Foo - What Can I Drink Besides Soda?

Looking for FOO creativity here.

I used to drink two cans of Pepsi a day. I quit cold turkey a few weeks ago. I don't feel better or worse. In fact, I don't feel different at all. All I have been drinking since quitting Pepsi is water. I used to drink lots of water before I quit pop, so the water habit is nothing new, either.

But, water is boring.

What can I replace my Pepsi habit with? My goal is to replace Pepsi with something healthier, otherwise what would be the point, right? I tried Hi-C lemonade, but the sugar shock I got from it sent me through the roof, and it's probably less healthy than Pepsi, anyway.

Here are some things that can NOT replace Pepsi:
--Other sodas. I don't want soda at all.
--Nothing alcoholic, obviously.
--Milk. I can eat cheese or ice cream, but even a few sips of plain milk sends my stomach into quasi-food poisoning reactions.
--Pure fruit juices. Pear juice, apple juice, etc all send me into a sugar-spike headache.

So, what is left to drink?
--I am open to teas, of course, but ideas for tea have to be very specific. A lot of teas make my throat tingle and hurt a lot, so I have to be careful.
--Packets that you add to water. Are these really all that healthy?
--Are there any soda-like drinks that are actually healthy?
--I like how Pepsi/Coke bites you as you drink them quickly; this is what I like.

Anything from the FOOniverse?

Iced tea. I used to drink a lot of the saccharin stuff in the navy. (It didn't take up near as much room) Now I just make it with the bags and fresh lemons. And add sugar to taste. I don't do artificial sweeteners anymore. Could use stevia to sweeten if you want low/no-cal.

Although I've never found it, Zevia (http://www.zevia.com/) is a soft drink sweetened with stevia, a natural sweetener that's been around for decades.

You shouldd make your own iced tea so you can control what goes in. Experiment with lemon and mint additions. We grow mint in the yard and add it to tea from when it sprouts in the spring to when it dies in the winter. It has spread out into the front yard to the point that when I mow close to the flower bed, our front yard smells minty fresh!

^Wow, for a change you really meant mint.

V8 splash. Sometimes it's too sweet, so I'll dilute it with water up to 50/50.

^Wow, for a change you really meant mint.

You sir, have your weird foo memvers cornfuzzled. I am the one with the delicious bass and the minty fresh front yard. PGoat is the one with the jetski fetish and the meant/mint issue.

I'd recommend tea. There are a ton of different brands and flavors to try out, but just avoid the cheap stuff in teabags. It doesn't really matter if it's teabag or not, but the cheap stuff is just horrid.


If you ever get paranoid about over drinking fluorine or caffeine with tea, then you should try ginger tea.

For fruit juices, just dilute them with water. The ratio depends on the juice.

"What can I replace my Pepsi habit with?"

Scotch.

I learned this trick when visiting the South: add just a pinch of baking soda to iced tea. It smooths out the tannins and makes it almost silky, so it might not irritate your throat.

If you like carbonation, how about flavored carbonated water?

You sir, have your weird foo memvers cornfuzzled. I am the one with the delicious bass and the minty fresh front yard. PGoat is the one with the jetski fetish and the meant/mint issue.

So you aren't a sock of pgoat? Or is it vice versa? :innocent:

I used to drink several sodas a day. Now I rarely drink one. I take that powered gatorade stuff and mix up a slightly diluted mixture which is just flavorful enough to provide an alternative to water.

More water? Coffee? Tea? Herbal "tea"?

I'm a coffee junkie, but I drink it black so very few calories. I don't have any issues with caffeine either.

In the evening when I'm done with caffeine, I like herbal tea. It doesn't have caffeine, but isn't de-caf crap either. (That is when I'm not drinking beer in the evening, hell I just had a discussion yesterday with a friend about which beer is best for breakfast.)

Club soda. Weird at first, then addicting, like everything else.

We do not drink much, if any soda here... if we do it will be something like Jones or Boyland which is sweetened with sugar and not HFCS and drink a good deal of tea and coffee.

Was turned on to Paola syrup many years ago by a Polish co-worker... these are highly concentrated fruit syrups made with real fruit juice and adding a little to a glass of cold water or soda is very refreshing.

2 tbsp / 30 ml serving of Black Chokeberry or Sour Cherry syrup has 80 calories and 16% of your daily vitamin C and costs twenty five cents per serving.

I learned this trick when visiting the South: add just a pinch of baking soda to iced tea. It smooths out the tannins and makes it almost silky, so it might not irritate your throat.

If you like carbonation, how about flavored carbonated water?

And I just set a jar of sun tea out on the porch to steep.

Teas are definitely the way to go. If you must sweeten, I recommend using honey, or if the tea of choice allows, a dash of fruit juice.

I like assam which is a major ingredient in most breakfast type teas. I have both presses and infusers for all my loose teas.
For greens, I've generally stuck with gunpowder teas for my loose tea. I use Bigelow and Twinings greens from time to time in tea bag form.

