With so many restrictions on the keto diet, we are usually left with just a glass of plain water to quench our thirst. But what if you could enjoy a can of soda on that hot summer day? Is Zevia soda keto friendly? Let’s find out!
The first option that comes to mind when thinking about soda on keto, is the widely popular diet soda! But now that we know it’s loaded with controversial Aspartame, no one wants to go down that road. Thankfully, the keto industry has seen some really good progress (such as beef jerky) and we now have many brands offering chilled beverages to enjoy relish on those days of scorching heat!
One such brand is Zevia, that is offering zero-calorie and carb-free flavored seltzers. Zevia has emerged to be the most favorite Keto beverage today due to the fact that they have all-natural ingredients in their blends!
About Zevia Drinks
Zevia is a range of zero sugar and zeroes carb carbonated beverages. It has the all-natural sweetener Stevia which is why this drink is hugely popular with us keto folks! Not just keto, they are equally loved by others in the health and fitness community.
Stevia is a popular sugar substitute that is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar! And you know what’s the craziest part? It provides all that sweetness without any carbs!
Zevia offers a huge array of products including sodas, energy drinks (with caffeine), iced teas, and mixers (like ginger beer and tonic water). The day we take the keto pledge, we have to say goodbye to all the beverages and are only left with tea, coffee, and plain water as our best friends. But thanks to products like these, we are less tempted to cheat with an actual soda!
Before finding out about Zevia, I thought I’ll have to be content with just sparkling water and lemon throughout my keto journey. So when I came to know about this brand, I dig further and realized that there are many such beverages in the market. However, the majority of them are loaded with harmful elements like Aspartame or other sweeteners that could spike your insulin and disturb ketosis.
Zevia Soda has a range of 14 sugar-free, zero-calorie drinks which are: Cherry Cola, Black Cherry, Cream Soda, Dr. Zevia, Ginger Ale, Ginger Root Beer, Cola, Caffeine-Free Cola, Grape, Grapefruit Citrus, Mountain Zevia, Lemon Lime Twist, Orange, and Strawberry.
Zevia Energy Drinks range offers these 4 flavors: Raspberry Lime, Mango Ginger, Kola, and Grapefruit.
You can choose from 8 options of their Organic Tea flavors: Organic Black Tea, Organic Black Tea (Peach flavor), Organic Earl Gray Tea (Blood Orange flavor), Organic Black Tea (Lemon Flavor), Organic Black Tea (Raspberry flavor), Caffeine-Free Organic Black Tea (Lemon Flavor), Organic Green Tea, and Organic Hibiscus Tea (Passion Fruit flavor).
Zevia Sparkling Water is available in Cucumber Lemon and Blackberry flavors.
If you are blessed with children, they also have something for them. The Zevia Kidz range has 4 exciting flavors: Orange Cream, Fruit Punch, Strawberry Lemonade and Fizzy Apple.
Last but no the least, you can also try Zevia Mixers such as Tonic Water, Ginger Beer, and Lemon Lime with Bitters.
Surprisingly enough, all of these exciting flavors are 100% keto friendly and carb-free! Their ingredients are vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO. So after knowing all this trivia, let’s talk about the elephant in the room!
Is Zevia Keto Friendly?
Zevia is a keto friendly beverage since it is free from carbohydrates. You can have it in moderation on a Ketogenic diet.
The keto diet revolves around high fat and low carb foods, so anything that is zero carbs is pretty good for us. Have a look at the nutrition label of Zevia (cola flavour):
As you can see, it has zero calories and zero carbs. Essentially there is no doubt that you can have as many cans as you want without worrying about ruining your ketosis. But at the end of the day, processed foods are artificial even if it’s just carbonated water. Anything made in the factories should be consumed in moderation to live a healthy life!
So feel free to enjoy as much as a few cans per week, but don’t think about replacing your glass of water with Zevia, lol!
Suggested: Keto-Friendly Energy Drinks
Zevia Soda Review
I absolutely love Zevia and it is one of the reasons why I’m less tempted to cheat on my diet! Cherry cola has to be my top most favorite among all of them! Cream soda gets the second position in my list.
If you are accustomed to the taste of diet coke (with all that aspartame), this stevia-sweetened drink might seem quite different. Aspartame is in fact way more sweeter and that is the reason it also feels a bit “off” sometimes. It also gives a small headache to a lot of people (me included!)
Some of my keto-er friends believe that stevia leaves a bad after-taste but honestly, I’ve never experienced it. Sometimes I do find the taste a bit artificially when drinking just the soda without any snacks alongside. Hence I enjoy it the most with a light and tasty side dish like a keto hot dog. Even if your family isn’t on keto, switching from Pepsi or coke to this more “natural” drink can be good for their health as well.
About the Taste
You might even complain about the taste when comparing it with big branded diet sodas, but hey, can’t you trade off some taste for a much more healthier drink?
One of my friends, Susie from work had always complained about how she could never give up soda in her fitness journey. I made her try this brand and she didn’t like it initially. But the next time she came over my house she was willing to experiment again. This time she actually liked it and she hasn’t looked back ever since! So I believe stevia is more of an acquired taste for most people.
