I try to avoid soda even on hot, or exhausting, or just plain tempting days that really make me thirsty and crave for something cold and refreshing, preferably something bubbly because it really does a satisfyingly quenching trick. I succeed on avoiding soda most of the time, but when I eat something spicy, something grilled, some fried finger foods, or salty snacks like chips or popcorn, I can’t help but look for a can of soda! Because, let’s face it, you can’t completely enjoy a particular kind of food without popping a can of cold, sparkling beverage! Blame it on the mainstream cola ads which consistently allured us for over a century.
But in this generation where my children are in, a game changer in the soda industry has finally arrived. And arrive at my doorstep it did! I got some delightful soda flavours from Zevia: Cola, Cream Soda, Ginger Ale, Ginger Root Beer and black cherry – all with zero calories, naturally sweetened, and no artificial flavours and colouring! They all tasted so good, unexpectedly even better than those popular but unhealthy soda brands we’ve all been used to. But my favourite was Ginger Ale, and I’m heavily considering making this a staple in my fridge. How can I not if there’s no unhealthy reason not to?!
How could I say that it tasted way better than the regular mainstream soda? Well, Zevia has its own sweetening system called SweetSmart, which mainly uses the following natural sweeteners:
- Reb-A (rebaudioside A) extracted from the stevia leaf
- Monk fruit which contains the sweet “mogroside V” antioxidant
- Erythritol which is naturally fermented from fruits, vegetables and grains
All of these have no caloric value and no effect on blood glucose and insulin levels, and are even 200 times sweeter than sugar. It’s definitely the best thing that could ever happen to diabetics. Zero calories and zero glycemic index? Beat that!
If Zevia tastes way more awesome, it’s even a million times healthier than artificial sodas because it has:
- No artificial sweeteners, flavours, and preservatives, no MSG
- No artificial colours (unlike with other fruit-flavoured sodas)
- No caramel colour (unlike with conventional brown or tan sodas)
- No phosphoric acid (unlike with conventional diet sodas, making Zevia safe for anyone on dialysis)
- No bromated vegetable oil (BVO) (unlike with “Mountain” brand sodas)
- No synthetic caffeine (select Zevia flavours with natural coffee-derived caffeine are Cola, Dr. Zevia, and Cherry Cola)
- Zero or very low sodium (as low as 0mg and as high as only 20mg on certain flavours, making any Zevia flavour an ideal diet soda)
- Non-GMO Project Verified status
- Vegan certification from Vegan Action
- Gluten-free certification
- Kosher certification from Orthodox Union
And with great taste and guilt-free goodness must come variety of flavours! Zevia offers:
- Flavours with naturally-derived caffeine are: Cola, Cherry Cola, and Dr. Zevia
- Caffeine-free flavours with only 20mg sodium are: Caffeine-free Cola, Ginger Ale, Black Cherry, Ginger Root Beer
- Caffeine-free flavours with 0mg sodium are: Cream Soda, Orange, Grape, and Lemon Lime Twist
Check out Zevia Canada’s website to learn more about each flavour’s nutrition facts, ingredients, and even lots of recipes for every Zevia flavour (not just cocktails or punches, but even desserts and snacks)! You can also print free discount coupons to present to your nearest Zevia retailer, or simply just order online. And to even spread the word and this goodness further, you have the right to request your local stores to carry Zevia products!
I’m really hoping that today’s mainstream soda brands wouldn’t leave a strong recall to the minds of our children and future grandchildren anymore, like how our previous generations (including mine) experienced. When it comes to soda, I hope natural brands like Zevia will first come to their minds, even without the help of flashy ads and aggressive campaigns. And I believe they’re more health-conscious and smart enough to know that!
**Disclosure: I received a sample of the product to facilitate this post. No other compensation was provided and all views and opinions stated on this post are 100% my own.