Don't Kick the Soda Habit: Choose These Healthy Options Instead
If you’re ready to drink less soda but don’t want to give up your daily dose of bubbly, try making easy sodas at home with natural ingredients. These DIY soda recipes are low on sugar, but high on flavor.
Your New Year’s resolution to kick your daily soda habit is a good one—just one can packs in nearly 50g of sugar, and artificial sweeteners in diet versions aren’t much better for you. Still, going cold turkey may not be the answer: total deprivation can make it easier to “snap” and fall off the wagon…hard.
If you’re looking for a refreshing, bubbly mid-afternoon fix that packs a bit more punch than sparking water, try making your own. These three simple soda bases have just a handful of fresh ingredients and spices that deliver bold flavor and fizzy refreshment with a fraction of the sugar in store-bought soda. They’re also free of preservatives and chemicals. If you imbibed a bit too much over the holidays, these homemade sodas are also a great alternative to alcohol. And no special equipment is required: Just mix the syrup with seltzer water and enjoy.
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
Cinnamon Spice Soda
If you like the spicy, caramel notes of a traditional soda, try making your own Cinnamon Spice Soda. The syrup gets warm, fragrant notes from cinnamon and cardamom, and a kick from whole black peppercorns. Go dark (a little extra syrup per cup of seltzer) for extra body in your bubbly.
Grapefruit Soda
Sunshine in a glass is this golden Grapefruit Soda, made with fresh lemon and pink grapefruit. If you like the tart refreshment of a lemon-lime soda, this homemade Grapefruit Soda has plenty of pucker and a balanced (not cloying) sweetness. Garnish with a wedge of pink or ruby red grapefruit that will perfume the glass as you sip.
Celery Soda
This vegetable based bubbly is a take on Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda, a staple of kosher delis since the 1870’s. This Celery Soda is herbaceous and slightly peppery with a wonderfully dry finish. Fresh lemon rind perks up each glass. Save the tender inner stalks of you celery, leaves attached, for a beautiful garnish.