Which soda is the healthiest

So what are some better choices? There are plenty of other refreshing beverages, with nutritional value, that you can drink instead of soda. But swapping out soda for drinks that are low in sugar, such as unsweetened iced coffee or tea, can reduce your sugar intake while adding beneficial antioxidants to your diet, notes research. Low-fat milk, Kennedy adds, is also a better option, providing vitamins and nutrients, such as calcium , per the University of California in San Francisco.

Need some inspiration? Get started with these healthier, low-calorie thirst quenchers that are sure to still satisfy your taste buds. Flavored waters are everywhere these days, but many contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. A healthier choice is natural flavoring: Just add slices of your favorite fruits, veggies, and herbs — try lemons, oranges, watermelon , cucumber, mint, or limes — to a pitcher of ice-cold water for a refreshing and flavorful drink.

Another great option is to put chopped-up fruit in an ice cube tray, add water, and freeze. Place these colorful fruit cubes in your beverage for instant flavor and color! A review of green tea research reveals that it may help reduce the risk of several types of cancer , heart disease, obesity, liver disease , and type 2 diabetes. In addition to this, the U. Department of Agriculture USDA notes that green tea is calorie-free if you have it without milk or sugar and naturally high in antioxidants, according to a review.

Green tea is available in many varieties. Drink it hot or iced, and if you want a little sweetening, a few drops of honey will serve you well. One way to smooth this transition: Sip seltzer.

You may have noticed that CBD sparkling water is having a moment. One brand, Recess , has infused sparkling water with hemp extract, ginseng, and L-theanine an amino acid that may boost mental alertness, according to research to bring the drinker calm and focus. There's no need to purchase sugary sodas or pricey, so-called vitamin-enhanced waters — which also pack calories — when instead you can mix percent no-sugar-added juice with seltzer.

A thick, tart juice, such as pomegranate or grape , makes for a great "jeltzer" base, in addition to supplying potential health benefits. Mix one part juice with three parts seltzer to create this light and bubbly concoction. Pomegranate juice and grape juice are sources of antioxidants that may help protect your brain and blood vessels. Also, this study included only 32 people and lasted four weeks long, so more research is needed.

Grape juice, meanwhile, may help protect the heart, according to an article published in December in Nutrients. After all, whole fruit trumps juice when it comes to health benefits. While it does have nutritional benefits that soda lacks, it can also be high in sugar and calories. Plus, fruit juice lacks the filling fiber that fruit offers, notes the Harvard T. Similarly, if a person were to remove soda from their diet—and keep everything else the same—they could potentially lose between 10 and 15 pounds in a year.

But if you absolutely must have your sugary soda fix, consider this: Among the massive ranks of sodas, some are slightly less unhealthy than others. To find out which are least likely to scramble your insides, I asked Hunnes to help me rank some popular brands, from least unhealthy to most unhealthy. The dark sodas contain high levels of caffeine and caramel coloring , both of which are far from healthy. Finally, the yellow and orange sodas contain some of the most dangerous dyes, according to Hunnes.

That means healthy soda does exist; it's just been hiding this whole time in sparkling waters, seltzers, and club sodas. These can be just as tasty as the pop you love to crack open, but with far less sugar and calories. Not convinced yet? Take a look at the most popular sodas ranked by how toxic they are and you'll be switching over to one of these sugar-free soda brands in no time.

Say hello to the first stevia soda! It's a good thing the parents who founded Zevia wanted healthier sodas for their kids to drink because now we have another scale-friendly option to add to our shopping list. This was the first soda brand to use stevia, combining the leaf extract with citric acid, carbonated water, and natural flavors. Don't let the word "acid" scare you; citric acid is a safe additive that's naturally found in many fruits, and all of these ingredients add up to a yummy, sometimes caffeinated, zero-calorie soda.

So chug another one if you're parched — there are 14 flavors to choose from after all. Looking for more tips? Sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox!

Virgil's makes all-natural versions of the sodas you love. In this no-sugar-added Root Beer, the company blends 15 roots and spices to create the familiar flavor you grew up with. The only difference? There are zero artificial sweeteners. In their place, Virgil's uses a proprietary sweetener blend of 12 grams of erythritol why you see 12 grams of carbs on the label , along with stevia and monk fruit.

When they say real, they mean real. Reed's actually uses real ginger juice to flavor this ginger ale crazy, right? Forget your cherry cola, and opt for this sugar-free soda instead. Bubly is a line of zero-calorie, zero-carb, zero sugar sparkling waters that come in 13 uniquely different fruity flavors. If these cute cans don't draw you in, the nutrition label sure will.

While each of the 11 flavors varies slightly, all of them are low-cal and low-sugar with natural ingredients.