Soda is the second most popular beverage in the United States, so there's a good chance you have some carbonated drinks in your refrigerator right now. However, most sugary sodas don't deserve a spot in your regular diet. If you're here, you probably already know that, which is why you're looking for a healthy soda!

With growing awareness about the negative health impacts of sugary sodas, many people are on the hunt for healthier alternatives. That's where we come in! We've put together a round-up of healthy soda alternatives recommended by dietitians. Whether you're trying to cut down on sugar, manage your weight, or make better beverage choices, these options will let you enjoy the fizz and satisfaction of soda without the sugar and calories.

Why is Soda Unhealthy?

Traditional sodas are made with high-calorie sweeteners like cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup. While these ingredients make soda taste sweet, they come with health risks that make switching to a low-sugar, healthy soda alternative a smart move.

Added sugars in foods and drinks, especially soda, can harm your health. Research shows that consuming too much added sugar is a major cause of obesity. Unlike the natural sugars found in fruits and dairy, added sugars contribute extra calories without much nutritional benefit.

Drinking sugary sodas is also linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It can make it harder to lose abdominal fat and can even negatively impact your mood.

Given how sugar impacts your health, finding healthy soda alternatives is a great idea. Swapping out sugary sodas for healthier options can support weight loss, lower your risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and even improve your nutrient intake and overall diet quality.

How We Picked the Best Healthy Sodas

When selecting our soda alternatives, we considered the following criteria:

  • Less Sugar: Drinks that have significantly less sugar than traditional sodas.
  • Carbonation: Beverages that offer the satisfying fizz of carbonation.
  • No Aspartame: Options made without aspartame, a zero-calorie sweetener used in diet sodas that has been linked to negative health outcomes.

Our picks for healthy sodas not only help reduce sugar intake but may also contribute to overall health. Some of these alternatives provide essential nutrients or beneficial ingredients, such as prebiotics and probiotics, that can support a balanced diet.

The Best Healthy Soda Alternatives You Can Buy

To help you reduce your sugar intake, we've rounded up our top 26 picks for low-sugar, healthy soda alternatives. Whether you prefer carbonation, varying levels of sweetness, different types of sweeteners, or a range of flavors, there’s something on this list for everyone. Read on to discover our favorite options!

OLIPOP VINTAGE COLA

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 35
  • Sodium: 25 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g (including 9 g fiber and 2 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 50 mg
  • Sweeteners: Stevia Leaf, Apple Juice Concentrate

If you're seeking a healthy soda with a classic cola taste, this one should be on your list! OLIPOP uses a small amount of added sugar and primarily derives its sweetness from cassava root syrup and stevia leaf extract. Each can boasts an impressive 9 grams of fiber, a rare find in sodas. The Vintage flavor includes caffeine, unlike OLIPOP's 15 other flavors such as Cherry Vanilla, Lemon Lime, Cream Soda, and Classic Grape.

Zevia Cherry Cola

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 38 mg
  • Sweeteners: Stevia Leaf Extract

Zevia Cherry Cola offers a delightful twist on traditional soda flavors without any added sugar. The sweetness in Zevia beverages comes from stevia leaf extract, a natural sugar alternative. Some Zevia drinks contain around 38 milligrams of caffeine, providing a similar taste, sweetness, and energy boost to regular soda.

Nixie Zero Sugar Soda

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 30 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 1 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 40 mg
  • Sweeteners: Organic Stevia Leaf Extract

Nixie offers one of the first certified organic zero-sugar sodas, available in Classic Cola, Ginger Ale, and Root Beer flavors. These sodas are free from artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors, providing a healthier alternative without compromising on taste.

Virgil's Zero Sugar Vanilla Cream Soda

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 7 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Sweeteners: Erythritol

Virgil's Zero Sugar Vanilla Cream Soda features double the bourbon vanilla for a rich and indulgent flavor, all without calories or sugar. Sweetened with erythritol, this soda uses a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that serves as a zero-calorie sugar alternative.

