Thirsty? Try One of These 11 Refreshing Alternatives to Soda

Flavored waters are everywhere these days, but many contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. A healthier choice is natural flavoring: Just add slices of your favorite fruits, veggies, and herbs — try lemons, oranges, watermelon, cucumber, mint, or limes — to a pitcher of ice-cold water for a refreshing and flavorful drink. Another great option is to put chopped-up fruit in an ice cube tray, add water, and freeze. Place these colorful fruit cubes in your beverage for instant flavor and color!

A past review of green tea research revealed that it may help reduce the risk of several types of cancer, heart disease, obesity, liver disease, and type 2 diabetes. In addition to this, the USDA notes that green tea is calorie-free (if you have it without milk or sugar) and naturally high in antioxidants, according to the aforementioned review. Green tea is available in many varieties. Drink it hot or iced.

Plain, old-fashioned H2O is the healthiest substitute for soda, “but sometimes, people have a tough time making the switch directly from drinking soda to water,” Kennedy says. One way to smooth this transition: Sip on plain seltzer. You’ll get the hydration of water with the feel of carbonation from soda, Kennedy says, and, in moderation, there are no downsides in terms of health.

You may have noticed that other types of seltzers are popping up — from probiotic and prebiotic sparkling waters to adaptogenic sparkling water and even CBD water.

“In my opinion, there simply isn’t enough science to recommend the use of these products,” Kennedy says. “I wouldn’t necessarily discourage them, but the actual health benefits may not be worth the price tag of these premium sparkling waters.”

There's no need to purchase sugary sodas or pricey, so-called vitamin-enhanced waters — which also pack calories — when instead you can mix 100 percent no-sugar-added juice with seltzer. A thick, tart juice, such as pomegranate or grape, makes for a great "jeltzer" base, in addition to supplying potential health benefits. Mix 1 part juice with 3 parts seltzer to create this light and bubbly concoction.

Pomegranate juice and grape juice are sources of antioxidants that may help protect your brain and blood vessels. A small, earlier study found that pomegranate juice helped improve older adults’ mild memory problems. That said, Pom Wonderful, the maker of a popular pomegranate juice, funded one of the study author’s educational grants, which may have indirectly affected the study results. Also, this study included only 32 people and lasted four weeks long, so more research is needed.

Grape juice, meanwhile, may help protect the heart, according to a past article. Scientists don’t know the type of grape and the specific dose of grape juice that offers cardiovascular benefits, but authors of the current study noted that the perks of flavonoids — disease-fighting compounds found in plants including grapes — could be seen in just ½ to 1 cup of Concord grape juice.

Regardless of the juice you drink, you don’t want to go overboard with this beverage. After all, whole fruit trumps juice when it comes to health benefits. “It's a common misconception that juice is good for you because it's made from fruit,” notes Kennedy. While it does have nutritional benefits that soda lacks, it can also be high in added sugar and calories. According to research published in May 2020 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, that added sugar can spell trouble for your health. After collecting self-reported data from more than 106,000 women over two decades, researchers found that those who consumed fruit juices with added sugars, rather than 100 percent fruit juice, every day had a 40 percent greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Plus, fruit juice lacks the filling fiber that fruit offers, notes the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Can't give up your favorite citrus-flavored soda? Indulge in an occasional treat with a healthier version made with lemon or lime and a small amount of sweetener. Start with a glass of sparkling or seltzer water and add a few slices of lemon or lime (or both) and a dash of stevia-based sweetener, which is calorie-free and low in carbohydrates. A small, short-term study suggests drinking beverages sweetened with 1 g of stevia doesn’t increase appetite, though more rigorous research is needed.

If your drink of choice is a spirit mixed with cola, you may be better off ordering a glass of wine, specifically the red variety. “Drinking red wine has been associated with some potential health benefits, such as improved heart health and decreased risk of certain types of cancer,” Kennedy says. There is also research investigating resveratrol, an antioxidant compound in red wine, and the protective effect it may have against cancer.

“However, it’s important to keep in mind that these health benefits are associated with moderate drinking habits only,” Kennedy says. “If you do not currently drink alcohol, it’s important that you not start in an attempt to gain these potential benefits.”

Research published in the August 2018 issue of The Lancet reveals that alcohol use is a leading risk factor for death and disability globally (it was the seventh leading risk factor for death in 2016). Study authors also warn that alcohol is a leading risk factor for global disease and causes significant health loss.

If you do enjoy the occasional glass of red wine, watch your consumption. MedlinePlus recommends that women limit alcohol consumption to one drink (4 ounces of wine) per day and men to two drinks per day.