For variety I throw in the occasional bit of Lapsang Souchong. I can only drink one cup of it though. It's a tea that's smoked over pine. Inevitably, the taste ends up reminding me of going camping with people foolish enough to burn pine at a campfire. That smoke tends to turn my stomach.

I personally find Darjeeling to be a total waste, but others like it. It's smoothness might be easier on your stomach.

Give Keemun Panda a try. You might like it.


A good carbonated mineral water is always nice.

I'd kill for lemon soda in this country, but you've eliminated all sodas.

Also, mint is everywhere. Go pick some and dry it.

How about fresh lime soda? Squeeze some limes, add soda water, a bit of sugar to taste. Fantastic summer drink.

Also, for non-caffeinated options, try rooibos. It's soothing when hot, refreshing when cold (make sure you steep it for a long time if you're having it cold) and I find it has the nice side effect of settling my stomach.

I am guess I am weird... I love water. It's my drink of choice. Not foo-foo water, just plain water. Fancy to me is filtered water.

I also like ice tea - just plain brewed tea, no sugar, no additives. I actually can't stand other drinks especially something with flavorings and sugar with the exception of a Coca Cola (not Pepsi or anything other brand) in the can (hate bottled Coke), after a hard ride.

I know it is soda but for the win...

Mexican Coca-Cola... with a splash of Puerto Rican Rum and a slice of fresh lime.

:)

Throw different kinds of fruit into a blender, add a little milk and some ice and, viola, you have a great fruit smoothie. Delicious and healthy.

More water? Coffee? Tea? Herbal "tea"?

I'm a coffee junkie, but I drink it black so very few calories. I don't have any issues with caffeine either.

In the evening when I'm done with caffeine, I like herbal tea. It doesn't have caffeine, but isn't de-caf crap either. (That is when I'm not drinking beer in the evening, hell I just had a discussion yesterday with a friend about which beer is best for breakfast.)

It took 12 posts to get to coffee? How do you wake up without it?

Squeeze a lemon or lime into your water.

On fridays squeeze several limes, add tequila, stir, ice cube, drink, repeat.

I learned this trick when visiting the South: add just a pinch of baking soda to iced tea. It smooths out the tannins and makes it almost silky, so it might not irritate your throat.

If you like carbonation, how about flavored carbonated water?

Thats the route I took Trader Joe's Sparkling lemon and lime flavored waters. They also make a berry which tastes nasty to me.

I knew a guy who drank apple juice cut about 90% with water. Just enough to add some flavor. it was actually pretty good. He always drank it cold as in over ice.

Well, I'm off a 4 liters per day Pepsi habit.

In analysing Pepsi, I found there were 4 things I liked about it. In order, the cold, the bubbles, the sugar, the taste. So after quitting Pepsi, my favorite beverage is sparkling water which has the cold and the bubbles. My favorite is Kroger's house brand. It's the bubbles that give you the bite.

If there is no Kroger in your area, check out this Wikipedia for other chains owned by Kroger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroger). I've purchased it at Fry's when visiting Arizona. They even took my Kroger card.

I occasionally drink green tea, but after the Pepsi I try to limit caffeine.

Start drinking tea until you get used to it and you'll never want anything else. There's a reason tea is the most popular drink in the world. Try different ones till you find the one you like. The only time I drink soda anymore is when I'm beat and need a blast of energy. I probably drink one/month.

We drink a lot of Power-Aid Zero. 5 of 6 flavors, electrolytes.

Or water.

Or coffee, if I want caffeine.

How about fresh lime soda? Squeeze some limes, add soda water, a bit of sugar to taste. Fantastic summer drink.
Add some mint and rum...

Also, a slice of cucumber is pretty good in water.

We drink flavored carbonated water, but not all are created equal...I look for the ones that are carbonated water and natural flavor. That's it. 2 ingredients. No sugar. No unrecognizable chemicals. A couple of brands that we like are LaCroix and Canada Dry. Faygo also makes it, but you have to live in MI to get it.

Well, I'm off a 4 liters per day Pepsi habit.

In analysing Pepsi, I found there were 4 things I liked about it. In order, the cold, the bubbles, the sugar, the taste. So after quitting Pepsi, my favorite beverage is sparkling water which has the cold and the bubbles. My favorite is Kroger's house brand.

If there is no Kroger in your area, check out this Wikipedia for other chains owned by Kroger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroger). I've purchased it at Fry's when visiting Arizona. They even took my Kroger card.

Holy crap! 4L/day?! Your tooth enamel is thanking you.

Well, I'm off a 4 liters per day Pepsi habit.

In analysing Pepsi, I found there were 4 things I liked about it. In order, the cold, the bubbles, the sugar, the taste. So after quitting Pepsi, my favorite beverage is sparkling water which has the cold and the bubbles. My favorite is Kroger's house brand.

If there is no Kroger in your area, check out this Wikipedia for other chains owned by Kroger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroger). I've purchased it at Fry's when visiting Arizona. They even took my Kroger card.

I occasionally drink green tea, but after the Pepsi I try to limit caffeine.


