Beyond the Fizz: What Soda is the Healthiest and What to Drink Instead

October 2, 2025 •

4 min read

A typical 12-ounce can of regular cola can contain around 40 grams of sugar, far exceeding daily recommendations from health organizations. For those seeking to reduce their sugar intake, the question arises: what soda is the healthiest? This guide explores the best alternatives to traditional sugary beverages, detailing options that offer flavor and fizz without compromising your health goals.

Quick Summary

This article explores healthier alternatives to traditional sugary soft drinks. It compares functional prebiotic sodas, naturally sweetened varieties, and sparkling water options, highlighting their nutritional benefits and differences. It also covers the potential downsides of standard diet sodas and offers practical advice for making better beverage choices.

Key Points

Prebiotic Sodas: Brands like Olipop and Poppi contain beneficial prebiotics and fiber, with significantly less sugar and calories than traditional soda.
Naturally Sweetened Options: Look for zero-calorie sodas, such as Zevia, that use plant-based stevia instead of controversial artificial sweeteners.
Flavored Sparkling Water: Simple brands like Spindrift and LaCroix offer satisfying fizz and flavor with minimal or zero calories and sugar, making them excellent hydration choices.
Avoid High Sugar and Artificials: Traditional sugary sodas provide empty calories and contribute to health risks, while diet sodas with artificial sweeteners may carry their own concerns.
DIY Beverages: Create your own healthier sparkling drinks at home using seltzer and fresh fruits or natural flavor drops for complete ingredient control.
Read Labels Carefully: Always check the ingredient list for hidden sugars, artificial sweeteners, and sodium content when choosing a soda alternative.

The Problem with Traditional Sugary Sodas

Traditional soft drinks, from classic colas to fruity varieties, are notorious for their high content of added sugars. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that sugary drinks are the largest source of added sugar in American diets. This overconsumption can lead to a host of health problems, including weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and dental decay. Beyond the sugar, traditional sodas offer little to no nutritional value, providing only "empty calories".

Many consumers turn to diet sodas to avoid sugar, but these often rely on artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose. While they reduce calories, some studies suggest diet sodas may not fully negate health risks and may even contribute to different issues, such as affecting gut bacteria. As the search for truly beneficial, or at least less harmful, bubbly beverages continues, the market for healthier soda alternatives has expanded significantly.

The Rise of Healthier Soda Alternatives

In response to growing health consciousness, several new players have emerged, offering drinks that satisfy the craving for fizz with better ingredients and added benefits. These products can be categorized into a few main types:

Functional Prebiotic and Probiotic Sodas

Brands like Olipop and Poppi have popularized the idea of a functional soda, packing their products with prebiotics or probiotics to support digestive health. Prebiotics are plant fibers that feed beneficial gut microorganisms, while probiotics are live cultures that add to them.

Olipop: A well-known brand, Olipop includes prebiotic fibers from sources like chicory root and cassava. Many flavors contain 9 grams of fiber and only 2-5 grams of added sugar, making it a low-calorie choice that contributes to gut health.
Poppi: This brand incorporates apple cider vinegar (ACV) and prebiotic fiber, offering a sweet-tart flavor with around 5 grams of sugar per can. It's a low-calorie alternative that appeals to those looking for a flavorful but lighter option.
Culture Pop: Specializing in probiotic sodas, Culture Pop contains live cultures and uses fruit juice and spices for flavor, rather than added sugars.

Naturally Sweetened, Zero-Calorie Sodas

For those who want zero sugar and zero calories without the controversy surrounding artificial sweeteners, options sweetened with natural, plant-based alternatives are available. Stevia, derived from the stevia plant, is a common choice.

Zevia: This brand is a popular zero-calorie, zero-sugar soda sweetened with stevia. It comes in a wide range of flavors, including traditional soda replicas like cola and root beer, providing a clean-tasting alternative. Some people may notice a slight aftertaste from the stevia.
Homemade Options: Creating your own healthy soda is simple with a soda maker. By using plain seltzer or carbonated water and flavoring it with pure stevia drops, fresh fruit juice, or herbal syrups, you can control all the ingredients.

