# Diet soda for someone who hates diet soda? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [November 19, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054 "2007-11-19T17:48:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/1 "2007-11-19T17:48:34Z")
I love soda, but I need to drop some weight, and realize that a cupful of empty calories just isn’t going to do it. At work, where we have unlimited soda, I’ve taken to drinking a 50/50 mix of diet coke and coke, which actually isn’t bad, but it’s still more calories than I’d like to injest (I already drink tons of water during the day, but I like something with flavor with my meals). So far, the only diet soda that even comes close to accetable is Dr. Brown’s diet black cherry. Others that I have tried and hated are: Diet coke Diet pepsi Dr. Brown’s cream Fresca Diet Sprite Also, I don’t like seltzer, ginger ale or root beer. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/2 "2007-11-19T17:59:08Z")
I don’t like any that are on your list, but I do like Coke Zero. You might also try mixing seltzer water with just a splash of fruit juice - grape and pomegranate or cranberry blends are strong enough flavors to take a lot of watering down. I use about 3 or 4 Tablespoons of juice to about 12-14 ounces of seltzer water. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/3 "2007-11-19T18:00:00Z")
I drink Diet Dr. Pepper, it tastes more like regular soda- without the calories and the heavy syrup taste. Then again, I do pick up the sugar free Jones Sodas on occasion and they are pretty tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/4 "2007-11-19T18:01:14Z")
I like the Sprite Zero and Diet Dr.Pepper. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/5 "2007-11-19T18:02:54Z")
I live on Diet Dr Pepper. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/6 "2007-11-19T18:03:41Z")
Ditto on the Diet Dr. Pepper. It’s the only one I know of that doesn’t taste diet-y. ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/7 "2007-11-19T18:04:13Z")
I’ll third the Diet Dr. Pepper. I don’t consume gobs of soda but DDP is as good as anything out there. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/8 "2007-11-19T18:09:14Z")
I second the Coke Zero and Sprite Zero recommendations (Sprite less, but that’s because I don’t like Sprite all that much to begin with). They are both a lot better than their “diet” counterparts, and in the case of Coke, it really does taste quite a lot like the original. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/9 "2007-11-19T18:12:35Z")
Diet Dr. Pepper is really good and mostly indisguishable from regular Dr. Pepper. I just bought a twelve pack and has some last night. Diet gingerale can be passable as well. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/10 "2007-11-19T18:19:50Z")
Coca Cola Vanilla Zero (not diet Vanilla coke–there is a difference.) I am a long time diet soda hater, and I actually enjoy this. I would actually drink it even if I weren’t watching my calorie/sugar intake. I find Sierra Mist Free tolerable, but I can’t say that I like it in the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/11 "2007-11-19T18:21:28Z")
I also like Sprite Zero. I like regular Sprite pretty well, and I doubt I could tell the difference between Sprite and Sprite Zero in a blind test. I just started drinking it the other day. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/12 "2007-11-19T18:21:57Z")
Definitely Coke Zero. It tastes closer to real Coke than anything I’ve ever found. No nasty aftertaste. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/13 "2007-11-19T18:23:14Z")
If you drink the diet version of something you’re used to drinking the regular version of, it’s going to taste wrong. You might be better off drinking something that doesn’t have a “regular” version. I’m rather fond of Diet Rite White Grape soda. You might also like the colorless, fruit-flavored “carbonated water” that, in my experience, generally lives near the bottled water and iced tea rather than in the soda aisle at the store. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/14 "2007-11-19T18:23:47Z")
Get any of the ones that are sweetened with sucralose (brand name Splenda). ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/15 "2007-11-19T18:46:48Z")
Diet root beers taste way better to me than other diet drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/16 "2007-11-19T18:47:12Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] If you drink the diet version of something you’re used to drinking the regular version of, it’s going to taste wrong. You might be better off drinking something that doesn’t have a “regular” version. [/quote] That’s an interesting point, but it didn’t really work: I tried the Pepsi Jazz flavors, and didn’t like them. It’s mostly about the aftertaste that bothers me. I’ll have to try some of the “Zero” varieties… > [@](#): > > You might also like the colorless, fruit-flavored “carbonated water” that, in my experience, generally lives near the bottled water and iced tea rather than in the soda aisle at the store. I’ve tried them - not enough flavor for me… ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/17 "2007-11-19T18:51:03Z")
I prefer Diet Coke with Splenda over the Zero. Also, Diet Pepsi Max is quite good albeit with more caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/18 "2007-11-19T18:51:14Z")
If you’re just looking for taste and not a caffeine hit, try [Hansen’s Diet Soda](http://www.hansens.com/products/products.php?subcat=2&color=soda). They’re so tasty I drink them for a dessert in the evening after dinner. They’re sometimes tough to find, look in the “natural foods” sections of bigger supermarkets. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/19 "2007-11-19T18:52:16Z")
[QUOTE=Running with Scissors] [QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] You might also like the colorless, fruit-flavored “carbonated water” that, in my experience, generally lives near the bottled water and iced tea rather than in the soda aisle at the store. [/QUOTE] I’ve tried them - not enough flavor for me… [/QUOTE] Ahh, the new Aquafina flavored carbonated waters are really good. The berry one reminds me of New York Seltzer (god I miss those). ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054/20 "2007-11-19T18:53:19Z")
Coke Zero is awesome, and this is from an ardent Diet Coke hater. All Dr. Pepper products taste like carbonated cough syrup. (Or maybe cough syrup tastes like Dr. Pepper. In either case, both are gross.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diet-soda-for-someone-who-hates-diet-soda/427054.md?page=2)