Oddly enough, I didn’t like Coke Zero when it first came out, but I tried it again a few days ago, and I really like it. I also really like the Coke Zero Vanilla.
My go-to diet drink, though, will always be Diet Code Red Mountain Dew. I don’t like the regular Code Red, and I don’t like Diet Mountain Dew, but the Diet Code Red is my favorite. I don’t taste the artificial sweetener in it like I do with other diet drinks.
[QUOTE=commasense]
This may not be a popular suggestion, but if you just stop drinking regular Coke and start drinking nothing but Diet Coke (or Pepsi, or whatever), in a week or two you’ll get used to it and it won’t be as vile as it seems to you now.
I used to be a hardcore Pepsi fan, didn’t like Coke, and couldn’t stand any diet drinks. A few years ago, for the same reasons as others here (weight), I switched over to whichever of the two diet colas was on sale that week. It didn’t take long to completely lose my lifelong dislike of the diet taste. I can still notice the difference between diet and regular and Coke and Pepsi, I just don’t care about the difference.
You can do it, too.
The good thing about this suggestion is that by getting used to the diet flavors you can stick with them when you’re eating out. I’ve never seen a fountain that served Coke Zero or Pepsi One. But they all have the standard diet versions.
BTW, I like, and occasionally buy, Zero and One for variety, but my favorite is Diet Coke.
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Agree. Mixing (what you are doing now) also works - you need to change proportions over time - easier from a fountain than cans. But if you are going to reset your taste buds, you’d be far better served to reset them to ordinary filtered tap water (Brainiac4 will laugh at this advice because I switch to diet on occation and he thinks I should just drink water) - your teeth still suffer from diet soda.
I get “used” to them after two weeks, but I haven’t found a single one I’d call good. People who drink diet soda talking about how it tastes like regular soda are a little like vegetarians who go on and on about how good veggie hot dogs are and how they are “just like real meat.” Diet soda is fizzy like soda, veggie hot dogs have the same shape as hot dogs. Neither is going to ever be “the same.”
Am I the only person who cannot stand Splenda? It tastes way too sweet to me and leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. I once bought some grapefruit soda that had splenda in it and I ended up adding a splash of it to a glass of water in order to finish it and it still tasted too sweet. I’d much rather have Nutrasweet. I don’t like regular Coke because it’s too sweet. I like Vanilla Coke Zero (with Nutrasweet) but it doesn’t taste like regular Coke to me.
[QUOTE=Dangerosa]
Agree. Mixing (what you are doing now) also works - you need to change proportions over time - easier from a fountain than cans. But if you are going to reset your taste buds, you’d be far better served to reset them to ordinary filtered tap water (Brainiac4 will laugh at this advice because I switch to diet on occation and he thinks I should just drink water) - your teeth still suffer from diet soda.
I get “used” to them after two weeks, but I haven’t found a single one I’d call good. People who drink diet soda talking about how it tastes like regular soda are a little like vegetarians who go on and on about how good veggie hot dogs are and how they are “just like real meat.” Diet soda is fizzy like soda, veggie hot dogs have the same shape as hot dogs. Neither is going to ever be “the same.”
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I am the same way. I like regular soda and hate diet so I quit drinking regular soda and started drinking water. I figured I would never get used to that awful diet taste. I started by limiting my soda intake to one soda (Meaning no more than 12 oz) per week plus an extra one if there was a special occasion (Holiday, birthday etc.). Then after about 3 months of that, I changed it to one soda every 2 weeks, plus special occasions. After 3 months of that I changed it again to just special occasions and nothing else.
Since I stopped drinking soda all together, I dropped 15 lbs AND also stopped getting seemingly random headaches (I found out later they were from caffeine withdrawl during times when I would not have a soda).
[QUOTE=An Gadaí]
Are Sprite/Coke Zero different to Diet Sprite/Coke? I just thought they were the same products in different packaging. In the UK/Ireland the target market for Coke Zero has been men who think Diet Coke is too girly or what have you.
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Coke Zero is “Classic” Coke sweetened with aspartame (Equal/NutraSweet) and acesulfame potassium, and Diet Coke is “New” Coke with aspartame.
I find Coke Zero and Cherry Coke Zero much more palatable than other diet sodas. It has an odd mouthfeel that to me is much like that of root beer; not unpleasant, but definitely different from regular Coke in more than just taste.
Diet Dr. Pepper is good for me. I usually drink Coke, so I just accept it as “that other flavor” without comparing it to either Coke or regular Dr. Pepper
Another that I love but can’t always find is Diet Vernors Ginger Ale.
But it has one problem. In winter I love Venors hot, like hot cider, but diet pop looses its sweetness when heated because the artificial sweetener breaks down.
