You can walk down the sports-drink aisle or past every vending machine, and still you have to decide which drink will fit into your diet plan. There is always the ever-ready bottle of chilled water, but you have guzzled enough water and want something different. There is an abundance of diet colas made with aspartame. But you, unfortunately, are not allowed aspartame or caffeine as part of your health regimen. So what can you drink?
Believe it or not, there really is a large selection of diet drinks out on the market that do not contain aspartame or caffeine. So put aside the twentieth bottle of water that you were going to drink and take a look at what you can have in place of plain old water. I graded these drinks on taste, value and availability. Most of these drinks have their own website so if it is not available in your area, contact the distributer. Trust me, those guys like to sell their drinks even if it is directly to the consumer.
Diet Rite Cola topped my lists as a great drink. All varieties if this soda has zero caffeine, zero sodium, zero carbohydrates and zero calorie since it is made with Splenda. Diet Rite Cola is available in several different flavors that have a great taste with no after bite so this soda doesn’t make you even think it is a diet variety. You can choose from Original Cola, Tangerine, Strawberry-Kiwi, Black Cherry and White Grape. This brand is also ready to launch their own version of Cherry Cola so keep a look out at your local market. This brand of soda makes the grade for taste and give it five stars for value. I have had good luck in finding this soda at every grocery store in my home state. The down side, don’t expect to find it in a vending machine. It seems no one has decided to market this brand to the masses as the alternative drink for the carb smart dieter. Someone should tell the makers to get a move on it since other cola makers are making it big with the no carb crowd.
Diet Hansen’s made second on this list of notable diet drinks. Diet Hansen’s Soda is also make with Splenda so it is a zero calorie drink with no caffeine, no carbohydrates and no sodium. This brand is available in a mind boggling arrange of flavors such as Grapefruit, Root Beer, Ginger Ale, Tangerine-Lime, Kiwi-Strawberry, Peach and Black Cherry. I have tasted almost every soda from this maker with the exception of Kiwi-Strawberry and Grapefruit. Each flavor was crisp and some even had a bite like the Ginger Ale that make you pucker up from the true ginger taste. You will be surprised by the Tangerine-Lime as it is reminiscent of a Cuban Mojito minus the rum. This soda is a little more costly than your average six pack but the extra price is worth it. Overall, Hansen’s rated top marks on taste and four stars for value. I seen this soda in every store I go to but sometime the selection of the diet is minimal. If you like it and the store doesn’t care your flavor be sure to bring it up to the store manager. Those guys love making us happy when we buy from them so a lto of the times they will go the extra effort of getting you the flavor you want.
My third choice is Jones Sugar Free Sodas. This no calorie concoction is made with Splenda and is available in Root Beer, Cream, Green Apple and Black Cherry. This refreshing drink taste just like the original Jones Soda but has no aftertaste, zero caffeine and has zero calories. The version I bought was available only in glass bottles and was a bit pricey per bottle but it was worth the one dollar price I paid for each bottle. I rated this brand for great taste but only give it three stars for value. I have seen this in limited quantities carried at only two stores in my area but it is a great soda when you only want to buy one and not a whole six pack.
I have recently seen Blue Sky Lite Soda which is caffeine free, has no high corn fructose, no sodium and is sweetened with Lo Han fruit extract making it not a true sugar free drink. It is a Kosher Friendly item which made it worth mentioning. But at fifty calories a can you have to outweigh if those fifty calories will truly make a dent in your diet. I haven’t ventured a taste of the four available flavors: Cherry Vanilla Creme. Creamy Root Beer, Jamaican Ginger Ale or Wild Raspberry. This soda I have seen in only one market in the diet variety and only the Root Beer. I might give it a taste in the future but at over three dollars a six pack I might wait until I can decide if I want to add the extra fifty calories to my dietary intake. I decided only to rate this soda on value and so far it hasn’t made a great impression on me for value. If you need a Kosher drink, then you might want to give this brand a try.
If you search hard enough you might find this old time favorite that is making a reappearance. Frosty Diet Cherry Limeade Soda is now made with Splenda making it a calorie free drink. I haven’t tasted the original drink since it fell from the shelves of the local store years ago but I have seen this diet version on the shelf at a local specialty store recently. The price is similar to that of Jones Soda so value is three stars. With out having tasted this soda I can’t give an opinion but it is a drink that is caffeine free and deserved to be listed. If you don’t find it in your local store be sure to go on line because there are several websites that will ship this to you at your convience.
Well, this is the Diet Queen with the latest run down on the best Diet Cola’s list . Enjoy your next drink!
