Masquerade! Discover The 11 Best Diet Sodas That Taste Like The Real Deal

Summer’s fast approaching. You’re going to need to have a fridge full of hydrating beverages to get through. 

You know as well as anyone that water is the best solution to the hydration question. But water gets boring, usually after the first glass. So, what are your options when dealing with your thirst? 

Fruit juice? Too much sugar. 

Coffee? And stay up all night? No way! 

Soda? Fizzy drinks contribute to the obesity problem.

But what about diet soda? Now there’s a thought. You can find low-calorie or zero sugar options next to the regular sodas on grocery store shelves.

With the wide variety of calorie-reduced and sugar-free versions on the market, you’ll find the best diet soda to stop your thirst in its tracks without compromising on taste or expanding your waistline.

There’re a lot of varieties to choose from, starting with traditional cola and lemon-lime flavors to new combinations of strawberry lemon or ginger lime. 

So, soda drinkers, let’s peek at some of the best-tasting diet sodas to quench your thirst, reduce your sugar intake, and beat the heat.

1. Poppi Prebiotic Soda Strawberry Lemon 12oz Can

Crisp lemonade pairs with bold strawberry and natural prebiotics from unfiltered apple cider vinegar — a digestive health powerhouse — to keep your gut happy, immune system healthy, and skin glowing.

Poppy Strawberry Lemon is a vegan, low-sugar soft drink with only 4g of sugar and 15 calories per can. Naturally fat and gluten-free, with non-GMO ingredients, Poppi is made with fresh fruit that converts the vinegar aftertaste to stealth mode, so all you notice is the pure Poppi flavor. 

$2.99

2. Zevia Diet Ginger Root Beer 6pk 12oz Can

Looking for a root beer with a kick? Zevia combines spicy natural ginger flavors with traditional root beer taste for a zinger of a winner. Perfection by itself or topped with ice cream, Zevia sodas are sweetened with Stevia to produce a zero-calorie beverage that’s both kosher and gluten-free. 

Don’t settle for everyday root beer flavor. Kick it up a notch with Zevia Diet Ginger Root Beer.

$6.39

3. Diet Pepsi 12pk 12oz Can

This is the original diet soda! Diet Pepsi was the first low-calorie soda on the market, and it’s still a best seller today. Feeling soda hydrated? Crack open a Diet Pepsi for a refreshing, cold break from sugar and calories.

$8.69

4. Fanta Zero 20oz

Bursting with the same orange flavor you know and love, Fanta Zero is the perfect sugar-free solution for those looking to reduce sugar but not taste. Bright and bubbly, Fanta Zero will quench your thirst like no other.

$2.39

5. Diet Coke Sleek Ginger Lime 12oz

Ginger and lime combine with the Diet Coke you know and love to create a flavor profile that slaps! From the first sip, the taste of lime works to quench your thirst, while the ginger flavor quietly sneaks up to knock it out of the park. 

$2.19

6. Dr. Brown Black Cherry Diet Cream Soda 6pk 12oz Can

Dr. Brown's Diet Black Cherry Soda combines traditional cola notes with intense cherry flavor to create a winning combination that’s hard to believe is a diet soda. A New York staple, Dr. Brown has been using natural flavors to brew their sodas since 1869, so you know they understand refreshment.

$5.99

7. Diet Seven Up 12pk 12oz Can

Nothing beats the fresh, crisp taste of 7Up, except maybe Diet 7Up. With the same clean flavor as the regular version you know and love, it’s a tough combination to beat. Lift up your day with 100% natural lemon and lime flavor, all calorie and caffeine-free. Live it up with Diet 7Up.

$8.29

8. Canada Dry Zero Sugar Ginger Ale 20oz Btl

Some days, you just need a little zing. Canada Dry is here to deliver. Never stingy on quality, Canada Dry Ginger Ale Zero Sugar offers a caffeine-free and refreshing soft drink that contains zero calories. It also doesn’t skimp on the zesty ginger flavor you crave. Kick back, relax, and enjoy this sparkling favorite today.

