The 7 Healthiest Soda Brands and Canned Carbonated Drinks

You probably never thought you'd hear the words “soda” and “healthy” in the same sentence—unless, of course, the word “not” is squeezed in. But there is such a thing as the healthiest sodas.

But we’re not talking about a 12oz Coca-Cola with 39g of sugar. You can get that out of your fridge right now because the latest beverage revolution is riding on the coattails of healthy junk food. Brands are prioritizing health and wellness, creating healthy sodas and carbonated drinks with less than 6g of sugar and added benefits like probiotics and adaptogens.

Men's Journal aims to offer only the best products and services. We update when possible, but deals expire and prices are subject to change. If you purchase something through one of our links, we may earn a commission.

If you’re someone who can’t completely eliminate soda from your diet, these healthy sodas highlighted below are much more virtuous and even tastier. Our favorite healthy soda, Olipop Lemon Lime, tastes just as good as Sprite with a lot less sugar. And if you’re looking for more healthy food tips, check out our list of the healthiest sushi rolls and the healthiest oatmeal.

Related: Our 12 Favorite Protein Bars Are Healthy, Filling, and Perfect for Pre- or Post-Workouts

A Look at the Healthiest Sodas

• Best Overall Healthy Soda: Olipop Lemon Lemon
• Best Prebiotic Healthy Soda: Poppi Classic Cola
• Best-Tasting Healthy Soda: United Sodas Toasted Coconut
• Best Healthy Soda Substitute for Alcohol: Kin Euphorics Energizing Flow
• Best Probiotic Healthy Soda: Culture Pop Ginger Lemon & Turmeric
• Best Healthy Hemp Soda: Recess Peach Ginger
• Best Do-It-All Healthy Soda: Mighty Pop Pineapple Grapefruit

The Healthiest Sodas of 2024

Best Overall Healthy Soda: Olipop Lemon Lemon

Olipop is a new generation sparkling tonic that boasts prebiotics, plant fibres and herbs that not only taste great but also aid your digestive health. The best part is that the range of flavours only contain 2 to 5g of sugar and 45 calories per can. Who needs Sprite when Olipop Lemon Lime is better for you and arguably easier to crush.

Best Prebiotic Healthy Soda: Poppi Classic Cola

If you’re looking to ditch Coke and Pepsi, Poppi Classic Cola is a better-for-you prebiotic soda that’s great for gut health and extra immune support. Each can has real, clean ingredients and less than 25 calories and 5g of sugar. All contain the brand’s star ingredient: pure, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. The brand also offers other classic and fruit flavors and has 90% less sugar than other sodas.

Best-Tasting Healthy Soda: United Sodas Toasted Coconut

United Sodas is a modern healthy soda brand that tastes as good as it looks. It’s reminiscent of your favorite seltzer water because of its lightly carbonated fizz and low sugar, but it comes in surprising flavors like Blackberry Jam and Pear Elderflower, but Toasted Coconut is our favorite. Each drink is under 30 calories, contains no artificial ingredients, and is organically sweetened, making it a great alternative for health-conscious soda lovers.

Best Healthy Soda Substitute for Alcohol: Kin Euphorics Energizing Flow

Kin Euphorics Energizing Flow Spritz is a sparkling beverage (marketed as a “non-alcoholic social drink”) with ingredients designed to stimulate your mind and boost your energy levels. Kin Spritz is made with fresh citrus, warm spices, hibiscus, ginger, and caffeine, as well as adaptogens like rhodiola rosea and nootropics like GABA, which work together to help you get through your morning or afternoon slump.

Best Probiotic Healthy Soda: Culture Pop Ginger Lemon & Turmeric

Culture Pop sodas are made with only organic juices, spices, and probiotics, making this soda not only delicious, but also functional. They come in unique flavors like Orange Mango Chili & Lime, Wild Berries Basil & Lime, and Pink Grapefruit Ginger & Juniper. Pop open our favorite, Ginger Lemon & Turmeric, for a refreshing sip with a slight spice kick.