Health-Ade SunSip, Root Beer

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 35
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 8 g (including 2 g fiber and 5 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: Apple Juice, Cane Sugar, Monk Fruit Juice Concentrate

Health-Ade drinks are celebrated for their gut-boosting prebiotics and use monk fruit as a natural sugar alternative. In addition to these beverages, Health-Ade also offers Kombucha, providing another excellent alternative to traditional soda.

Humm Lemon Lime Probiotic Soda

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: Allulose

Humm Lemon Lime Probiotic Soda is a healthy alternative that supports gut health with 2 billion probiotics per can. Sweetened naturally with plant-based allulose, it offers a genuine sweet taste without any artificial flavor. This soda also provides additional benefits, being rich in vitamins C and D, along with energizing B12.

Spindrift Nojito (Lime & Mint)

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 4
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 1 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: Lime Juice (zero added sugar)

Spindrift features exciting flavors like lime + mint and pink lemonade, using small amounts of real juice to naturally flavor their drinks. With no added sugar, each can has only a few calories from the fruit juice. Additionally, Spindrift offers a line of spiked carbonated waters, also made without any added sugar.

Waterloo Orange Vanilla

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

With the tagline "water down nothing," Waterloo delivers bold flavor without any added sugar or sweeteners. They pride themselves on their meticulous attention to taste and aroma, using purified water to achieve an optimal pH balance.

Liquid Death Cherry Obituary

NUTRITION (PER 19.2-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 20
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 4 g (including 4 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: Agave Nectar

Satisfy your soda cravings with Liquid Death's flavored sparkling waters. This refreshing beverage offers a guilt-free alternative to traditional soda, with only 4 grams of sugar from agave nectar, providing a flavorful, low-sugar option.

Bubly Cherry

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 35 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

Bubly offers a variety of fruit-centric carbonated waters in flavors like lime, strawberry, and grapefruit, all without added sugar or artificial sweeteners. For those seeking a caffeine boost, Bubly Bounce provides 35 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce can. This gives you the energy of a traditional soda, minus the calories and sugar.

Topo Chico Twist of Grapefruit

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ BOTTLE):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 15 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Sweeteners: None

Topo Chico drinks contain a small amount of sodium due to the use of mineral water, which also provides a bit of calcium—a unique feature among sparkling waters. While Topo Chico offers fewer flavor options compared to other brands, many consumers love its exceptionally bubbly texture.

La Croix Coconut

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

La Croix, the original sparkling water brand, offers a variety of options with no calories, added sugars, or sugar substitutes. In addition to their extensive selection of fruit-flavored drinks, they also have options with coffee essence and cola flavoring. With one of the most diverse flavor lists, La Croix ensures there's something for everyone.

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

Hint sparkling water, available in various fruit flavors, was created to help people fall in love with drinking water. Alongside their original line of flavored still water, they offer vitamin-enhanced waters, caffeinated options, and kid-friendly boxed waters with straws. Notably, their caffeinated drinks contain 60 milligrams of caffeine, more than the amount found in soda.

Sanzo Sparking Water, Yuzu With Ginger

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

Sanzo, the first Asian-inspired sparkling water, offers big flavor with real fruit and no added sugar. Made with just four ingredients—carbonated water, yuzu juice, lemon juice, and natural ginger extract—this drink has zero calories and zero sugar. The yuzu, a citrus fruit from East Asia, provides a refreshing and zesty taste that perfectly complements the warmth of ginger.

Mayawell Strawberry Ginger

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 35
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g (including 5 g fiber and 4 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: Organic Agave Nectar

Mayawell prebiotic sodas offer a functional drink with unique and refreshing flavors, containing fiber that serves as a prebiotic. Unlike regular sodas that provide no gut health benefits, the fiber in Mayawell acts as a food source for healthy gut probiotics.

Culture Pop Soda Pink Grapefruit & Ginger

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 45
  • Sodium: 45 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 10 g (including 8 g sugar)
  • Sweeteners: Organic Juice Blend from Concentrate (zero added sugar)

Culture Pop drinks are known as "probiotic soda," delivering healthy bacteria to support gut health. Despite having no added sugar or sweeteners, these fizzy beverages are full of flavor, thanks to a blend of fruit juice, herbs, and spices.

