Most palatable diet sodas?

[enrevanche]

Having grown up down South, I am a fan of old-time sugar-laden sodas, including some regional favorites like Cheerwine and Sun-Drop (yes, North Carolinian here)... but very happy with Classic Coke and Pepsi, too.

In the last couple of years, as I've struggled to cope with type II diabetes and the concomitant needs to avoid sugar and carbs, lose weight and manage diet (40 lbs off so far... and it's been a struggle every step of the way) I have been a mostly-unhappy diet soda drinker. Of the widely available diet sodas, I think I hate Diet Sprite (recently relabeled Sprite Zero) the least; I don't really care for any of the mass-market diet colas.

The other day, however, I found an absolute revelation: Dr. Brown's Diet Black Cherry Soda. Man, this is some good (if expensive) stuff. Sweetened with aspartame, but you'd never know it.

I eagerly tried a few others in the Dr. Brown's diet line, but was not impressed.

I have been drinking a lot more water and plain seltzer these days, and I'm sure that's healthier for me anyway. But Dr. Brown's Diet Black Cherry Soda has given me hope.

What are some of your favorite diet sodas?

[FoodieKat]

I like Hansens' diet sodas, especially the black cherry and key lime.

[wildfire]

Oh, I have to disagree on the Diet Coke Plus. The idea of vitamins in soda kind of scares me (not to mention adds a taste that is just plain weird). My all time favorite diet soda is definitely Schwepps' Diet Ginger Ale, it tastes exactly like the original. Yum!

[CookforFun]

Hello fellow Carolinian. I was born and raised in NC. I too LOVE the Cheerwine, and Sundrop (and even the RC cola) but that stuff is so bad for you, and the diet renditions aren't pleasant.

I moved to CO about 2 years ago, and started drinking Hansen's soda. You can get them on the east coast. My current fave is the Diet Black Cherry Soda. The orange is good too.

[pickychicky1979]

I like diet coke with splenda or coke zero, diet wild chair pepsi and sprite zero

[louweezy]

DIET COKE PLUS I think is even better than diet coke because of the added vitamins. I also enjoy an ice cold Diet Sunkist Orange, & Diet A&W Root Beer.

[ekammin]

My mother always used to drink "No-Cal" club soda. I never could convince her that all club soda is free of calories.

For my part, all "diet soda" is just water and chemicals. I'd rather have mineral water, with or without fizz, or fruit juice.

[Isabella]

I'm right there with you, but sometimes people want a Coke!
Mardi Gras is just around the corner.
I am on the parade route, so I have to make sure I have plenty & a variety of drinks.

One thing I like to make for myself is Mint Iced Tea. My whole family loves it!

[vttp926]

love drinking diet aw root beer and stewarts diet root beer. i also found a polar bear diet cream soda that is really good. but when i go out i can usually only find diet mountain dew or diet pepsi. other diet drinks i like are diet sunkist and fresca peach. not a coke or dr. pepper fan at all.

[Pylon]

Coke Zero is my soda of choice. Love it.

[crt]

Oh, this is easy.

No contest for me, all of the varieties of Diet Dr. Pepper!

[lucyis]

I agree with a few of the previous posters...Pepsi One is a very good diet soda, but it's hard to find. It's made with Splenda rather than Equal. Equal does some nasty things to your body.

[sueatmo]

Interesting thread. For me it is Vernor's Diet Ginger Ale. I think when you've drunk diet sodas a very long time,as I have, you grow to prefer the diet.. And I suspect, you learn to like a specific sweetener best as well. Vernor's uses aspartame. If I decide to have a diet in a restaurant, I often ask for a lemon or lime in the (usual) diet colas they have available. We are drinking less soda, in general, though.

[im_nomad]

i'm late to this topic, but i prefer diet drinks....regular sodas are too sickly sweet for me, and leave my teeth feeling like they're wearing sweaters.....i have been known to try a root beer or the like in a place that microbrews the stuff.

ennyhow....diet dr pepper only came to my area of canada within the past couple of years and SOOOOOOOOOOO glad to see it !!! i am a fan of most varieties of diet rootbeer, however i tend to like the fountain varieties more than cans. diet 7-up is something i tell myself is an acceptable water substitute and on the topic of water, am happy to see the fizzie varieties of aquafina and such. I was a huge fan of the diet coke with lime when it came out and drank it for a loonnnnnggg time. PC has a few interesting varieties and i recently had a diet blackcurrant. We get pineapple crush and birch beer in my area too, but no diet varieties :(

i am also a fervent guzzler of all energy drinks, in moderation, particularly the sugar free variety. Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle tab. etc...love em all.

[mooseburger]

As far as diet sodas go, my mainstream choice would be Diet Dr Pepper. It doesn't have an aftertaste as I find Diet Coke to have... and its not sugary-sweet like Diet Pepsi. I agree that the Dr Browns diet soda is awesome. I like the diet cream soda, but it has to be ice ice ice cold. Not sure if your state and/or store carries this brand, but Polar makes some pretty tasty diet sodas. Again, I like the diet cream soda, but they also make a diet chocolate fudge thats delightful. :)

[aynrandgirl]

The Publix house brand of diet sodas is pretty good.

[MoxieBoy]

Any Diabetic out there try Diet Moxie? I tried it back in the 80s and swore I'd never try it again...I've only had the real stuff until I became a Type 2.

[Jeserf]

i hate diet soda - i fear all the chemicals.
when I'm in the mood for something with bubbles, I've taken to making my own drinks with seltzer and either italian syrup (they have sugar free) or fresh juice/nectar. A little of the juice goes a long way and you can make whatever flavor you want. Whole foods has tons of them. A spash of POM and a splash of OJ in seltzer is very good.

