When I was growing up, my mom rarely kept pop -- known to those of you on the east coast as soda -- in the house, so I never really developed much of a taste for it. That is, until I started my first job and my boss guzzled Diet Coke by the boatloads. But then I read about how diet soda can actually contribute to a weight problem and nipped that short-lived addiction in the bud. There's no way in hell I'd touch the full-cal alternative -- made with high fructose corn syrup either. And I'm not alone. Plenty of folks are throwing in the towel on soda, which in recent years has developed quite the rep for being either high-cal or filled with dangerous and/or artificial sweeteners.
So now, it seems, Coke and Pepsi are shaking in their boots and hoping to assuage consumers with the ultimate answer: An all-natural, zero-calorie alternative. Awesome!
But reports are boo-hooing that this development could be years off. Huh??? I don't get it. It's not rocket science. A zero-calorie, all-natural soda already exists! A brand called Zevia makes all different varieties -- orange soda, cola, cream soda, root beer, even a Dr. Pepper-style soda -- that taste awesome! They're sweetened with stevia, a South American plant that is sweeter than sugar but 100 percent naturally calorie-free.
And yet, the complaint from Coke and Pepsi is that people dislike a so-called "metallic aftertaste" they get from stevia. (Let me get this right ... They prefer aspartame or Splenda? Please!) But obviously people like the way Zevia tastes: It's now sold in 10,500 locations -- including Kroger and Whole Foods -- up from just 850 locations four years ago.
Seems to me these soda kings -- and their followers -- could stand to move in the direction of smaller companies that have already trailblazed the way with natural, calorie-free, yummy soda. Because the more chemical-free, calorie-conscious options we have, the better off we'll be!
Would you like to see Coke and Pepsi come out with an all-natural, no-cal soda?
Image via Jannes Pockele/Flickr
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Comments 12
I like just fizzy water with lime when I'm feeling funky. So do my kids. Is lime calorie free? Nope, but I still think I'll come out on top.
Michelle, you sound really angry about this. Chill man!
Zevia tastes strange if you drink too much of it, and the sugar alcohols can do a number on your intestines if you're sensitive.
It's better to avoid overly processed anything, and Michelle is right, nothing is 'natural' that has to be processed to actually use.
I remember reading about all of this four or five YEARS ago. Coke and Pepsi were supposed to be coming out with stevia sweetened sodas a long time ago. I would love to try them, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Please. Seirra mist is already all natural, it uses real cane sugar which is PROVEN to be healthier for you than the alternitives, even weight wise. No corn syrup, no artificial crap.
If people actually treated soda like they do other sugary foods like cake, ice cream, pies and cookies, then we'd be better. I think since it's liquid, it's easy to fall into the soda trap. Also, if people paid attention to serving size then they'd see that there's 2.5 servings in most bottles of soda. Hmm. For that, I can give my hubby some, give it to my kid as a treat and drink some myself. Hey, that just saved us money right there!
stevia leave a nasty taste, just like the artificial sweeteners. Rebecca has the best advice. Real soda in moderation.
Why don't they just go back to making it like they did when we were kids (or when your parents were kids), like Michelle said, with water, sugar and flavor? The colors don't have to be in there, but God forbid, we actually eat REAL sugar once in a while. And leave it up to us to decide if we should be drinking a 6-pack or more A DAY??
See, I think that's the REAL problem... people are so "thirsty", they drink soda after soda after soda, instead of drinking water, which is what their body is really looking for. I've switched to full-sugar soda (because "diet" is food-talk for "yummy windex"), and can barely get through a full one. And if I go back to the crap marketed under the names of Coke, etc? I can't drink it AT ALL. gag.