Soft drink alternative

kissmybASS01 · #1 09-06-2011, 08:12 PM

In my ever losing battle against the bulge, I have tried different alternatives to pop. I don't care for Coke or Pepsi (especially Pepsi) because I find them very sweet.

I then switched to Diet Coke and drank that for a while...a long while actually. Then it was Coke Zero. Then I heard all the bad things about aspartame. <sigh> While shopping at Costco (a bulk super-store mega shop) and found Sparkling Ice made by Talking Rain. It was fizzy, tasted great and had no aspartame. It was sweetened with Sucralose. I guess aspartame's "healthier" sibling. Wrong.

That was last month. Haha. I've now switched to Club Soda. It has neither sweeteners or calories. It does have some potassium and salt though.

Yes, I can and do drink plain water and fruit and/or tomato juice. That said, I still like something bubbly to drink at lunch-break or while watching the tube.

Whats the verdict on Club Soda or suggest me an alternative

Auzzie-Phoenix · #2 09-06-2011, 08:17 PM

Sparkling grape juice. It's just carbonated grape juice. Not sure how much sugar is in it, but it is really just grape juice, so it's at least somewhat healthy for you... albeit expensive.

Kwesi · #3 09-06-2011, 08:26 PM

Carbonated water beverages like this:

Walmart.com: Sam's Choice Clear American: Flavored Sparkling Water Beverage Golden Peach, 2 L: Beverages

No calories, no sugar, no sodium.

I was in a position similar to yours a few months back but with juice instead of soda. Went cold turkey and cut it all. All I drink now is water, milk and the odd (less than once a month) alcoholic beverage.

Darkstrike · #4 09-06-2011, 08:32 PM

Carbonated water and orange juice(or any other fruit juice I suppose) mixed is one tasty drink.

jmorbita · #5 09-06-2011, 08:32 PM

I like ginger ale... don't know if it's any good or not.

lowfreq33 · #6 09-06-2011, 08:35 PM

Just a side note, if you're trying to lose weight you should think about eliminating high fructose corn syrup from your diet. Not easy, as that stuff's in places you wouldn't expect it (things like bread), but it worked for me. I won't go into all the reasons it's bad for you, but you can google it if you're curious.

XtheDeadPawn · #7 09-06-2011, 08:39 PM

Pepsi MAX it's soda but, it only has 50 mg of salt per 8 oz serving.

It barely has any Caff. and it tastes just like Pepsi it tastes better than Diet Pepsi by far.

I have a few cans a day (at most 3) I don't drink coffee so this is like my coffee one in the morning one with lunch (If I eat lunch) and then one or two before bed.

Darkstrike · #8 09-06-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XtheDeadPawn

Pepsi MAX it's soda but, it only has 50 mg of salt per 8 oz serving.

It barely has any Caff. and it tastes just like Pepsi it tastes better than Diet Pepsi by far.

I have a few cans a day (at most 3) I don't drink coffee so this is like my coffee one in the morning one with lunch (If I eat lunch) and then one or two before bed.

Weird! I don't know if it's due to European factories or anything, but to me Pepsi Max tastes nothing like regular Pepsi, very close to Diet Coca Cola, somehow.....

Thunderscreech · #9 09-06-2011, 08:48 PM

You could, you know, get some Hard Drinks, like Scotch and Soda, or a nice white rum mixed with some fruit juice for a good grog. Or just sip on it, neat, right from the bottle...

I mean, you did ask...

runmikeyrun · #10 09-06-2011, 09:25 PM

I drink 6-8 1L bottles of seltzer a week. It's all I drink at home, and they're only 2/99 cents. I even order it at restaurants and bars when we play out. I buy those little plastic limes full of lime juice to give it some sort of taste and balance out the pH a little because the plain seltzer is sorta alkaline and can upset my stomach. IMO seltzer and club soda taste the same, seltzer just doesn't have any salt.