[ryaxnb]

Have you tried Coke Zero, Pepsi ONE, Diet 7up Diet DR. Pepper Diet A&W

[Jeters]

I will probably get made fun of for this, but Peach flavored Enviga is surprisingly tasty.

[GenieinTX]

I really really like Peach Enviga. It's yummy. My favorites are Cherry Coke Zero, Diet Coke Lime and Berry Fresca.

[ryssiebee]

I think i drink way too much diet dr. pepper. someone needs to help me stop!

[sls642]

The very best diet drink is Orangina light. Too bad it's not sold in the US. A pretty good substitute is Diet Polar Dry Orange. Contains a small amount of real orange juice which makes a huge difference in taste. If you are not in New England where it is distributed, you can get it from Hometown Favorites and Polar Beverages.Their diet Birch Beer is very good too. Also, I like to make vanilla egg creams with seltzer, davinci sugar free vanilla, and a little fat free or 2% milk. Great stuff. My all time favorite though is diet lemonade from chick-fill-a in gallons. They squeeze it themselves and it is a winner. Sometimes, I squeeze limes myself for diet limeade. As a long term diabetic, I can tell you that mixing sweet and low and equal is the best sweetener around. They cancel out each others aftertaste and come very close to tasting like real sugar. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. I did it by mistake one day with ice tea and have been doing the combo now for years. Can't stand either one by themselves but together, they rock. Diet Dr. Brown is ok, but not as good as diet Polar in my opinion.

[jdub1371]

I was practically weaned on diet soda. Fresca and Diet Dr. Pepper were my favorites, and back in the 70s White Rock made some good ones. And let's not forget Pepsi Light! When they switched to sweetening diet soda with aspartame, I gave them all up because I can't stand the taste of it.

I'm not much of a soda drinker now, but once in a while I'll go for a Diet Rite, a diet Hansens's grapefruit (the hardest of their diet sodas to find, oddly) or best of all, a Jones' diet root beer - almost as good as the real thing. The better supermarkets here in San Francisco carry them. They also come in some weird-looking other flavors in strange colors, but the root beer is the only one I'm interested in,

[rakh]

Day's supply of sodium, according to US RDA, is 2,400 mg:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flg-7a....

At any rate, I was overjoyed to find Pennsylvania Dutch Diet Birch Beer. Tastes like the real thing to me, although you have to have a taste for birch beer in the first place. This is around NYC and Philly. I am on an Atkins diet; both me and my spouse went from multiple "sugared" sodas per day to 1 or less diet sodas, cold turkey. Actually, we went to all water first, then brought diet sodas back in. They taste less foul if you haven't had the real thing lately.

[bnsmith001]

Diet Rite is the only diet soda with NO salt. The "Zeros" (Pepsi Zero, Coke Zero, Sprite Zero, etc ad nauseum) ring in around 35-38 or more mg of sodium each, which is about half of a days supply of sodium. Diet Rite does NOT have an after-taste, neither does it leave you thirsting for another drink like other sodas. The Dite Riet Pure Zero label says it all... 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 caffiene, 0 sodium. Only problem that I find is getting a regular supplie of Diet Rite White Grape. The local SunDrop distributors (Yeah, NC) seem to have a problem supplying the White Grape flavor. I'm currently looking for a reasonably-priced distributor of DietRite sodas to deliver WhiteGrape directly to me. I've approached DietRite to let them know that their local distributer isn't distributing.
All of you people touting how wonderful Sprite Zero, Coke Zero, Pepsi Zero is... you guys REALLY need to look at your label, and realize that as you're losing all of your weight, you're headed for high blood pressure.
Diet Rite is the only soda that I'm aware of that is approved by the American Diabetic Association. Think about that as you drink your other diet sodas loaded with sodium.

[holeinspace]

Help! Have you found a source, anywhere in the USA that will ship, for Diet Rite White Grape? It must be one of the rarest substances in the universe.

[embee]

I concur with the opinion that soft drinks sweetened with Splenda taste MUCH better than others. (Splenda can even substitute for sugar in some baking recipes - nothing else can do that.) I can also recommend the DaVinci syrups mixed with soda water. There are many, many flavours, and almost everyone is likely to enjoy at least some of them.

Don't feel that you are missing something if you can't get cyclamate. When the only choice was between cyclamate and saccharin, cyclamate tasted better. However, most diet drinks in Canada have used aspartame for many years. Whatever its flaws, aspartame tastes better than cyclamate or saccharin.

There's another sweetener that's widely used in Canada called acesulfame potassium ("Ace-K"). When it is combined with aspartame, the resulting product often seems to taste better.

Having said that, I see that the Canadian formula for Coke Blak seems to contain aspartame, Ace-K, Splenda, and sugars. The drink tasted disgusting to me (and I like Coke Classic and love coffee). What WERE they thinking?

I have seen Dr Browns Diet Black Cherry in Toronto, but found that it didn't have much taste compared to the regular version.

Incidentally, almost all of the private label soda in North America is made by a Canadian company called Cott, whose drinks often taste better than the name brands. The Presidents Choice Diet Grapefruit, Cranberry, Pomegranate, and Green Apple flavours, which I find very good, probably have equivalents under other private labels. (Note, though, that Presidents Choice Cola is actually Royal Crown.)

[docsharon]

Have you tried Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge? Iced cold, it has a fairly good chocolate flavor that hits the spot when you have a chocolate craving. With a little milk, it almost passes as an egg cream.

