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As your friendly nutritionist, I'll have to break some news to you about our beloved sodas. Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of negatives that can come with consuming it. Not only are they terrible for our teeth and sugar intake, but they also contain caffeine, which is best to be limited for children. But fear not! There are numerous healthier beverage options available today. You'll be happy to hear, that these alternatives don't contain refined sugar and cause blood sugar spikes, and they're free of artificial colours and flavours.
You'll find so many benefits to reading this article! We'll guide you on eliminating soda from your diet. We'll also discuss the ingredients to watch out for in sodas, explain why certain beverages should be avoided, and offer our top nutritionist-approved recommendations for soda alternatives.
Why should we avoid drinking Soda?
Soda serves no nutritional benefit and is associated with numerous health effects. Often, soda is full of refined sugar and can contribute to blood sugar spikes, tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases. Sugar-free soda drinks aren ’t better for you either, or studies have linked sugar-free soda beverages to multiple adverse health effects.
Soft drinks also contain caffeine which can impact our sleep quality and quantity. As sleep is one of the main pillars of health, we advise limiting soda as much as possible, particularly before bedtime and for children.
What should I substitute Soda for?
Luckily, there are so many healthy alternatives to soda that taste just as good (if not better!). You can try:
- Kombucha: a fermented gut-friendly beverage that contains live bacteria and yeast known as probiotics. Scientific research has found consuming probiotics can support a healthy gut.
- Fruit and herb-infused water: use up any leftover fruit you have in the fridge and add it to water to add a natural flavour boost.
- Sparkling water: if you enjoy the fizz of soda, sparkling water is a natural and zero-sugar alternative to soda.
- Iced tea: chill your favourite tea during Summer and enjoy a refreshing iced tea, we love black iced tea with a touch of honey and lemon or energising iced green tea.
What is the healthiest drink besides water?
We cannot underestimate the benefits of drinking water. Water can prevent muscle cramping, helps us to regulate our body temperature and prevents dehydration. However, when considering alternative healthy beverage options to water, the choice largely depends on individual dietary needs and preferences.
For example, herbal tea is an excellent substitute for water as it keeps us warm and hydrated during Winter. Milk and fortified non-dairy alternatives provide an effective means to boost calcium intake. Vegetable juices offer a convenient way to obtain essential vitamins and minerals. Coconut water is a natural source of hydrating electrolytes.
Top Four Soda Swaps and Why:
1. For Kids SWAP: Kirks Creaming Soda Cans for Lesser Evil Creaming soda
If you grew up in Australia, you probably recognize rightly pink-coloured creaming soda can. However, you might not be aware of what's in it. Whilst the packaging might state it contains no artificial colours or flavours, it doesn’t mention it’s not free from sugar, food acids and preservatives.
Lesser Evil’s creaming soda will take you back to those scorching Australian Summers you remember from your school days. This soda has the familiar taste of your childhood favourite raspberry creaming soda without the sugar high. Instead, you’ll find plenty of gut-loving prebiotic fibres in this functional beverage.
2. For Alcohol SWAP: Cutwater Margarita for Naked Life Cosmo and Margarita
Cutwater Lime Margarita gets its sweetness from refined cane sugar, and a single can of this beverage contains approximately 6.5 teaspoons of sugar. Other ingredients in this margarita include various additives such as flavours and food acids. In short, this sugary alcoholic drink offers minimal health benefits.
If you’re in search of low-sugar and non-alcoholic cocktails for your next girl's night or special celebration look no further than Naked Life’s Cosmo and Margaritas. These alcohol-free beverages contain all-natural and mostly Australian ingredients. Enjoy a festive evening with their mocktails and wake up refreshed without a hangover.
3. For Sparkling Water SWAP: Bundaberg Peach Soft Drink for Dash Water Peaches & Kreol Ginger Lime
With over 43g (!) of sugar per can, the Bundaberg sparkling peach drink is more akin to peach-flavoured sugar water. This drink contains almost all the recommended daily intake of added sugar. Furthermore, it includes additives such as acid, stabilizers, colours, and antioxidants. Given these factors, we prefer opting for better-for-you alternatives.
