I’m addicted to Diet Coke. I don’t drink gallons a day or anything like that (spoken like a true addict…), but I do drink a 20 oz. bottle almost every day with my lunch. That probably doesn’t sound like a lot, but I can tell when I’ve been drinking it too many days in a row because my joints will start aching from the Aspartame sweetener. My partner Jeanne has the same issue with Aspartame and Splenda as well. We are also big tea drinkers in our house; a few years ago we switched from using Splenda to Stevia. Unlike Aspartame, Splenda, Sweetnlow and similar sweeteners, Stevia is natural. A plant native to South America, the extract from the Stevia leaf is 300 times sweeter than sugar, but has 0 calories and does not effect blood sugar. This natural sweetener has been used in Japan for decades, but is just now catching on here in the US. You’ve probably seen commercials for Truvia and may have also seen Stevia Raw for sale in your grocery store. While the liquid and power forms of Stevia can be found pretty easily, we haven’t seen many pre-packaged food products sweetened with this sweetener… till now. I have been taste testing Zevia, an all natural Stevia sweetened soft drink for a couple weeks now. Can Zevia help me kick my Diet Coke problem for good? Let’s see.
Zevia is available in 12 flavors and is packaged in 12 oz. aluminum cans. 9 of the flavors are caffeine free, but for those of you like that like your caffeine, three of the flavors (Zevia Cola, Dr. Zevia and Mountain Zevia) contain caffeine naturally derived from coffee. Here’s a break down of the amount (mg) of caffeine in each of these flavors.
Cola – 45mg / 12oz can
Dr. Zevia – 42mg / 12oz can
Mountain Zevia – 55mg / 12oz can
Jeanne and I have been taste testing these drinks for the past 12 days. One flavor each day. Our comments on these flavors are going to be pretty subjective because everyone has flavors that they like and dislike. Just because we really enjoy one flavor, but turn up our noses at another, doesn’t mean that everyone else will have the same opinion. That said, here are our results:
Grapefruit Citrus – This is the first flavor that we tried. It’s an awesome flavor and very refreshing! Reminded me a little bit of Sierra Mist or Sprite, only a lot better. I didn’t expect to like this as I don’t drink grapefruit juice or even like to eat grapefruit. But it’s one of my favorite Zevia flavors. Big thumbs up from Jeanne too.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), GRAPEFRUIT OIL, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, ORANGE OIL, LEMON OIL, LIME OIL
Grape – Great flavor! We both enjoyed it. We would definitely drink it again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), NATURAL FLAVORS, WHITE GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE
Caffeine Free Cola – This one tasted flat with a sort of fruity background flavor. Neither of us liked it and we wouldn’t drink it again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CARAMEL COLOR, TARTARIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), FUMARIC ACID, LIME OIL, LEMON OIL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CASSIA OIL, NUTMEG OIL
Cola – Not a lot different than Zevia’s caffeine free Cola. Bummer. Neither of us liked it and we wouldn’t drink it again. It’s flat and doesn’t have enough bite. I was really hoping this particular flavor would be a Diet Coke kill for me, but no luck.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CARAMEL COLOR, TARTARIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), FUMARIC ACID, CAFFEINE, NATURAL FLAVORS, NUTMEG OIL
Cream Soda – This one tastes less sweet than most cream sodas I’ve tried before. I liked it and would drink it again, but Jeanne didn’t particularly like it.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), CITRIC ACID, CARAMEL COLOR
Black Cherry – Tastes like Cherry 7up. Both of us liked it and would definitely drink it again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), NATURAL FLAVORS, CHERRY ESSENCE, CASSIA OIL, CLOVE LEAF OIL
Orange – This is the first one that we both grimaced after the first swallow. It has a strange, almost chemical after taste that neither of us liked. It’s another won’t drink again flavor.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT).
