I used to be a heavy cola drinker (somewhere between 2 to 4 cans a day) and I decided that for me, it was ok in moderation but drinking it daily in the amounts that I was just wasn’t a healthy habit.

I found the trick to kicking the pop addiction was finding a replacement beverage that satisfied both the convenience and taste factor.

What I most liked about drinking it was that it’s nice and cold, easy to grab and go and had some “texture” to it (the carbonated beverage). Although I like a bit of fruit juice, it was too “syrupy” for me to find it satisfying as a main beverage and plain water wasn’t doing it either.

Here’s a replacement that worked for me:

• Keep a jug of water refrigerated at all times. It has to be prepared fresh daily or sealed well because once it tastes a bit stale, you’re turned off of it for awhile.
• Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice in the jug, as much as you like, tossing in the just squeezed fruit wedges too.
• When serving, pour over a full glass of crushed ice. The crushed ice added a bit of “texture” that I felt was an acceptable replacement to the carbonated soda. It wasn’t carbonated, but the sensation was satisfying enough.
• I found keeping it cold, always at the ready and lots of crushed ice on hand was key.

More Tips

• Don’t keep any pop in the house, especially canned. When you open a can, it’s too easy to feel obligated to drink the whole thing (otherwise it’s wasteful).
• If you find in the beginning that you just have to have some, keep a small bottle refrigerated. I found that giving myself a sip or two was enough to satisfy my craving. Just be careful to only take sips when you’re on the verge of guzzling a 2 Litre bottle of cola.
• Keep water bottles at the ready so you can just fill them up when you’re running out the door. You may have to pound the crushed ice a bit finer for it to scoop up nicely into the empty bottle.

If you give yourself a few days, you’ll find the craving won’t be that strong and that you’re satisfied with the citrus flavored water. For me, the crushed ice was a must have.

This is a great healthy alternative that’s easy (and cheap) to maintain.