Many of us enjoy sparkling water with a touch of delicious fruit flavour. Dash Water's peach-infused sparkling water is a great choice, as they use peaches that might not meet strict appearance standards and would otherwise go to waste. What's even better is their commitment to environmental consciousness and their use of all-natural ingredients.
Kreol’s ginger lime sparkling water infusion is another one of our favourite healthy beverages. This zesty-tasting beverage contains natural antioxidants from Australian fruits. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.
4. For Refreshment SWAP: Gatorade Sports Drink for Coconut Water (C coconut & Koko Karma) Revitalise Daily Grape
Gatorade is a popular sports drink marketed towards athletes and individuals engaging in sports to keep them hydrated. For one 600ml of Gatorade, it can contain upwards of 36g of sugar (which is almost 3 tbsps. of sugar!) and this is far too much sugar for the average individual. Furthermore, these drinks contain additives like flavours, colours, food acids and sodium chloride. We prefer to get our electrolytes and fluids from natural sources or products.
To help us stay hydrated and cool this Summer, we recommend electrolytes. During the warmer months, we sweat out both fluid and electrolytes, and hence to prevent dehydration it’s important to replenish both. Koko Karma’s 100% pure coconut water and C Coconut’s organic coconut water are a natural source of electrolytes. With just coconut water and nothing else, this is as healthy as it gets! Alternatively, Revitalise offers zero-sugar electrolyte drink mixes. Their keto-friendly, vegan, caffeine-free and stevia-sweetened electrolyte powders are suitable for the entire family. And with delicious flavours like grape, lemon-lime, sour apple, and raspberry- hydration has never been so tasty!
What ingredients to say yes to when choosing soda?
Ideally, we want to see natural ingredients such as natural colours and flavours instead of artificial ingredients. It's also beneficial to choose sodas that derive their flavours from fruits or other natural sources instead of refined sugar sources or artificial sweeteners.
Another ingredient to look out for in healthy soda alternatives is gut-friendly fibre and prebiotics. Prebiotic fibre acts as a functional ingredient and supports the growth and maintenance of a healthy gut microbiome.
Why fibre and prebiotics are good for the gut?
The topic of gut health has been trending everywhere and for good reason. Our gut is closely linked to our immunity, mental health, inflammation, hormonal health and more. To keep our gut healthy, we must consume fibre and prebiotics. Fibre is the non-digestible part of plant food and can help keep us regular, lower cholesterol and stabilise our blood sugar levels. Prebiotics, a type of dietary fibre, serve as nourishment for the beneficial microorganisms (often referred to as the good bugs) in our gut.
Adults should aim for 25-30g of dietary fibre per day. Unfortunately, many Australians fail to meet this daily recommendation amount. Lesser Evil makes it convenient to meet your daily fibre intake. Their beverages contain 10 grams of prebiotic fibre, which is over a third of the daily recommended fibre intake.
Is it okay to have a soda every day?
We advise against drinking soda as there are no positives associated with soda and the potential for adverse health effects. It may also displace other health-promoting beverages like water, herbal tea, and smoothies. With soda, consuming less is always better.
What ingredients to look out for and avoid in popular sodas?
At GoodnessMe, we’re mindful to read the ingredient label and nutritional profile of all products instead of relying on what’s on the front of the food package. Sodas are often loaded with sugar, and we try to stay clear of products that are excessively high in sugar, especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup and refined sugars. Additionally, sodas contain acids that can lead to dental problems and potentially even reduce bone mineral density if consumed regularly. Other undesirable ingredients found in sodas include food acids, artificial sweeteners, flavours, and colours, all of which can negatively impact our health.
Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sodas, are easily accessible and often targeted at our most vulnerable population, including children. Soda offers no health benefits and is best avoided. As consumers, we have the power to make informed choices for ourselves and our families. Opting for healthier alternatives that are free from harmful additives and enriched with beneficial functional ingredients is the way to go. Start making healthier choices today with our selection of nutritious soda alternatives.
About the author
Judy Cho is a degree-qualified nutritionist. She has a strong passion for debunking sensationalised yet misinformed nutrition myths. Her goal is to share evidence-based information and provide healthy recipes, helping others make informed choices about their nutrition and well-being.