Low Sugar Alternatives To Soda
Soda is one of the biggest sources of hidden sugars in our diet. A single can of soda contains a staggering 33g of sugar. However, if you’re used to chugging soda every day, making the transition to drinking just water can be difficult. That’s why in this post we’re going to be sharing some healthy, low sugar alternatives to soda that you can enjoy today.
1. Fruit Juice Spritzers
Fruit juice spritzers are a great place to start when quitting soda. They contain around a third of the sugar that you’ll find in a can of soda (12g of sugar per cup), taste sweet and are carbonated. While fruit juice spritzers are probably not something you want to be drinking every day if you’re cutting back on sugar, they’re still a much better choice than soda. To prepare a fruit juice spritzer simply combine half a cup of your favorite fruit juice with half a cup of soda water and enjoy.
2. Green Smoothies
If you choose the right ingredients, you can easily create green smoothies that contain less than 10g of sugar and still have a subtle sweet taste. The great thing about green smoothies is that because they’re packed full of fiber, vitamins and minerals, any sugar they contain will be released into your bloodstream slowly, so you won’t experience any of the energy surges and crashes that usually come with sugar consumption. To find low sugar green smoothie recipes, simply do a search online and experiment with the recipes that come up until you find one that you like.
3. Fruit Infused Water
Fruit infused water contains no sugar or calories, so is perfect if you’re on a sugar detox. It shares the same benefits of standard water and will keep you hydrated, brighten your skin and enhance your energy levels. However, the fruit infusion gives it a subtle and sweet flavor, so if you find standard water too bland, give fruit infused water a try.
To prepare fruit infused water, you’ll need a mason jar and a cup of 2-3 chopped fruits that you’d like to infuse into the water. Once you have the fruits ready, place them in the mason jar, fill it with water and then allow it to infuse in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
4. Fruit Tea
Like fruit infused water, fruit tea contains zero calories and sugar, and is just as healthy as standard water. However, even without any sugar, it has a surprisingly strong, sweet and satisfying flavor.
There are lots of different fruit teas you can try and each one has a very distinctive flavor and offers differing health benefits. Your local store should sell a wide range of fruit teas, so try a few different teas until you find a favorite.
5. Coffee
Coffee isn’t sweet but it’s still tasty, hydrating and contains no sugar. If you drink it instead of soda, you’ll cut out 33g of sugar per day. To ensure that your coffee contains no sugar, avoid buying it in coffee shops and drink it black or with milk.