[embee]

Can anyone come up with a Canadian source for Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge? I used to love that stuff, but it was available here in Toronto for only a very short time and I haven't seen any in many years.

[potterybliss]

I rarely drink diet sodas (or any soda for that matter), but love Canfields Diet Chocolate Fudge. Nice cocoa flavor, very little bitter aftertaste.

[alkapal]

i used to blend alba '77 fit and frosty drink mix packet with the diet canfield's and add crushed ice and vanilla extract, whiz in blender for a delicious and chocolate-y guilt-free chocolate shake.

the vanilla mix packet made the better shake.
http://www.amazon.com/Alba-Frosty-Cho...

i'll bet i have some of those alba '77 packets somewhere in the cupboard!!!

thanks for bringing that up, potterybliss!

[NicoleFriedman]

Someone posted they never see Dr Browns in restaurants. If you are ever in NY/Long Island, any Bens Deli has all the big flavors: diet cherry, diet root beer and diet cream soda. (They also have the celery but I'm not sure if they have the diet) It goes great with their huge matzo balls!

[janbrady]

On a totally different note, I've become obsessed with flavored seltzer lately. No sugar, no calories. My recent fave is Black Cherry seltzer by Schweppes. See also Cheerful Cherry and Refreshingly Raspberry by Canada Dry. (I think these are newer flavors on the market.) I also like Mandarin Orange and Lemon Lime, which both of those brands make.

Funny that Diet Dr. Pepper has cherry in it. I never placed it (so much for my great palate) but that would explain why it is my absolute favorite diet soda. (Second to Diet Cherry Coke, which I haven't seen in years.) I hated Dr. Pepper growing up, too. Fresca's fantastic, too, and underrated in my opinion--love that grapefruit flavor.

[FAL]

Diet Manhattan Special Rule

[cheesehead in recovery]

OK- since we're talking about POP here... does anyone know if JollyGood is still in business. Its a midewestern brand - akin to Shasta. They always had goofy flavors, in large quantity, like Grape and Strawbwerry. It was sweet as solid sugar, and certainly not for diabetics...but it sure was fun!

[Pia]

The only one I drink voluntarily is 7-Up, made with Splenda.

[sandypaws3]

notmartha,
Where do you find Shasta? I used to like it, but can't find it anymore. I especially like that it's sweetened with Splenda. I also can't find Diet Canada Dry Gingerale. The only gingerale I can find in our area is Vernor's, and I didn't like that. You must be in the south, as you mention shopping at Winn Dixie. Around here, we have Kroger, Cub Foods, and Sam's Club.

[notmartha]

Nope, I'm from LA. I got them at Stater Bros. They are 10 six pack for $10 (but you don't have to buy 10 packs).

Forgot - Shasta has a diet black cherry flavor, as well as a decent ginger ale.

[kimocorb]

I used to LOVE Coca-Cola Classic, but I too can't drink the REAL sugar because of my diabetes. I didn't think that I would ever be able to drink a DIET drink (they would make me gag), but now I have gotten used to them and find non-diet pop to be too sweet. BUT....I don't drink Coke products anymore because that was my favorite and I can't get used to the diet taste.

So now I drink diet Pepsi (I used to hate Pepsi)and the best tasting diet drinks I have found are diet Canada Dry Gingerale, any of the Winn Dixie Chek-Rite diet flavors (grape is my favorite), Diet Dr Pepper Berries and Cream, Diet Peach Snapple, Crystal Light Rasberry Lemonade or Peach Tea and Nestea diet green tea.

Walmart used to carry something called "Slice One" which was a diet Slice product made with Splenda. I haven't been able to find it for about 9 months. Someone at Walmart said that it was discontinued or was a seasonal product, it's too bad because it was the best grape and orange pop I have had.

Sometimes .....I breakdown and have a REAL Coca-Cola Classic....which reminds me of the GOOD OL'DAYS.

[notmartha]

Have been drinking Diet Coke for a long time, so I can't stand the taste of regular coke, or coke zero (which tasted like regular coke). I don't like the anise flavor. Anyway I prefer the caffeine free Diet Coke. I also like lemon/lime with it, but strangely I don't like the Diet Coke that's already pre-flavored with Lime.

For non-cola we like Diet Barq root beer, and pretty much any of the Shasta diet sodas. They are actually one of the cheapest ($1 a 6 pack) and they use Splenda.

For non-soda I love the low calorie version of Arnold Palmer strawberry lemonade. Out of all the fruit flavored water Dasani has the least aftertaste. I've been weaning myself off soda so those two are really my preferred drinks.

[TampaBarb]

I only drink diet soda. I was a huge fan of diet coke until I tried coke zero. I didn't like it at first, it took a fews tries. Drink it really cold. Now, I can't drink diet coke. I do like diet cherry coke and diet black cherry vanilla coke.

[greenstate]

Polar Diet Orange the best.

[sandypaws3]

I have to agree about DaVinci syrups -- they're very good. I like vanilla or root beer with a dash of cream and club soda. Mmmmm.... Also, my favorite diet sodas are Stewarts Orange cream and root beer. I can't get them in the grocery store, though, so buy Diet 7-up regulary. It's not bad. I also love the Sprecher's diet root beer, but it's not really much better than the Stewart's and has more carbs -- about 5 I think. I eat low carb to control my Type 2 diabetes. I've been looking for a good diet ginger ale, so I'll try a case of the Hanson's. I can get Hanson's at our Kroger store, but only the fruit flavors, and I'm not fond of them.