Flavored Sparkling Waters

For a simpler, no-frills option, flavored sparkling water is an excellent choice. These beverages deliver the desired carbonation without any sugar, calories, or artificial sweeteners, and often use real fruit extracts or a splash of real fruit juice for flavor.

Spindrift: Known for using real squeezed fruit juice, Spindrift provides a clean, bright taste with minimal calories and sugar (5-20 calories, 0-4g sugar).
LaCroix & Bubly: These are widely available brands of unsweetened, calorie-free sparkling water, using natural essences to provide a flavor boost. They offer a good transition for those weaning off sugary drinks.

Choosing the Best Option for You

Determining the single healthiest soda depends on individual health goals. Some may prioritize cutting all sugar and calories, while others want functional gut-health benefits. Here’s a comparison to help you decide:


Feature	Traditional Soda	Diet Soda	Flavored Sparkling Water	Functional Prebiotic Soda
Calories	High (140-180+)	Zero	Zero to low (5-20)	Low (25-50)
Added Sugar	Very High (30-40g+)	Zero	Zero to low (0-4g)	Low (1-5g)
Sweetener	High-fructose corn syrup	Artificial (aspartame, sucralose)	None, or minimal real fruit juice	Stevia, monk fruit, real fruit juice
Key Ingredients	Carbonated water, flavor, corn syrup	Carbonated water, flavor, artificial sweetener	Carbonated water, natural flavor/fruit essence	Carbonated water, fiber, botanicals, juice
Health Benefits	None	Limited (zero calorie)	Hydration, fizz	Gut health support, fiber

Making the Switch and Sticking with It

Transitioning away from traditional soda requires a conscious effort, but adopting new habits can be surprisingly simple. Here are some strategies:

Start Gradually: If you regularly drink sugary soda, don't feel pressured to stop completely overnight. Start by swapping one can a day for a healthier alternative.
Explore Flavors: The modern market offers a vast array of natural and functional soda flavors. If a certain brand's flavor profile doesn't suit your taste (e.g., some find stevia's aftertaste off-putting), try another.
Read Labels: Always check the ingredient list. Look for minimal or no added sugar, and scrutinize any added sweeteners. The cleanest options often have the shortest ingredient lists.
DIY Your Fizz: A home soda maker allows for complete control. Infuse plain sparkling water with fresh fruits like berries, cucumber, or lime for a naturally refreshing drink. This is often the cheapest and most customizable method.

Conclusion

There is no single 'healthiest' soda, as the best choice depends on your specific nutritional goals. The main takeaway is to minimize or eliminate added sugar and artificial ingredients found in traditional and many diet sodas. Options like prebiotic sodas (Olipop, Poppi), naturally sweetened zero-calorie drinks (Zevia), and flavored sparkling waters (Spindrift) offer a far better alternative. By prioritizing clean, simple ingredients and being mindful of sugar content, you can continue to enjoy a bubbly beverage as part of a healthier diet.

For more information on the dangers of excessive sugar intake, consult the American Heart Association guidelines on sugar limits: American Heart Association Guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

A prebiotic soda is a carbonated beverage that contains prebiotic fiber, which is a type of dietary fiber that feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Brands like Olipop and Poppi offer these functional sodas.

Diet sodas contain fewer calories and no sugar compared to regular sodas. However, some studies suggest that artificial sweeteners may still have a negative impact on your gut health, so naturally sweetened or unsweetened alternatives are often considered a better choice.

Flavored sparkling water is a much healthier alternative to soda. It provides the same fizzy experience but with little to no sugar, calories, or artificial ingredients, especially when sweetened with real fruit juice or essences.

While functional sodas contain prebiotic fiber, experts advise against seeing them as a shortcut. It is still crucial to get the majority of your fiber intake from a balanced diet rich in whole foods.

Yes, stevia is a natural, plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener that is generally considered safe and has been approved by the FDA. Unlike some artificial sweeteners, it does not raise blood sugar levels.

Look for minimal or zero grams of added sugar, zero artificial sweeteners, and a short, simple ingredient list. Brands using real fruit juice, natural extracts, and botanicals are typically better options.

You can make your own healthy sparkling drinks by adding a splash of real fruit juice, muddled berries, cucumber slices, or a squeeze of fresh citrus to plain sparkling water or seltzer.