can drink it any time of the day, and still get your beauty sleep.
Zevia Soda
Zero calories, zero added sugars, zero caffeine, and zero artificial ingredients; can you imagine? Did I mention it’s also free of caramel color which is a widely used food coloring that could lead to the formation of carcinogens?
It gives you its sugary taste from the stevia leaf which guarantees you a sweet taste and no-calorie intake whatsoever. Its flavors come from natural sources only.
Olipop Soda
Classic root beer, strawberry vanilla, and ginger lemon; your mouth watering already? Well, this one surely won’t disappoint!
It’s only 35 calories per can and gets its sugar from the stevia leaf. Additionally, it contains probiotics that feed the healthy bacteria in our bodies. This, in turn, helps with our digestion.
Blue Sky Soda
This soda has 130 calories per can. So you’re probably wondering how it made it to our – what is the healthiest soda- list. Well, it’s Caffeine-free, flavored naturally, and sweetened with cane sugar. Made with very healthy ingredients, it also comes in many delicious flavors. So, treat yourself, but just take it in moderation.
Poppi Soda
This is another healthy soda that comes in a variety of flavors, made of organic products, and includes 20 calories only per can. What makes it so special is that it incorporates apple cider vinegar in its components which gives your immunity a refreshing boost.
United Soda
This beverage has us, and celebrities as well, going crazy. Let me tell you, its taste deserves all this attention!
There are 30 calories per can and it goes without saying, it’s all organically produced. They come in the sweetest of flavors. And being caffeine-free, you don’t have to worry about children getting their share.
Diet Soda, Healthy Soda?
Let’s get one thing straight, anything that isn’t derived from an organic source is down on the health scale. Diet soda has all the artificial flavors, preservatives, and colors of a normal soda, only with artificial sweetener thrown into the mix.
These all present a danger when consumed in large quantities. That’s because they lead to the formation of carcinogens, nerve damage, and even obesity.
Why Are Natural Sweeteners Better Than Artificial Sweeteners?
It’s a common belief that artificial sweeteners are good for diabetics, and in keeping calorie intake low. However, what’s less known is that they might cause weight gain.
Artificial sweeteners are found to encourage a sweet tooth, subconsciously make people eat more, and stimulate the body to hold onto fat. On the other hand, stevia doesn’t count in your calorie intake and doesn’t even raise your body’s blood sugar. And sugar cane is even healthier than table sugar.
What Are the Least Healthy Sodas?
Since we already tackled what is the healthiest soda, it’s about time to see what isn’t a good choice for you! We’ll point out the ingredients that make a soda unhealthy, so you can watch out for them.
This will help you in telling a good soda from a bad one easily, just from taking a look at the back of the can.
Sunkist Pineapple
It has 190 calories per can, 50g sugar, artificial flavor, and coloring additives. Besides all that it also has high fructose corn syrup.
Mountain Dew
It has a refreshing taste, we’ll give it that but it also contains 46 g of added sugar, 170 calories, preservatives, and artificial coloring. That, in addition to brominated vegetable oil. This oil has proven to cause health risks including memory loss and imbalance when taken in large doses.
Dr Brown’s Cream Soda
It contains artificial flavors, caramel coloring, high fructose corn syrup, and 120 calories. Seems to bring together all that’s bad for you.
Mello Yello
This one basically has the most amount of sugar compared to any other soda being 47g per can. Not to mention the artificial coloring, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup.
Conclusion
Soda might not be the healthiest thing on the menu. Nonetheless, there’re many choices available to us, so we should try to pick what’s tasty yet nutritious. It’s always best to check a can’s labels first. Always choose what’s natural and what has little to no sugar.
If we had to choose a favorite, it would be the olipop for being amazing to both our taste buds and our digestion system.