Sandy

[Feed_me]

I've drunk the diet Sierra Mist and that's pretty good and I don't care for the diet Sprite (or the regular one for that matter). Boylan makes a good diet cream and so does A&W, but it's also hard to find. I liked the Hansen diet Ginger Ale, but the ginger flavor comes on so strong I'd choke the first sip I'd take. It's good, but for me the ginger flavor was pretty strong.

[sandypaws3]

I would probably like it, then, as I love strong gingerale. When I was a kid, I liked Canada Dry, but it seems too sweet now.

[wyf4lyf]

COKE ZERO is definitely #1. Then Fresca...then Diet Dr. Pepper.

[Feed_me]

Several fine choices mentioned above, but you might be interested in Talking Rain's Ice drinks. Sparkling fruit flavored drinks sweetened with Splenda. I can find the 24 pack half liter bottle cases (several flavors in a case) here at the Costco's in Los Angeles. Pretty good (I think). My mom likes A&W's diet cream soda, but it's hard to find. URL for the Talking Rain Ice drink. http://www.talkingrain.com/product-ic...

[soypower]

i usually don't like fruit drinks flavored w/ splenda, but the talking rain grapefruit ice drink is absolutely great. also really like the talking rain nectarine and lemon lime which only have the flavor essence and none of the artifical sweetener.

[mhcallaway]

Pepsi One and Coke Zero are so far superior to Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. They taste like the "real thing". But diet Dr. Pepper is the best of the carbonated drinks. And cherry Diet Dr. Pepper is super too.

But my favorite diet drink is Crystal Lite Peach tea. T make it a little stronger than the directions call for, and it hursts with real peach flavor. I drink it all day long when I am at home. You can now get individual packages to take with you - you just add them to iced water at a restaurant and you have a great drink. I frequently serve it to company who always remark that it is the best peach tea they have ever had!

[jbyoga]

In my opinion I've found mixing sparkling water and fruit juice to be the way to go.
Aspartame is right up there with Trans - Fats as far as being harmful to ingest (on a regular basis)

[Elisa515]

Keep in mind that the original thread was for someone with diabetes. Fruit juice, even mixed with sparkling water, is out for someone who has to keep carbohydrates at an almost non-existent level.

[sillyrabbit]

I love Black Cherry Vanilla Diet Coke.

[Bunnyfood]

Can not find the stuff in Maine- and trust me, I searched every major market, shady neighborhood store and drug store for miles....

[lynnblue]

Congrats on losing your 40! Ok - i've read in the NYT that in studies in Italy aspartame is linked to brain cancer. It's also SO sweet it can make you crave sugar. I drink flavored waters, flavored setlzers and sometimes add juices.The VITAMIN water's honey dew is yummy, and Fizzy Lizzy is great (all natural.)

[violent beauty]

diet dr pepper is really good. I personally find the original a bit too sweet, and I have a major sweet tooth. the diet version is really pretty good, since the soda is a sweet anyway, you can't really notice the chemical sweetners. I really hate diet anything, but I'll choose a diet dr pepper any day over the original. also... Diet pepsi goes great with mac and cheese. :)

[fendel]

I'm partial to Diet Rite cola (or, occasionally, tangerine). It tastes more like regular cola to me than Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke do. No caffeine, though, for better or worse...

[Leslieville]

This may be a Canadian thing, but President's Choice Diet Green Apple is excellent! It's a really lurid colour, but the taste is surprisingly natural, like biting into a slightly tart apple. I also drink a lot of Crystal Light, but I use the singles and use 1/2 of one to 500 mls. of water(2 cups I think)

[Anna B]

I was able to drink PC Diet Green Apple until pregnant with my second child; now, any chemical flavours throw me.

[KevinB]

President's Choice Diet Grapefruit is really good, too.

What I can't understand is why you can't find the diet versions of many soft drinks - diet A&W or diet Barq's are both tasty root beers, but I hardly ever find them in stores. Ditto Diet Dr. Pepper. Diet Vernor's has to wait until I visit Detroit.

I had actually conditioned my taste buds to like Diet Coke better than regular Coke (and don't talk to me about Diet Pepsi; I'll drink warm water first!), and used to go through about ten cans a day. Now it's ice cold water with lemon juice and a bit of Splenda.

Diabetes sucks!

[tamerlanenj]

I think Pepsi One is a marvel. I am absolutely addicted to it. Coke Zero is good, certainly better than diet coke, but Pepsi One tastes shockingly like...a Pepsi. It's by far the best diet soda out there. It's made with splenda instead of aspartame...not sure how much of a difference that makes.

The only problem with Pepsi One is that it can be hard to find. Coke Zero is becoming pretty ubiquitous, but Pepsi One is still struggling to catch on. The original Pepsi One was terrible...which might be hurting it.

[choctastic]

1 vote for fresca. can't believe it's diet.

[a_and_w]

Try it with a splash of OJ - even better.

[Flour Child]

Diet Vernor's ginger ale!

[a_and_w]

Diet Vernon's does indeed rock!

[bigredd]

Diet-rite cola. Actually has a cola taste with no caffeine or sodium.

[mshpook]

Caffeine Free Diet Coke (Just tastes better to me than the rest of the diet colas)

Diet Dr. Pepper Berries n cream

Stewarts Diet Black Cherry

[Covert Ops]

What's with the new Pepsi "Jazz" sodas, Strawberries n Cream and whatnot? I think they're Splenda-sweetened.

I prefer Diet Coke w/Splenda to reg DC, but my fav of the Cokes is Coke Zero.

I also vote for Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper and Diet Mountain Dew.

[Fleur]

Dr. Brown's is sweetened with Splenda. I love the Cherry, but especially crave the Celery Tonic. It is very difficult to find in diet, but worth looking for.