Ginger Ale – Jeanne liked it better than I did. She said she’d drink it again. It wouldn’t be a flavor I’d choose. But then I’ve never been a big fan of any brand of Ginger Ale.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), CARAMEL COLOR, LEMON OIL, LIME OIL, GINGER EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVORS
Mountain Zevia – Neither of us cared for this flavor. It’s down there with Orange for both of us. Neither of us are fans of Mountain Dew though… It has a slight after taste that isn’t enjoyable.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), CAFFEINE, BETA CAROTENE
Lemon Lime Mist – Yay, another winner. This one is a great alternative to Sprite. We both loved it and would drink it again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT)
Dr. Zevia – Not overly sweet like real Dr. Pepper. Good flavor, but I wish it had just a little more bite to it. Even so, we would drink this flavor again.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CARAMEL COLOR, TARTARIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), FUMARIC ACID, CAFFEINE, NATURAL FLAVORS, NUTMEG OIL
Rootbeer – Another winning flavor. It’s not creamy like diet A&W (one of my faves). But it’s a good alternative since it doesn’t contain Aspartame. We both give it thumbs up.
Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, CARAMEL COLOR, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT), CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS, WINTERGREEN OIL, ANISE OIL, LEMON OIL, ORANGE OIL, GINGER EXTRACT
If you paid attention to the ingredient lists, you might wonder what Erythritol is as it doesn’t sound very natural. Here’s the info from Zevia’s site.
Erythritol is one of those ingredients that we love but shouldn’t judge by its overly scientific sounding name. Erythritol is a natural component of fruits and vegetables. It is called a sugar alcohol, even though it is neither sugar nor alcohol. It is removed from fruits and vegetables through a natural fermentation process, much like that of yogurt. It has absolutely no calories and no effect on blood sugar. Super safe? You betcha! In fact, unlike its sugar alcohol cousins, Xylitol and Sorbitol, Erythritol is not known to cause digestive issues.
So in the end we both loved 6 of the flavors, liked 2-3 of the others and really disliked 4 of them. Does that mean that Diet Coke is history for The Gadgeteer household? I wish I could say yes, but I’m afraid not. It’s not due to flavor. I know I could happily ditch Diet Coke in exchange for the 6 Zevia flavors I really like. The reason why I won’t be switching comes down to price. Zevia is just too damned expensive.
A 24pk of any Zevia flavor is going to set you back a whopping $23-$28! I found that pricing online through Amazon as Zevia is tough to find locally where I live. I was able to find 3 flavors at my local Kroger which you see in the image above. They were selling it for $4.99 for a 6pk. Ouch. Compare that to Diet Coke which is on sale this week at Target for $2.99 for a 12pk. So you can buy 2 12pks for $6. That’s considerably cheaper than $28. I don’t understand why Zevia is so expensive. Unfortunately I don’t have a bank account like Oprah, so my quest to find a healthier alternative to Diet Coke continues. It’s a shame because I really like Zevia.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Here in the Netherlands, the “original” Coca Cola Light has a price tag of around EUR 0.75 ($ 0,93) for a can of 330 ml (which I suspect is about 12 oz.), so even the normal diet Coke is quite expensive. My wife really likes this stuff, but the aspartame has negative effects on her health, like headaches and digestive problems. So she switched back to normal sugar flavoured coke.
When you only drink one or two glasses per day, and otherwise have a normal diet and some exercise, you’re better off with sugar than with aspartame. Let’s not forget that aspartame was originally developed as an antiulcer drug…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame#Discovery_and_approval
@Valcon I switched to diet drinks back in 2004 when I found out I was diabetic. I don’t use drugs to manage it, only diet. So it’s important to me to cut out as much refined sugar as possible. I’m currently investigating another alternative to soft drinks. I’ve ordered some flavored Stevia drops. Steviasmart offers a nice variety of flavors. I’m going to experiment with adding the drops to club soda or seltzer water.
Type in “erythritol” into Wikipedia for a suprisingly accurate detailed description.
@Eric You’re right… Not sure how it compares to Aspartame or Splenda as far as how bad it might be for us. But Erythritol appears to be something I will want to avoid.