Ruby Sparkling Hibiscus Concord Grape

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 30
  • Sodium: 30 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 7 g (including 6 g sugar)
  • Sweeteners: Organic Concord Grape Juice

Ruby Sparkling Hibiscus Concord Grape is made with just three ingredients: organic Concord grape juice, hibiscus, and water. With no non-nutritive sweeteners, this drink gets its sweet and tart flavor entirely from organic fruit juices. It's a deliciously healthy choice, packed with vitamin C from hibiscus and over 1,000 antioxidant polyphenols.

HOP WTR Classic

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

HOP WTR stands out as a unique option, being a sparkling water made with hops—the same ingredient that gives beer its flavor! These non-alcoholic brews are infused with adaptogens and nootropics, which can help your body manage stress and enhance cognitive performance, according to HOP WTR. Alongside their Original flavor, they offer a variety of fruit flavors as well.

Sparkling Ice Grape Raspberry

NUTRITION (PER 17-OZ BOTTLE):

  • Calories: 5
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: Apple Juice Concentrate, Sucralose

Sparkling Ice offers a unique sweetness compared to other healthy soda alternatives. While it contains no added sugar, it uses fruit juice and sucralose (marketed as Splenda) for sweetness. Although sucralose doesn’t have the same effects as added sugar, animal studies suggest it may have potential negative impacts on gut health.

Maison Perrier Grapefruit Sparkling Water

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

Perrier, another brand on this list made from mineral water, contains a small amount of calcium as part of its mineral content, despite having no sodium. Known for its French heritage, Perrier offers a selection of fruit-flavored sparkling waters that are zero-calorie and refreshing.

GT's Synergy Blood Orange Raw Kombucha

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ BOTTLE):

  • Calories: 50
  • Sodium: 10 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g (including 12 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: Cold-Pressed Blood Orange Juice

Kombucha drinks have surged in popularity over the last decade, thanks to their probiotic content. Synergy kombucha offers benefits like improved gut health and an immune boost, along with a light effervescence. These kombuchas contain no added sugar, deriving their natural sweetness from the fruit juice used during the fermentation process for the probiotics.

Izze Sparkling Mango

NUTRITION (PER 8.4-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 70
  • Sodium: 10 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g (including 17 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: Apple Juice Concentrate, Clarified Mango Juice Concentrate (zero added sugar)

While Izze drinks have more calories and carbs than most others on this list, their sweetness comes from fruit juice rather than added sugar. Composed of 30% sparkling water and 70% fruit juice, Izze drinks are sweeter than other sparkling waters but still provide fewer carbs than traditional sodas.

HOPLARK Tropical Hops Sparkling Water

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

HOPLARK offers another hop-flavored sparkling water with a unique flavor profile featuring notes of tropical fruit and vanilla. Unlike traditional fruit-flavored drinks, HOPLARK's distinct taste comes from the different varieties of hops used, providing a one-of-a-kind experience.

DRAM Cardamon & Black Tea

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

DRAM sparkling water stands out for its unique flavors and variety of plant-based "boosters." For instance, their CBD sparkling water also includes adaptogens. DRAM highlights that CBD-infused sparkling water may help manage daily stress for both the mind and body.

Hella Cocktail Co. Grapefruit Bitters + Soda

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 5
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 1 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

Hella drinks are celebrated for their strong carbonation and lack of added sugar or sweeteners. Featuring unique flavor notes from bitters, including cinnamon and clove, they offer a distinct taste profile compared to other drinks on this list. Despite the inclusion of aromatic bitters, these beverages contain no alcohol.

Polar Seltzer Lemon

NUTRITION (PER 12-OZ CAN):

  • Calories: 0
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g (including 0 g sugar)
  • Caffeine: 0 mg
  • Sweeteners: None

Sometimes, a crisp lemon seltzer is just what you need on a warm day. Seltzers don't contain added minerals, giving them a taste similar to natural spring water. With a wide range of flavor options, including kid-friendly varieties, Polar seltzers offer an easy way to swap out soda for a zero-sugar alternative.

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