Stewart's Diet Root Beer is delicious.

[J T]

At this moment I'm drinking a Boylan's Diet Can Cola. It tastes really good. No cals, no sugar.

But at the bottom of the label it says "Veggie Burger". No, it doesn't taste like a veggie burger. Anyone know why it would say "veggie burger" on it's label?

Again it's very tasty and worth trying. I bought one at BevMo.

[a_and_w]

Not a specific soda, but possibly helpful nonetheless. I love to mix diet sprite with a dash of fruit juice (e.g., OJ, lemonade, grape juice). Makes a kind of natural diet soda and takes the edge off the artificial sweetener.

[torta basilica]

I love Diet Pepsi Twist (has a little lemon in it), as opposed to the Diet Coke or Pepsi with lime, which I think both are horrible - and I loves limes! However, I thought it was discontinued, as haven't been able to find it for months. Just found 2 cases at our local Ralphs in Newport Beach, CA. Was I wrong about it being discontinued?

[Notorious EMDB]

Pepsi One, if you can find it, and Diet Pepsi Vanilla. Diet Dr. Pepper, regular or cherry vanilla. Fresca. And occasionally, Waist Watchers' Diet Cream Soda.

I don't go for them colored diet sodas w/fruity flavors. Soda is supposed to be brown!

[Neta]

This question was posed on the Home Cooking thread also.

I love the Diet Rite cola with some DaVinci sugarfree cherry syrup or chocolate syrup added. I also love the DaVinci sugarfree syrups with ice cold club soda. One of my favorites is the coconut syrup. I also love the almond syrup. Another great and refreshing summer drink is fresh squeezed lemon juice, some Splenda (or sugar free sweetner of choice) and club soda. Also, try some Barq's Root Beer with a little heavy cream for a low carb desert. Deeeelish!

[Neta]

Man am I losing it or what??? The other post is on this board!

[shaebones]

Orange Dry from Polar

[bogie]

Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper and Diet C Plus Orange Soda.

[Bunnyfood]

I went to Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper after Coke 86'd their Diet Black Cherry Vanilla ( I think Cherry Zero replaced this...)...Man, do I miss that BCV coke- it was the first diet soda that I could stomach.

Proud to that I am diet soda free now- unswettened ice tea is the drink of choice now...

[JRW]

check out http://www.popsoda.com/ it's a great site with tons of interesting sodas, some diet, that you can order online.

[zorra]

Technically it's not a diet soda, but I started drinking La Croix soda water to wean myself off of Diet Coke (this was a two-step process; first I moved to Caffeine-Free Diet Coke, then later to the La Croix). If you try it, you may find that what you are really craving is the carbonation along with the thirst quenching, more than the sweetness. At least that's what was true for me. I like the lemon La Croix best, but it comes in several flavors and all are ok.

I'm trying to stay away from artificial sweeteners altogether if possible, but I've heard that the new Diet Coke with Splenda tastes better than the one with aspartame.

I read recently that some people with diabetes have observed that aspartame messes up their blood sugar levels, but Splenda does not.

[Mister Big]

I'm diabetic and diet soda w/aspertame messes me up as bad as sugar soda. Where does one find La Croix?

[zorra]

I generally find it on the same aisle as the bottled water, not on the soda aisle. It's widely available here (metro Houston) but I don't know how widely it's distributed around the country.

[rHairing]

Tab, Vernor's Diet Ginger Ale, and don't laugh...but do they still make Faygo???? The diet was quite good. I grew up with it in Ohio but can't find it where I live now.

[KevinB]

The Essex Golf Club in Windsor, Ontario has a drink out at their halfway house called a "Brown Cow". It's made with chocolate milk and Vernor's. You pour half a glass of chocolate milk, and then slowly add the Vernor's. (It will fizz up like crazy!) It is delicious.

When I found out I had type II diabetes, I made my own with 1% chocolate milk and Diet Vernor's, and found it just as tasty and refreshing. It's cheating a bit on the sugar, but if you keep topping it up from the can, you can enjoy a really different drink without messing up your diet.

[Tom M of Durham NC]

Cheerwine makes a wonderful diet soda. It's made with Splenda. If you're still in the South, seek it out.

The Stewarts diet sodas are quite good.

[Cheese Boy]

Canada Dry diet Ginger Ale is also great.

Drink it straight, or use it as a mixer. Refreshing and delicious.

Also, a good tip for diet soda drinkers: Never chill your beverages with ice. Diluting any diet soda will only intensify your disapproval.

[josquared]

Agree about the Canada Dry Ginger Ale - pretty good for a diet soda. The Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry also falls in that category.

Speaking of diet drinks, it's not a soda by any means, but the Crystal Lite-flavored Slurpees at 7-11 are pretty darn good.

[violet]

my favourites are diet sundrop, diet hansens (the tangerine lime and the plum flavours), diet northern neck ginger ale, diet stewards root beer, fresca, diet pepsi (or coke) with lime, diet faygo rock and rye....

[Will Owen]

Interesting that your choice should be a black cherry soda: the ONLY artificially sweetend soda I've ever been able to tolerate has been Diet Dr. Pepper, also a black cherry flavor. I know everyone's taste buds are not configured exactly the same, but to mine the good flavors of black cherry and the vile chemical strains of the artificial sweetener almost exactly cancel each other out.

[Fleur]

The best tasting diet sodas are made with SPLENDA, not aspartame. There is a real difference in taste.

I also buy the different sugar free syrups (made with SPLENDA) from DA VINCI and add to club soda. The cherry with a squeeze of fresh lime makes a great lime rickey. The watermelon is surprisingly delicious.

