Addicted to Soda? Try out this Soda Alternatives!
Are you addicted to Soda? Starting to get cavities from too much sugar in your drinks? Are you looking for a healthier choice when it comes to your drinks? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Sugary soft drinks are fine as long as you take it in moderation. A single serving of soda can contain up to 150 calories or more. Each drink can contain at least 10 teaspoons of sugar. Drinking too much soda can lead to multiple health problems like type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypoglycemia, heart disease and stroke.
Cutting down on these sugary drinks will do wonders to your body. If you are craving for something to drink, try out these soda alternatives.
Tea
Green and black tea are known for its health benefits. They are great for the skin and can help in boosting immunity. Brewing your own tea is best, you can easily do it at home and can use different types or teas. There are fruit flavored teas, herbal teas and so much more. If you prefer your tea on the sweet side you can add a teaspoon of sugar or honey. Tea is perfect for mid afternoon snacks or before going to bed.
Avoid drinking store bought sweetened iced tea, like soda it has vast amounts of sugar in them.
Fresh Fruit Cooler
Creating your fresh fruit cooler at home is better than store bought smoothies. Store bought are often made with loads of sugars and calories. A healthy recipe to try is the Harvard School of Public Health’s recipe for fresh fruit cooler.
Ingredients (makes one serving)
- 1/2 cup of ice,
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened sparkling water
- 1/3 cup of berries or melon
Mix all the ingredients together in a blender. Blend it to a smooth texture, then garnish with fruit slices or mint leaves.
If you’re not really able to make your own always look at the nutritional label and see the sugar, calorie, fat and sodium contents of the fruit cooler.
Milk
Milk is an important part of our daily diet. You get the nutrients needed by your body from milk. It contains calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D and magnesium to name a few. Substituting coke whit milk is a 100% better choice. Opt for low-fat or skim milk than full milk. If you aren’t too keen on milk, try out Soy milk.
Low-Sodium Broth
Make sure the broth you are using has less than 200mg of sodium PER SERVING. Anything more can be harmful to the body. Low sodium chicken, miso or pork broth is a can rehydrate you without the need for that sugary fizz.
Water
Yes, water. It is a plain as water. According to the Harvard School of Public health water is still the healthiest drink. It can sometimes get boring to drink water all the time, but it can be jazzed up easily. You can infuse flavor in water by simply infusing fruit peels, sliced gingers, sliced cucumber, fruit zest and crushed fresh mint. Don’t add them all at once though. If you are looking for that fizz, try sparkling water infused with your favorite fruit juice. This option gives you the fizz without the high amounts of sugar.