Vegetable juice offers a quick, low-calorie way to get many of the benefits of veggies, without fiber. It also contains much less natural sugar than fruit juices, according to chapter eight of Culinary Nutrition. For example, per the USDA, 1 cup of orange juice contains roughly 24 grams (g) of sugar, while 1 cup of tomato juice contains 6 g of sugar. But vegetable juice can be high in sodium — 1 cup of tomato juice has 629 milligrams (mg) of sodium, which is roughly 27 percent of your daily value — so opt for a low-sodium version whenever possible.

Better yet, make your own fresh juice easily at home with a juicer. Simply add your favorite veggies, and even a few slices of fruit if you want to sweeten your drink, to the juicer — no chopping required! If you prefer a little kick, add some black pepper and a drop of hot sauce.

One cup of nonfat milk provides 322 mg of calcium, or nearly 25 percent of your daily value, and 2.7 micrograms of vitamin D, roughly 13.5 percent of your daily value, according to the USDA. But for those who are lactose intolerant or who don't consume dairy, soy milk can be a good protein-packed, plant-based alternative, available in a variety of flavors, including almond and vanilla. While the data on soy's health benefits have been mixed, intake of soy protein may lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, as well as blood pressure, according to a past review.

Look for low-fat, unsweetened soy beverages to reduce calories. Also, pick soy milk that has been fortified with nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, especially if you're drinking it as a substitute for milk.

Other plant-based milks — such as almond, coconut, rice, or oat — are also potential dairy alternatives. But keep in mind that soy is the most nutritionally comparable substitute for dairy milk in terms of protein, Kennedy says.

A wealth of research suggests that drinking coffee in moderation can be a healthy part of your diet. “Unsweetened coffee, either black or with a small amount of nonfat or low-fat milk, or plant-based milk like almond or soy would be the healthiest option,” says Kennedy. Coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, and death from any cause, according to a review published in 2017 in BMJ.

And — as if you didn't already know — coffee's caffeine can help with mental alertness and physical performance. A study published in 2017 in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that seven men who consumed caffeine increased their time to exhaustion during a cycling test by 12 percent and reduced their perception of fatigue. The key to reaping these benefits from caffeine is not to overdo it. Too much caffeine can leave you jittery and anxious, so dietitians generally recommend that you drink no more than a couple of cups a day (depending on the way it's prepared).

“It’s generally considered safe to have up to 400 milligrams of caffeine each day,” says Kennedy. “Certain types of brewing will have different amounts of caffeine.” And some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. Pregnant women and those trying to become pregnant may want to avoid it, though research on this is mixed. Coffee consumption is also associated with an increased risk of fracture in women, so if you’re a woman with a high risk of fracture, you may want to steer clear of coffee, according to a review published in 2017 in BMJ. Yet authors say more research is needed.

Kombucha, which is fermented tea, is another great way to satisfy your craving for carbonation while slashing your added-sugar intake. Plus, kombucha offers many potential health benefits, thanks in part to the fermentation process, which produces gut-friendly bacteria known as probiotics, according to a paper in the February 2019 issue of Annals of Epidemiology. “More studies are needed on the health benefits of kombucha, but it is a good source of probiotics and could help to improve gut health,” Kennedy says. The fermentation process gives kombucha a mildly acidic flavor, not unlike apple cider, according to a past review.

“One thing to keep in mind is that a small amount of alcohol is produced by the fermentation process,” Kennedy says. You may want to avoid kombucha if you’re sensitive to the effects of alcohol or if you’re pregnant or nursing.

People who are fighting off a serious illness, going through chemotherapy, or taking immune-suppressing drugs may also want to avoid kombucha, as the probiotics can cause harmful side effects, warns the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

But if you’re good to go, you can brew your own kombucha at home, or find it in the refrigerated aisle of the natural food section at the grocery store.

Unsweetened coconut water is a natural source of vitamins and minerals, and has the added benefit of being low in sugar (only 12 g per cup), according to estimates from the USDA. Plus, coconut water contains electrolytes (minerals that help maintain fluid balance), such as potassium, magnesium, and sodium, which are often depleted during long or strenuous exercise, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The hospital adds that coconut water also contains less sodium than sports drinks. A very small study on 10 men found that coconut water was just as effective as a sports drink for rehydrating after a 90-minute run while causing less nausea and stomach upset.

But don’t confuse coconut water with coconut milk. Typically, coconut water is used to hydrate, while coconut milk is used in cooking. Coconut water comes directly from the coconut fruit itself and is roughly 94 percent water. Meanwhile, coconut milk is made by grating the meaty coconut flesh and is only 50 percent water — the rest is mainly fat and protein, according to a study.