The thing I love the most about Zevia is that they keep experimenting with new flavors for their customers. Just look at the huge variety they offer – 14 flavors of soda isn’t a small thing! They have so many different options that almost anyone can find a match for their taste buds.
Their have been many rumors circulating in the keto community that Stevia can somehow raise your blood sugar and disturb ketosis. But this couldn’t be further from the truth! Anything that is free from carb and calories can never interfere with your blood sugar levels or insulin.
The only complaint I have with this beverage is that as soon as you pour it over ice, the carbonation seems to vanish way too quickly! And no fizz equals no fun! When it comes to pricing, this keto beverage is costlier than other sodas but in my opinion, it’s worth the guilt-free factor that comes along with it! Since this is a 100% keto friendly item, you can enjoy it without any worries.
Also, I’ve never experienced any side effects from Zevia.
Experiment with Fun Recipes
Another reason I love this soda is that their website has a lot of recipes to experiment! One of my all time favorite recipes is this Raspberry Lime Energy Mocktail that has all the keto-friendly ingredients. One glass is enough to refresh your dead-tired soul right after a tiring day at work!
This chilling and refreshing drink requires 3 simple ingredients:
- 2 cans Zevia Raspberry Lime Energy
- A pint of raspberries
- 1/4th cup lime juice
Recipe:
✔️ Heat raspberries along with half can of Zevia in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Now keep it aside.
✔️ Mash raspberries and filter it into a jar and refrigerate.
✔️ Take two glasses and throw in some ice, and then fill equal parts lime juice and raspberry reduction.
✔️ Now it’s time to pour in Zevia Raspberry Lime into the glasses and enjoy your classic drink!
Other Keto-Friendly Beverages
Sweet drinks and sodas are the sneakiest products filled with “empty” calories, meaning they have zero nutritional value but are loaded with sugar and calories. Did you know that having a sweet drink in your fridge can almost double your chances of cheating on keto?
Hence, you need to stock up some good beverages and also keep in handy a few carb-free recipes for refreshing drinks. Whether you are having your favorite snacks or just wanting to sip on something really good, here are my top picks for Keto beverages:
Sparkling Water or Seltzer
Sparkling water aka “seltzer” are cans of bubbly water that have all the fizz with little to no sugar! You get to enjoy those lovely fruity flavors without giving second thoughts about their compatibility with the keto diet.
Vintage Seltzer offers plain seltzer along with some amazing 0 carb fruity options. They are free from artificial flavors or sweeteners so you can be sure of consuming a healthy drink. On top of it, they do not contain any sodium, as found in most packaged food and drinks. If you love to bake, this seltzer is a godsend because it makes my recipes a hell lot softer and fluffier!
Polar Seltzer is another famous brand offering low carb flavored and fizzy water with subtle flavors.
Hard seltzer is for those people who want to enjoy the most keto-friendly alcohol without even slightly disturbing their diet! It has way fewer calories than traditional beer. In simple terms, seltzer is actually a diet vodka soda, as they like to call it! The most popular and loved brand in the keto community is White Claw, which has tons of exciting flavors and each comes with 0-2g of carbs per can.
(Secret tip: Getting bored on the weekend? Pour one shot of vodka, 4oz. of plain seltzer, and squeeze a lemon on top for one of the easiest yet refreshing citrus cocktail!)
More: Are Bai Drinks Keto?
Experiment with Water
Before you skip this part thinking that water is so obvious, let me tell you there are plenty of ways to make it super fun and refreshing! And you know why I love water-based drinks on keto? You get to enjoy something that’s completely natural yet so delicious!
It’s fun to infuse some natural elements like fruits and vegetables in your water that give birth to all new drinks! You can put some berries in your water bottle and watch how the fruity flavor fills up the bottle.
I also love making mint cubes and always have a stack in my freezer. Simply put chopped mint leaves in ice cube trays, pour water, and let it freeze. Voila! You now have all the tools to make a refreshing drink in the middle of a hot day! Fill a glass of water, throw in some mint cubes, and add a few slices of cucumber, you can thank me later..
Having trouble getting in enough electrolytes? No worries! Use your custom made water drinks as a gateway to complete your electrolytes intake. Just remember to go for the ones without sugar, otherwise what’s the whole point?
Tip: It’s a good idea to count carbs for the fruits and veggies you are soaking in the water.
Keto Proof Coffee Options
Are you also sick of the limited options we keto folks have? Is your mind craving for a rich and creamy cup of Starbucks’ latest offerings? Today I’m going to end all your complaints with these awesome keto-coffee hacks:
- Craving some milk? You can add a splash of no-sugar full-fat heavy cream, almond milk, or coconut milk to your black coffee or blend it for a low-carb latte!
- Is your coffee too bitter? Feel free to add a few drops of liquid stevia to overcome the strong taste and get that caffeine flowing!
- Struggling to fulfill your fat intake? Blend your coffee with some healthy fat source, like MCT oil, coconut oil, or grass-fed butter, or MCT powder.
Takeaway: Is Zevia okay on Keto?
Zevia is a 0 carb and 0 calorie beverage that is fully compatible with the keto diet. You can satisfy all your soda cravings with this diet beverage that uses Stevia instead of artificial sweeteners.
However, make sure you have it in moderation since it is a processed food product. Do give a try to other keto-friendly beverages that are explained in this post!