$2.49

9. Diet Mountain Dew 20oz Btl

The only diet with dew! Get all the great, exhilarating taste of Mountain Dew without the calories. The crisp, refreshing flavor will keep you satisfied and ready for your next adventure without any sugar to bog you down. Crack open your favorite today. 

$2.59

10. Diet Dr Pepper 20oz Btl

Satisfy your craving for flavor with the authentic taste of Diet Dr Pepper. With its unique signature blend of  23 flavors minus the calories, this isn’t your ordinary diet soda. And it's most definitely not a cola. Chill out with a refreshing Diet Dr Pepper, straight from the fridge. 

$2.49

11. Diet Coke 20oz Btl

There can be only one. The most popular diet cola on the market is Diet Coke, a deliciously fizzy go-to beverage companion. Whether you’re looking for a tasty way to start your day or refresh your afternoon, you'll never be lost with a Diet Coke. If regular Coca-Cola's crisp, cold flavor gets you excited, just think what Diet Coke can do. It’s incredibly refreshing.  

$2.59

FAQ

Which diet soda is the healthiest?

As much as we wish things were different, diet sodas aren’t health foods. Labeling them as ‘healthy’ is a misnomer. Calorie-free sodas are an occasional tasty indulgence to be enjoyed in small amounts with great gusto. Here are a few things to consider when making your choice.

• Aspartame. While there has been no definitive link between aspartame and ill-health – the FDA insists that it’s safe – it’s still wise to limit the amount you consume. Look for diet sodas that use alternatives, like Stevia or actual fruit juice to sweeten their product.

• Acids. A tasty soda has got bite. While that may be an excellent thing taste-wise, it's not great for your teeth. Soft drinks contain citric, malic, and phosphoric acids, adding tartness to beverages. These additives leach calcium from your teeth and is linked to tooth decay.

• Caffeine. Many people look to soda, particularly cola, to boost their energy. And once in a while, that’s fine. Popular diet soda options offer 35-46 mg of caffeine, which is a little more than 10% of the FDA’s daily limit of 400 mg. But if you’re having trouble sleeping, you might want to restrict your intake or find a brand with a lower amount of caffeine per serving. 

What soda is best for weight loss?

Diet sodas aren’t a magic bullet when it comes to weight loss. As with any food, moderation’s key. You don’t want to rely exclusively on one food group to mitigate unhealthy choices in other areas of your diet. 

Diet drinks are low in sugar and perfect for people looking to reduce their carb intake: people with diabetes or on a ketogenic diet. For these people, occasionally indulging in a can of diet soda isn’t going to have a huge negative impact. If you’re looking to make a slightly healthier beverage choice or looking for the best diet soda for keto diets, choose a brand that uses Stevia, monk fruit, sucralose, or sugar alcohols such as Xylitol or erythritol as a sweetener.

Flavored sparkling water or carbonated water might also satisfy your soda craving without the added sugars or sugar substitutes.

People looking to reduce the risk of heart disease should avoid drinking diet soda as a general rule. Researchers have discovered that people who regularly drink artificially sweetened beverages have an increased heart and stroke risk.

Your best bet is to speak with a registered dietitian to learn whether diet sodas are right for you. 

What diet soda has no aspartame?

At one time, the only sweetening option for diet versions of popular sodas that manufacturers had available was aspartame. The result was a product that closely resembled the flavor of the original. As a matter of fact, the best diet sodas that taste like regular versions often include aspartame. 

If you’re looking for aspartame-free sodas, you do have options. Zevia offers an entire line of soft drinks sweetened with Stevia, a popular alternative to artificial sweeteners, including their crowd-pleasing Diet Ginger Root Beer flavor. Newcomer Poppi also provides a line of sodas sweetened with a combination of fruit juices and Stevia in various flavors like strawberry lemon or watermelon that make for a delicious alternative to aspartame.