[LisaAZ]

We buy Coke Zero and Fresca Original. Where do you find the sugar free syrups?

[Dave Feldman]

http://www.davincigourmet.com/page.ph...

[Fleur]

DA VINCI sugar free syrups come in an enormous variety of flavors.

Available at http://www.davincigourmet.com/ they have many uses. I use them to make sugar free latte, shakes, and other milk based drinks, and to make fruit ices and summer drinks like lemonade and sodas.

They are very reasonable priced, and come in big bottles with a push pump.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

There's quite a few sugar free syrups available from Torani. If you have Smart & Final near you, they have a wide variety for $3.99 each. There is also Cost Plus World Market nationwide, they have a pretty good variety too.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I'm not a big soda drinker, but my SO is, and he hates that so many companies are switching their recipes to use Splenda, because he can't stand it (neither can I). We're apparently in the minority that finds it vile, with a horrid, lingering aftertaste.

That said, I think some of the best diet sodas are diet Lime Coke, Fresca, Barq's root beer, and diet Berries and Cream Dr. Pepper (I'm not a big fan of original Dr. Pepper, but it definitely is a good diet version if you are).

[Suzy Q]

Caitlin, you are not alone! I too think that Splenda tastes like nothing but chemicals with a horrible lingering aftertaste. I avoid it like the plague.

Back on topic - I think that diet Dr. Pepper is, hands down, the best diet soda out there. It's almost indistinguishable from the full-calorie version. Like others here, I'm also a Fresca fan, but only in the summer and only over ice. We all have our quirks, don't we? :-)

[norjah]

A minority, but certainly not alone! I, too, find splenda vile and concur on the horrid, lingering aftertaste. I accidentially bought the diet coke with splenda once and threw it out.

[Emme]

I have recently become addicted to Diet Sunkist Orange... if you like Orange, it tastes like childhood to me.

Also, oddly enough, don't know if there's a Walmart near you, but during college, I discovered their in house brand of soda flavored Diet Grapefruit, and man was I addicted to it. I wish there was a Walmart near me now!

[EllenMM]

Boylan's diet creme and Waist-watchers cherry (maybe black-cherry?).
I was a die-hard, non-diet soda drinker and switched to diet drinks to lose weight - I quite like the above two, as well as diet Pepsi and Dr. Brown's cream soda.

[Dave Feldman]

I switched to diet sodas when Coke stopped using cane sugar. Although none evoke the passion of Coke when before the changeover, I drink a lot of Caffeine-Free Diet Coke. But if I can help it, I never drink it without a healthy infusion of fresh lemon or lime. Although Zero might be as good if not better "plain," I find the citrus goes better with Diet Coke. The lemon and/or lime combo also go well with diet root beers, too, especially Barq's.

I like Dr. Brown's diet black cherry, too. I taste the chemicals, but some chemicals taste better than others! I know you can't drink the regular version now, enrenvanche, but it is significantly better.

Best of luck with the diabetes and congrats on the weight loss.

[sbp]

Strangely enough, Diet Canada Dry Tonic Water (with a squeeze of lime) is delicious. I also like Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi.

[Susan627]

I have never found a diet "soda" I like. I can drink Cyrstal Light Lemonade, and since I love fizz, I mix it with a big jug of seltzer water to make "diet lemonade". Recently my nephew who also hates diet drinks, had a Diet Pepsi with Lime. He said it was the only diet drink he liked so I tried it and am now drinking one a day when I get that urge for something sweet or need a caffeine fix. I think everyone's taste buds react differntly to the artificial sweetners so you have to keep trying different things. My husband loves the Diet Rite tangerine, raspberry and white grape. I can't stand them.

[revsharkie]

Same here. On those occasions when I've had to be off regular soda (and I don't exactly drink a lot of it), I'll drink plain water before I'll drink diet anything.

But those Crystal Light packets that you mix with a bottle of water aren't all that bad. Better still are the Lipton ones--Mandarin & Mango Green Tea is the best.

[Bob Brooks]

The hands-down winner as king of diet sodas is Shasta Diet Grapefruit. Very refreshing, great flavor and, no aftertaste. Try it, you'll like it!

[Michelle]

I like Diet Coke, but lately have been preferring Coke zero. It's a little sweeter, I think.

Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi

Diet Dr. Pepper (tastes the most like the regular version, of any diet soda, in my opinion)

Diet Sierra Mist

If you can find diet Kane cola in your area, it is really good too.

I'll drink other diet stuff, but these have the best taste, to me.

[enrevanche]

Wow, what an embarrassment of riches.

Thanks, all.

[Candy]

I have always been a Fresca fan and it is just grapefruit flavored so I can have it where I am supposed to avoid grapefruit in general. Recently I have become a major fan of La Croix lemon sparkng water. There is no sugar and the bubbles are tine and fine, notbig and coarse as in club soda or tonic water. I do use Schweppes Diet Tonic too. That with a squeeze of lime is almost refreshing as the La Croix lemon. The LC needs to be icy cold. i don't enjoy it as much over ice.

[coll]

I was so hopeful with Diet Dr Brown Black Cherry, my husband lives on the regular one. But every time I drink it, I get terrible stomach pains.Fresca is no problem though.
Now here's the weird thing, I accidently bought Diet Stewarts Orange and Cream, and was going to take it back, but husband started drinking it. I dont think he noticed, even though he has super taste buds. So it must be decent.

[alkapal]

i get stomach pains with mountain dew. so now it is mountain don't!