After reading this thread, I did go and drink a Diet Dr Pepper. And I must admit that while it does not taste like regular Dr Pepper, it also does not taste like a diet drink.
Whatever happened to Stevia flavored drinks? I guess it got banned in the USA or something? I heard it’s used in softdrinks in other countries.
I used to mix Stevia powder into unsweetened lemon-aid mix and it wasn’t bad. I even got into the habit of using it in my coffee instead of sugar. It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but not entirely unpleasant.
[QUOTE=levdrakon]
Whatever happened to Stevia flavored drinks? I guess it got banned in the USA or something? I heard it’s used in softdrinks in other countries.
I used to mix Stevia powder into unsweetened lemon-aid mix and it wasn’t bad. I even got into the habit of using it in my coffee instead of sugar. It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but not entirely unpleasant.
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Stevia is not approved as an artificial sweetener or food additive in the US. And because it doesn’t have a long history of use as a food on its own in the US, it can’t be added without approval as an additive.
I forgot to add I also really like Fresca citrus & peach flavor.
Here’s another recommendation for Splenda sweetened sodas. I drink both the Coke variety and Pepsi One and can’t tell much difference between them. I also like to add sugar free cherry snow cone flavoring to my pop like you can find here. At the beginning of the summer, our Wal-Mart stocks it and I usually buy all that they have to get me through the year. I usually get the Rival brand. I’ve never tried the kind in my link.
[QUOTE=Running with Scissors]
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
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Wow, I can’t believe I misspelled ingest…
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I do like Dr Pepper, it’s one of my favorites, so I’ll have to give the diet a try…
[QUOTE=cochrane]
I forgot to add I also really like Fresca citrus & peach flavor.
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I’ve been trying that recently. It’s not bad, but I have to add a squirt of lemon or lime to boost the citrus taste.
Another vote for Diet Rite in all it’s flavors. It’s usualy on sale quite cheap at the Kroger in my area. I try to drink caffeine-free sodas as much as possible and of those, I like Diet Rite the best.
Diet Dr. Pepper is my favorite of the aspartame-sweetened drinks, followed closely by Sierra Mist Free.
[QUOTE=Running with Scissors]
Wow, I can’t believe I misspelled ingest…
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That’s all right. We thought you were just kidding. 
[QUOTE=Running with Scissors]
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I do like Dr Pepper, it’s one of my favorites, so I’ll have to give the diet a try…
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I love Dr. Pepper but I can’t drink regular Diet Dr. Pepper. IMHO, Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper tastes closer to DP.
Tab appears to have a cult following.
[QUOTE=Dragwyr]
Since I stopped drinking soda all together, I dropped 15 lbs AND also stopped getting seemingly random headaches (I found out later they were from caffeine withdrawal during times when I would not have a soda).
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It took me a while to figure out the weird headaches I was occasionally having, but I was helped by the fact that they weren’t quite random: they were more frequent on the weekends. Eventually it occurred to me that I often didn’t have a morning cup of coffee on Saturdays or Sundays, but I invariably started the day that way on work days.
A little research turned up the fact that caffeine withdrawal is physiologically identical to migraine. My headaches they were usually fairly mild, not the debilitating experiences usually associated with the word “migraine,” but they did have an unpleasant sweaty, queasy feeling different from ordinary headaches. Aspirin and Ibuprofin had no effect.
Since then I’ve been weaning myself off caffeine in all forms (except chocolate). The good news is that I’ve learned to recognize the symptoms of a coming caffeine headache early enough to take preventive measures: an Excedrin equivalent. Yes, it contains caffeine, but I’d prefer to feed my addiction slightly than spend an hour or two with one of these damn headaches.
I now go whole days with no caffeine (except chocolate) and no headaches. I start the day with decaf coffee and occasionally have caffeinated sodas with lunch or dinner. I find I don’t really need the kick I got from caffeine, which, like any addiction, became less effective over time. And I definitely don’t miss those damn headaches.
Jones Sugar Free Black Cherry. Most enjoyable. If there’s a Panera Bread near you they generally have it. Try the asiago roast beef sammich while you’re there.
Funny! I’m going through this very thing. Long time, hard core Pepsi drinker here. Hate – no, LOATHE – diet pop. But, the size of my chin is demanding I reconsider.
So far I’ve found Diet Dr. Pepper & Diet Dr. Pepper Berries & Cream to be the best.
Diet Pepsi, I really tried. But, the artificial sweetener completely masks the subtle cola flavor. Diet Coke is even worse.
I’m beginning to think the secret to a good diet drink is heavy fruit or other quirky flavor to help mask the aftertaste (and during-taste!).
Cola is just too subtle a flavor to make a good diet drink out of.
I’ve also been drinking some Minute Maid Limeade light. Only 15 calories, and very drinkable.