Erythritol is a low intensity sweetener with a sweetness on par with regular table sugar. Aspartame and splenda are high intensity sweeteners. Erythritol is a natural sweetener that does not affect your blood sugar. So it is safe for diabetics, my mom uses it in place of sugar. Even though it is made by a fermentation process on an industrial scale for sales, it is still a naturally occuring sweetener that you have been consuming all you life in small quantities. Aspertame and splenda are created compounds. Truvia, that you had mentioned is a mix of erythritol and stevia and is sold in tabletop packets for use in drinks or whatever. Regardless of which sweetener you use hopefully you can find something to help you avoid aspertame.
@Eric I know aspertame is bad but I drink Diet Cokes anyway because I love the bite… and they are easily purchased in vending machines here at work. I’m still hoping to find a better alternative with Stevia. I’m going to experiment this weekend with flavored Stevia drops and carbonated water.
I’m a diet Coke addict too, Julie. For the same reasons – diabetes. I switched to the Sodastream, bought a box of diet Coke syrup from the local Sam’s Club and have been making my own instead of buying it.
Maybe using the Sodastream is helping me kick the habit – I’ve cut back drastically, probably because I don’t have a fridge full of cans. I drink 2 16oz bottles now, with an occasional additional can if it’s a bad day. That compares to (easily) 6-8 cans a day before.
But I feel your pain…I’m not ready to walk away from my Diet Coke completely.
@Pam T. I reviewed the Sodastream but didn’t stick with it. The convenience of buying 24oz bottles of Diet Coke (I avoid canned soda due to BPA concerns) when it’s on sale is easier than dorking around with the carbonation canisters, syrup, etc. I guess I’m just a lazy person when it comes right down to it
I had to chuckle at your “I’m not ready to walk away from my Diet Coke completely.” comment. I think we both need an intervention
@Julie good luck with the stevia drops, let us know how they are if you could. I prefer diet Pepsi myself due to the bite that you described. Due to personal reasons I’ve not had a regular sitar pop for about 12 years now.
Sitar? Sugar? Me neither since 2004. It’s funny, I was a regular Coke drinker before finding out that I was a diabetic. I used to loathe diet drinks. I thought Diet Coke tasted horrible. Now I love it. Go figure…
Sure, I will post the results of my home made Stevia soft drink experiment in a few days.
Anyone interested in hearing about a yummy alternative to hot chocolate that I stumbled upon?
Oops! Yes I did mean sugar. You bet to the hot chocolate alternative.
If you enjoy hot chocolate and want an almost calorie free alternative, you need to try Yogi Mayan Cocoa Spice tea. I bought some from iHerb: http://www.iherb.com/Yogi-Tea-Mayan-Cocoa-Spice-16-Tea-Bags-1-27-oz-36-g/5505?at=0
I bought it on a whim and love love love it. I didn’t know there was such a think as chocolate tea… But it tastes great. I added a splash of goat’s milk and some stevia syrup to sweeten it. It’s really good. I can’t wait to get home this afternoon to fix another cup
I work SweetLeaf stevia, so I can get the products easlily, and I enjoy using about 8 drops of SweetLeaf root beer flavored liquid stevia in carbonated water. I think it tastes similar to root beer but without calories, carbs, and glycemic index.
My entire family is diabetics, excluding me. I am now, well out of school, but 1. In school we learned about supply and demand. Originally Coke was in demand and therefore it is cheaper. Once things like Zevia becomes more and more popular the price WILL go down. 2. I am highly against aspartame because of personal reasons. My mother drank it daily too and now suffers from nerve damage, some brain damage, headaches, etc, all of which can be traced back to Aspartame. 3. Long time use of Aspartame (besides those of physical ailments) can cause person to gain more weight and therefore will not be able to stabilize his/her diabetes.
I know it is easier said than done because I have been extremely overweight, been addicted to sodas, and watched others around me fall apart with other issues, but I would implore people to stay away from Aspartame, Sucralose, and other artificial sweeteners.