[LindaG]

I have to echo the fan of Hansen's Natural Diet Sodas. I finished 4 months of a very rigorous Chemotherapy protocol and keeping well-hydrated was terribly important. Water became terribly boring. I was warned that the chemo could wreck my teeth. And I liked the fact that Hansen's is sweetened with Splenda.

While I didn't care for the Root Beer, either, I really did like all of the other flavors that were available in my local Trader Joe's (a very good price, too.) And let me tell you, I was probably setting records for being the largest consumer.

Those with citrus were the best, although to start with, the ginger ale wone big points.

[Isabella]

Thanks for mentioning sweetened with Splenda.
I am super sensitive to Nutrasweet, it gives me headaches.

I'd be very interested in knowing of any other soft drinks that are sweetened with Splenda.

[Pylon]

You can get diet coke with splenda, but I think it tastes odd. It has the blue and yellow accents on the silver can, if you are looking for it.

Have you tried coke zero? It's not nutrasweet...not sure what it is, but not that.

[Suzy Q]

There's also Diet Coke Plus, which is the version with added vitamins, etc. I was pretty excited about that one until I realized it has Splenda, which I don't care for at all. If you're a Splenda fan, though, you might want to try it.

[Isabella]

Duly noted and thanks for the info on Diet Coke Plus!
I'll give it a go!

[Pylon]

For some reason, soda with Splenda never tastes right to me. I avoid it.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

I've just about stopped having soda entirely. What I do enjoy is the Fruit Water from Glaceau. There is a bit of sugar in there, but nowhere near as much as a can of soda. I usually go for the peach or raspberry flavor.

[applehome]

If you get Polar sodas in NY, my favorites diets are the Tom Collins mixer and the Orange Dry - but my tastes have always run to the more dry and acidic (citric) than super sweet. Also, I don't know if you caught my messing around with seltzer and syrups, but there were definitely some good diet choices in the sodaclub.com and other syrup sources - including some very sweet options. Here's a pointer:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[scenicrec]

Fresca, Tab (if you can find it) Diet Dr. Pepper

[ipsedixit]

Diet Mountain Dew!

All the caffeine and none of the sugar ...

[revsharkie]

I was with someone once who bought some diet, caffeine-free Moutain Dew. My first thought was, "What's the point?"

[macca]

MSugar free maple syrup is not just for pancakes!! You can also use it as a base for making a marinade for meats. Soy, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and a bit of sugar free maple syrup make a nice teriyaki style marinade for london broil.

[beteez]

Coke zero is almost as good as classic & original fresca not the peach or cherry. I hate other diet drinks, but like these.

[foodiegrl]

Boylan's diet cola is fantastic, but difficult to find.
My regular diet drink of choice is Diet Dr. Pepper. The cherry/almond flaovring masks the aftertaste pretty well.

In fact, when faced with only Diet Pepsi or Coke at a fountain place, I have found that a diet cola that is topped with about 2 oz. of regular Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb is far superior in taste to Diet Coke alone.

[Pat Hammond]

I just came from the store, and saw Boylan's and remembered that I really like it. It's easily found here in Westchester County, NY. Try that one too, Enrevanche.

[Oh Robin]

Boylan's diet black cherry is so good. Available at Trader Joe's.

[cookie monster]

i like the hansen's natural diet sodas in tangerine lime, ginger ale, and root beer. the kiwi strawberry and black cherry are a little too sweet for me.

[Cheese Boy]

OMG, no. TJ's has Hansen's and I have to disagree. I tried their Diet Root Beer and found it to have a very unappealing aftertaste, actually bordering on horrible. Do yourself a favor and try Barq's (the best), or Stewart's (second best), for good tasting diet Root Beer. You'll thank me for it.

[The Ranger]

Ditto this. The ginger ale and tangerine lime are great.
http://www.hansens.com/products/produ...

[Orchid64]

I guess different folks have very different tastes. My husband bought a case of the Hansen's tangerine lime (because we are overseas and can only buy these sorts of things by the case) and it's taken more than a year to make a dent in it. I think it has a strong chemical taste to it and would love nothing more than to empty it all into the sink and get rid of it but my husband keeps claiming he'll eventually drink it. The same goes for the ginger ale, though the main problem is the intense fake ginger flavor. It's just too much. I can only drink it mixed with something else.

Personally, I think Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke are pretty good, though I think the formula for Diet Coke is different in Japan than elsewhere.

[Janet]

I can't stand the diet colas of any brand. But diet 7UP is pretty good. I still miss the cola flavor.

[Cheese Boy]

If you can find it, Barq's diet Root Beer is very good. It doesn't taste like diet soda very much at all. They're known for their cream soda as well. Both are very good. I'm not sure if they have a diet cream soda any more.

http://www.barqs.com/product.jsp

Also...
Any Diet Dr.Pepper soda is great.
http://www.sodafinder.com/soda_diet.h...

[ClairfiedButter]

About 10 years ago, I faced exactly the same problem. I was diagnosed with Type II diabetis, but just couldn't bring myself to give up my Coke Classic. I tried every diet soda on the market, and some other sugarless drink mixes as well, so I have a good idea of what most of them are like.
You don't say whether you are still in the south, but if you are, you have access to my personal favorite - diet sundrop. This is now my drink of choice. But if I can't get it, here are the other things I drink: cystal light peach tea, (this stuff is really, really good, but if you drink as much as I usually do, it has an ingredient in it that will give you the trots), diet dr. pepper, sam's choice (walmart brand) diet lemon lime.
A couple of tips - Most diet cola drinks are truly awful. In my opinion, the fruit flavored sugar free drinks are easier to manage. Maple syrup with no sugar added is delish on pancakes or waffles, you can't tell the difference. A couple of packets of Equal sprinkled on cereal with fresh fruit is even better than sugar.
Good luck with managing your glucose level.