I gave up pop because it's terrible for you any way you get it- high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose, cane sugar, etc. I don't like putting large quantities of that stuff in my body. Once in a while it's not a big deal, but I was drinking it every day.

BTW... once I gave up pop and fast food before I even started exercising I was losing 1 lb/day. Now it's like 1.5/day with exercise. I was tired of having a pot belly and enough is enough.

HEIST · #11 09-06-2011, 09:27 PM

I blend fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries etc.) and stir them into a glass of fizzy water. I add a dollop of agave syrup to sweeten.

kissmybASS01 · #12 09-06-2011, 09:39 PM

Last year a friend of mine asked me about this little bald spot i had behind my right ear. What spot I asked. It was about the size of a "loonie" (Canadian dollar coin) and I had never noticed it before, since I can't see there

Anyways, shortly after I had cut out the aspartame in my diet cokes, and coke zeros. What do you know, that spot has all but disappeared.

Coincidence? Maybe. The doctors thought it might have something to do with either too much or too little iron. Pffft. What do they know....

PS Thunderscreech - Yup! to my Gibsons Rye and my imported Stella beer. D'oh there's the extra caloric intake

runmikeyrun · #13 09-06-2011, 09:47 PM

Could also be alopecia, but i wouldn't rule out the aspartame. That stuff is nasty.

Smokin' Toaster · #14 09-06-2011, 09:52 PM

If it's fizzy you're after you can carbonate anything with one of these:

Carbonator cap to force carb PET bottler -- Home Brew Mart Online Store

You'll need a CO2 tank and a regulator, and a ball lock gas fitting like this:

Search Results -- Home Brew Mart Online Store.

I use one to keep beer carbonated or to carbonate other liquids.

It's a bit of an investment but you probably are going to keep drinking liquids for the rest of your life, and if you like them carbonated you could recoup the investment in a short time.

Joe Nerve · #15 09-06-2011, 10:06 PM

never understood how people drink anything bubbly or fizzly. is this an aquired thing? i actually find it hard to do. especially when I'm thirsty.

I'm a huge water fan. I think I might be becoming a big fan of this also though...

It's the first drink of any kind outside of water that I've really taken a liking to since beer, which I gave up decades ago. It's not carbonated though.

benthughes · #16 09-07-2011, 03:36 AM

My drink of choice ( that isn't booze

) is water with a tea bag in it.

You will need to buy a water bottle but bottled water will work although it gets expensive. Put some hot tap water in the bottom of the water bottle ( about 10ml) and add tea bag. Let this seep for about 2 minutes then add cold water and ice.You can add tea to cold water, it'll mix but it takes a while and is lighter in flavor. I love Moroccan Mint, Rooibos or white tea but you can use any flavor. It's tasty, calorie free and refreshing. My girlfriend likes those crystal light drink mixers... meh.

Elrend · #17 09-07-2011, 03:50 AM

Ask your local grocery store to import some of this:

Farris (mineral water) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

carlos840 · #18 09-07-2011, 03:51 AM

Fruit Juice is actually pretty bad for you!

Loads of sugar and calories without anything else! I would rather eat fruits and drink water!

In the end the best drink is water, just get used to it!

knucklehead G · #19 09-07-2011, 04:00 AM

Its more expensive, but I've started subbing in vitaminwater for soft drinks. That's still 200 calories for the 32oz, but the vitaminwater zero doesn't have the calories or sugar, tastes okay and unless the ingredient label is lying to me doesn't contain anything scary.

$2.50 / 32oz is a bit much, but I was drinking 3-4 20oz Dr Peppers a day at $1.30 a piece from the vending machine at work.

kissmybASS01 · #20 09-07-2011, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlos840

Fruit Juice is actually pretty bad for you!

Loads of sugar and calories without anything else! I would rather eat fruits and drink water!

In the end the best drink is water, just get used to it!

I thought most of the "real" fruit juices rather than fruit cocktails and such, had sugar content from the actual fruit. No?