Holy crap! 4L/day?! Your tooth enamel is thanking you.

Seriously? 4 liters a day? A lot more than you teeth are going to thank you for that.

BTW, the sparkling water isn't great for you either, the Carbonic Acid in it leaches Calcium out of your bones. It just does it without all the calories or regular pop or the side effects of the artificial sweeteners.

Nuun would like you to make it by the gallon. No sugar. Different flavors, caffeinated and non-caffeinated. http://www.nuun.com/

Two parts honey lemon ginseng ice tea to one part cranberry pomegranate juice

We drink flavored carbonated water, but not all are created equal...I look for the ones that are carbonated water and natural flavor. That's it. 2 ingredients. No sugar. No unrecognizable chemicals. A couple of brands that we like are LaCroix and Canada Dry. Faygo also makes it, but you have to live in MI to get it.

Faygo is also available through Kwik Trip stores based in La Crosse WI, but it has the HFCS in it. It is what I drink when it gets hot out there in the summer

Other than that coffee or beer.

I was referring to Faygo's version of the flavored water, not their sodas...nothing but carbonated water and natural flavor.

Yogurt smoothie - 1/2 banana, spoon of PB, and a smidgen of oatmeal...and a squirt of choc syrup. It's kind of drinkable :D

Seriously? 4 liters a day? A lot more than you teeth are going to thank you for that.
BTW, the sparkling water isn't great for you either, the Carbonic Acid in it leaches Calcium out of your bones. It just does it without all the calories or regular pop or the side effects of the artificial sweeteners.

pop is poison. to be sure, good chrome polisher, but poison.


Two parts honey lemon ginseng ice tea to one part cranberry pomegranate juice

anything this complicated must be great.


Yogurt smoothie - 1/2 banana, spoon of PB, and a smidgen of oatmeal...and a squirt of choc syrup. It's kind of drinkable :twitchy:

if you're a black bear.

Arnold Palmer is my vote but watered down. watered down fruit juice is good. watered down dr. pepper. or make concentrate flavored ice cubes, like bullion for water. as they melt the more flavor.

Looking for FOO creativity here.

Anything from the FOOniverse?

Can you drink pot? :D
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Two pages and no one mentions YooHoo? Oh, no milk. How about Zico flavored coconut water (chocolate, mango, pineapple, or natural/plain)?

Alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol.

Looking for FOO creativity here.

I used to drink two cans of Pepsi a day. I quit cold turkey a few weeks ago. I don't feel better or worse. In fact, I don't feel different at all. All I have been drinking since quitting Pepsi is water. I used to drink lots of water before I quit pop, so the water habit is nothing new, either.

But, water is boring.

What can I replace my Pepsi habit with? My goal is to replace Pepsi with something healthier, otherwise what would be the point, right? I tried Hi-C lemonade, but the sugar shock I got from it sent me through the roof, and it's probably less healthy than Pepsi, anyway.

Here are some things that can NOT replace Pepsi:
--Other sodas. I don't want soda at all.
--Nothing alcoholic, obviously.
--Milk. I can eat cheese or ice cream, but even a few sips of plain milk sends my stomach into quasi-food poisoning reactions.
--Pure fruit juices. Pear juice, apple juice, etc all send me into a sugar-spike headache.

So, what is left to drink?
--I am open to teas, of course, but ideas for tea have to be very specific. A lot of teas make my throat tingle and hurt a lot, so I have to be careful.
--Packets that you add to water. Are these really all that healthy?
--Are there any soda-like drinks that are actually healthy?
--I like how Pepsi/Coke bites you as you drink them quickly; this is what I like.

Anything from the FOOniverse?


I drink this brand of sparkling water. It's a little expensive, but remarkably good.

http://www.lacroixwater.com/

Two pages and no one mentions YooHoo? Oh, no milk. How about Zico flavored coconut water (chocolate, mango, pineapple, or natural/plain)?

Yoohoo is technically a chocolate drink, not chocolate milk. I'd call it a legitimate option in this case.

http://www.perrier.com/en/thecollection.html

Delish, especially if it's ice cold, add lemon, lime, raspberries....whatever you choose. Mix it with OJ, other fruit juices...yumm-o. I like to freeze fruit juices into ice cubes then use those in my glass of Perrier. As it melt, it flavors the water.

Club soda. Weird at first, then addicting, like everything else.

The flavored club sodas are the best! All the great taste of sody pop but none of the negatives.

Can you drink pot? :D
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No he cannot but I reccomend he gulp down the bong water to avoid his Pepsi habit.

Yoohoo is technically a chocolate drink, not chocolate milk. I'd call it a legitimate option in this case.

Spoken like a man who knows his beverages.

Yoohoo is technically a chocolate drink, not chocolate milk. I'd call it a legitimate option in this case.

yuck-o..

I like the Gatorade G2, but even then I prefer it mixed 50/50 with water. I also like the Mio stuff that you squirt in water. Or just water.

The blood of the unwilling.

But get the imported stuff. The domestic BOTU is too sweet.