[macca]

Tab- but only if right from the can, and only if really, really cold. Have loved it since the 70's. Hard to find, so I rarely have it.

[MplsM ary]

Yay, Tab! That is my #1 choice and oddly enough it seems to be growing in popularity here in MN. If I go to Byerly's (local chain grocer) on a Friday after 3 PM rarely is any to be found on the shelves and sometimes the store, which is fairly large, has been cleaned out. Then I have to go looking in convenience stores. I will not be denied!

Fresca is also good. I used to like Diet Squirt but years ago the formula changed and somehow now it makes me thirsty.

[macca]

SOmetimes my local grocery store has it. If so, I stock up. I have a friend who picks it up for me whenever shd finds it!

[DaveS]

Diet Doctor Browns Cream Soda is a good choice. I also don't mind diet Sprite that much. The new Coke Zero is definitely better than regular Diet Coke. I've recently taken to Fresca on occasion and most diet ginger ales that I've had aren't too bad.

[WI LouLou]

I agree that the new Coke Zero is better than Diet Coke. Another benefit is that if you are picking up a cold, twist off bottle in a convience store/gas station, the Zero is cheaper as a marketing incentive. You can usually save about $.40 per item.

[ozhead]

Coke Zero is not only better than Diet Coke, it is better than Coca-Cola itself. Well, maybe not better, but the same taste and mouth feel -- and so better, because no calories.

[adventuresinbaking]

Just don't drink the Vanila Coke Zero. It tasted like something went wrong in my mouth. Now Saranac Diet Rootbeer thats good stuff.

[Pylon]

Really? I think it's the best of the Zero flavors.

[jlawrence01]

I can relate to your problem. I went from 48 cans of Coke Classic per week to nothing cold turkey.

Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet A&W, and Fresca are the best. (Unfortunately cyclamates are not available in the US as they are in Canada.)

Personally, I prefer a good club soda with lemon, lime, or orange squeezed in.

[hokie2009]

Diet Dr. Pepper is the best imitation of a non-diet soda. Especially the fountain version. Widely available in the south.

I also like Cherry Fresca for a change of pace. Also, Diet A&W Rootbeer.

[ozhead]

Strong second on the Diet A&W ... good stuff!

[drgnflychic]

Amen to A&W... I can hardly find it though.

I will drink a Diet DP if I have to have a pop, or a Sierra Mist free, it's not bad.

[hbgrrl]

I really, really like Fresca.
It doesn't have that nasty aftertaste, and I find it hits the spot for something fizzy, but not too sweet.

It's easily found in supermarkets too. One less thing to hunt down.

[magfitz]

Fresca is my diet soda of choice as well. That may just be because I remember my grandmother always had it around when I was growing up.

[Scott]

I always hated Fresca till I tried Mexican Fresca. Really good stuff. Unfortunately (for dieters), it's made with sugar.

Scott

[WI LouLou]

I like the new varieties of Fresca available. In fact a can of Fresca-Sparkling Peach Citrus is sitting here next to the computer. Also there's a berry variety I believe. Good stuff.

[ktmoomau]

Peach Fresca is also my favorite. The BF who grew up drinking lots of coke says Black Cherry Coke Zero tastes the most like the real thing though.

[David Kahn]

Also, and fwiw, there is some question, apparently, about whether it is okay to drink Fresca (or any grapefruit flavored soda) if one is taking a statin based cholesterol medication. (Apparently, grapefruit and statins use the same chemical pathway in the liver, which can cause problems.)

[CindyJ]

Fresca is also my diet drink of choice. I also like it mixed with lite cranberry juice. I've dubbed that drink "cranfresca."

[TampaBarb]

My husband loves Fresca. Beware, it's made with grapefruit which can cause problems for those on heart medications.

[Sourise]

I also enjoy the cranfresca with light cranberry juice! How funny!

It's also nice with a shot or two of bacardi and a dash of grenadine (add the grenadine if you put in too much bacardi...).

[Deenso]

Until fairly recently, I wouldn't drink diet sodas because I felt they were too sweet and had a nasty aftertaste. However, I've found a couple that I actually seek out when shopping: Dr. Brown's Diet Cream Soda and Diet Root Beer and both Seagram's and Schweppes' Diet Ginger Ale. I've never found them in any restaurant, so must continue to order sparkling water or unsweetened iced tea when dining out.

[ClaireLiz]

Orange n cream sounds wonderful. I really love diet Dr. Pepper Berries and Cream.

[Pat Hammond]

Dr. Pepper Berries and Cream? Man, I've missed that one. I've been a Dr. Pepper fan forever. There was a time when it was only available in the southern states. On road trips from New England to Florida, I'd watch for Dr. Pepper signs to start appearing. I still buy the "classic", but will sure look for Berries and Cream! Thanks.

[ClaireLiz]

Hope you can find it, it really is amazing. I live in Philly area and think we were one of the first areas to get it, they really promoted it. Hopefully you can get your hands on some.

[enrevanche]

I have not tried Stewarts, Pat... but I will. Thanks!

[Pat Hammond]

Hi. Congrats on those 40 pounds! I wonder if you've tried Stewart's soft drinks. I'll attach a link for you. It looks like they have two diet choices at this point, root beer, and orange 'n cream. I think the brand is available pretty much everywhere.

http://www.drinkstewarts.com/flavors....

All the best, Pat

[sandypaws3]

I love Stewarts' diet sodas! My favorite is the Orange Cream soda, but the Root Beer isn't bad either :-)

Sandy