Best Healthy Hemp Soda: Recess Peach Ginger

When it comes to healthy carbonated drinks, Recess Peach Ginger helps calm your mind and lift your mood with a functional blend of magnesium, ginseng, L-theanine, lemongrass, and active B6. Made with natural ingredients and sweetened with real fruit, each can contains 5g of natural sugar and less than 20 calories.

Best Do-It-All Healthy Soda: Mighty Pop Pineapple Grapefruit

Mighty Pop has pre-, pro-, and postbiotic ingredients that boost your entire immune system. The brand’s sodas also taste great—especially the Pineapple Grapefruit. And rest assured, with 30 calories and only 2 grams of added sugar, it’s not breaking the health bank.

How Bad Are Carbonated Drinks for Your Health?

According to the CDC, American adults consume an average of 17 teaspoons of added sugar (68g of sugar) each day. That's two to three times more than the recommended amount for men and women, respectively. According to the American Heart Association, adults should limit their added sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons (24g of sugar) each day.

One of the biggest contributors of these added sugars is soft drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages. You shouldn't be drinking most of your calories anyway, so it's an easy way to adjust your diet.

Soda is not good for anyone’s health, especially because of its sugar content. According to the CDC, traditional soda is the leading source of added sugar in Americans’ diets. Over time, too much sugar can have negative effects on a person’s health and contribute to negative health outcomes such as weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, nonalcoholic liver disease, tooth decay, and cavities and gout. Additionally, soda is a source of empty calories and offers little nutritional value.

Sodas don’t make you feel full in the same way that eating the same amount of calories from real food does. So, in addition to consuming a sugary drink, many people continue to consume high-calorie foods despite consuming these high-calorie beverages. There’s also evidence that sugary drinks can increase appetite for high-calorie foods, leading to weight gain and potentially even more negative health consequences over time.

Obesity and diabetes are major health problems in the United States, and there’s no doubt that our diet and lifestyle play a role in both diseases. One major factor is excess calorie intake in the form of added sugars found in most processed foods.

Prioritize water as your main source of hydration throughout the day; while there are alternative beverages besides water that will keep you hydrated, plain h2o has no sugar or calories. For workouts, opt for low-sugar sports drinks and electrolyte powders for post-workout rehydration. Think of it this way: You know that drinking sugary cocktails on a night out will give you a terrible hangover the next day and won’t do your waistline any good (hence the importance of choosing the healthiest drinks to order at the bar), so apply the same logic to your daily beverages.

Which Soft Drinks Are Least Harmful and Most Harmful?

If you're wondering which soda has the fewest calories, head to Starry. Here's what a traditional 12oz soda costs you in calories and added sugar:

• Starry: 130 calories, 37g sugar
• Fairy: 140 calories, 38g sugar
• Dr. Pepper: 150 calories, 39g sugar
• Coca Cola: 140 calories, 39g sugar
• Pepsi: 150 calories, 41g sugar
• Fanta Orange: 160 calories, 44 grams of sugar
• Mountain Dew: 170 calories, 46 grams of sugar

Is Diet Soda Healthy?

According to belief diet soda is healthy soda. However, this is largely a misconception.

Diet sodas replace all added sugar with artificial ingredients and other additives. Instead of sugar, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame-k or sucralose are used to sweeten without all the calories.

There are observational studies and a small number of quality research studies that link diet soda to negative health outcomes such as weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, but much of the research is conflicting. Overall, more high-quality research is needed to determine the true effects of diet soda on weight loss and the negative effects some suggest.

While the evidence is not conclusive as to whether diet sodas and artificial sweeteners are harmful to your health, here are some things we do know about diet soda:

1. Diet sodas contain little to no calories and also provide no nutritional value.
2. People often assume that diet soda can provide them with high-calorie food items, which can lead to over-consumption of calories and weight gain.
3. When it comes to diet soda, it's best to err on the side of caution and drink it occasionally rather than consuming it every day.