Healthy Alternatives to Soda

[Article updated on 19/09/2023]

Did you know that, according to INSEE, French consumption of sugary drinks is above 50 liters per year per person? There are even families who consume more soda than water, that’s telling you!

What is “Soda” and is it really that sweet?

A soda is a sugary drink that is generally carbonated.

It is a combination of water, carbon dioxide, sugar, sweetener and natural or artificial flavor. You can also find caffeine in some drinks like this as well as caramel and tar-derived preservatives (yes, you read that right!).

Ultimately, it is a stimulating drink that will not provide you with any nutrients.

Moreover, the composition of cola-based sodas, for example, is mainly based on acids which can be dangerous: you just need to look at certain rather specific uses. of the world’s most famous century-old cola drink, as its recommended use for cleaning your toilet, which shows just how corrosive this product is.

And, to answer the question, “is it really sweet”?

Well, we still find the equivalent of 7 cubes of sugar in a 33 cl can of Cola drink, that’s a lot!

And remember that regular and excessive consumption of soda causes a significant increase in weight and diabetes. And that’s not all ! Drinking soda promotes dehydration, kidney problems, liver problems and obesity.

And when we know that, we really want to be able to opt for other alternatives.

What are the alternatives ?

Well, I suggest the sparkling water fountain.

It is a device that allows you to carbonate your usual water in a few seconds and you can even add concentrated flavors to make “homemade” sodas. (Sodastream type), 3 times less sweet than those you buy in supermarkets.

The advantage is that you control the amount of sugar you add, you know what you are putting in your drink.

So it’s an economical, ecological solution and also good for your health!

I explain it all to you in video:

And aren’t diet sodas a healthier solution after all?

Indeed, people who want to avoid sodas and other sugary drinks often tend to turn to diet sodas which contain artificial sugars (sweeteners). But these light products, which still represent nearly a quarter of sales of sugary drinks in the world, are far from being beneficial for our health.

Supposed to be low in sugar, these sodas do not help with weight loss. And even if these drinks are calorie-free, studies suggest on the contrary that their consumption is linked to the development of overweight and obesity and increases the risk of diabetes, so I am really not in favor of them on a daily basis.

What if we don’t really like soft drinks?

In this case, I have several solutions:

• Fruit flavored water! This is a new trend that can easily be done at home.
  We choose the fruits or vegetables that we prefer and slice them thinly before pouring them into the water, for example, slices of cucumbers or lemon. It can also be sparkling water, depending on taste. You can also add a few mint leaves for more colors and aromas. And if we pour this into a beautiful glass carafe, in addition to being tasty, it will be beautiful!
• And in the same vein, I found a brand (Antesitis) which makes concentrated syrups with fruit extracts, without colorings, added sugars or sweeteners, just put a few drops in water to flavor; it’s much less sweet than a classic syrup, and it’s very good, with lots of different tastes!
• Another very healthy and easy alternative to make at home: kefir
  Let’s already remember what kefir is for those who don’t know what it is: it’s a drink fermented with kefir grains, either in milk or in sweetened water with fruit…
  It is a “super-drink”, good for our intestinal flora, the famous microbiota, and which helps boost our immune system. It is less sweet than soda and you can easily prepare it at home: if you like, in a liter of water, pour 4 tablespoons of fruit kefir grains rinsed beforehand, which can be found in organic stores or which can be given to you (there are social networks dedicated to this). You add 3 tablespoons of blond or brown sugar, a dried fig cut in two as well asa slice of lemon. Leave to ferment for 24 to 48 hours in a glass jar. Once the fruit has risen to the surface, you can filter the drink using a strainer or strainer to separate the liquid from the grains. Pour the liquid into an airtight bottle and store it in the refrigerator, it’s the famous fruit kefir! During fermentation, the kefir grains feed on the sugar and multiply. So don’t throw these grains away! Keep them to make other fruit kefirs by following the same steps.

Kefir is an interesting alternative that I present to you in video:

Another very simple and healthy solution

Coconut water. But be careful, don’t confuse it with coconut milk, it’s different! Coconut water is the water contained in the coconut, while coconut milk is obtained by pressing the pulp of the coconut and it is much more caloric. Because a glass of coconut water (150ml) is 30 calories, half of a soda, and above all with lots of minerals beneficial for your health! It is therefore 100% natural water, because harvested directly from young coconuts, it is very rich in minerals, thirst-quenching and low in sugars. And don’t worry, coconut water, still almost impossible to find in France a few years ago, is now very easily available in supermarkets.

A little last one?

​I offer you the ginger potion. It’s a slightly magical drink, which is prepared like an alcohol-free grog, from fresh ginger, honey and cinnamon; many recipes and variations exist on the Internet.

It is an invigorating and anti-infectious drink which will be a perfect drink in winter as in summer, in its hot or iced version.

And I remind you that, in all cases, WATER remains the only ESSENTIAL drink for health! And if you really don’t like it plain, the trick is to top your fruit juices with the same quantity of carbonated or still water, depending on your tastes, for a less sweet cocktail.