11 Tasty & Healthy Non-Carbonated Canned Drinks Besides Soda

1. Iced Tea

For an invigorating alternative to soda, look no further than iced tea. Black, green, white - take your pick of tea varieties and you'll get antioxidants and natural caffeine without artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Canned iced teas from brands like Lipton, Arizona, Honest Tea, and Peace Tea come in an array of flavors from sweetened to unsweetened. For a lighter option, seek out canned teas with no added sugars. A 12 ounce serving of most unsweetened canned iced teas contains around 1 calorie and 35mg of caffeine.

2. Cold Brew Coffee

Coffee may seem like an obvious alternative to soda, but cold brew coffee offers some unique advantages. The cold brewing process results in a smoother, less acidic taste compared to traditional iced coffee. Bottled cold brews have started popping up everywhere, but canned options offer greater portability and recyclability. Brands like Stumptown, High Brew, La Colombe, and many others now offer canned cold brew coffees in flavors like black, vanilla, mocha, and more. An 8 ounce serving contains roughly 100mg of caffeine, so it packs all the energizing punch of soda without the added sugars.

3. Sparkling Water

Sparkling water, sometimes called seltzer or carbonated water, makes for an ideal replacement for traditional sodas. The bubbly effervescence provides that satisfying fizziness you crave from soda, without any sweeteners or calories. Sparkling water comes in several varieties - from plain to flavored with essences of fruits, herbs, and spices. Look for canned options from Spindrift, La Croix, Perrier, Polar, and other brands in your grocery store's water aisle. For a DIY approach, buy a home soda maker like the SodaStream and create your own bubbly beverages.

4. Coconut Water

Refreshingly sweet and pleasantly nutty, coconut water has natural electrolytes that make it incredibly hydrating. Straight-up coconut water can have a polarizing taste, but there are delicious flavored varieties available in cans. Brands like Harmless Harvest, O.N.E, Vita Coco, and Zico offer canned coconut waters in tropical flavors like pineapple, mango, passionfruit, and more. An 11.1 ounce can of coconut water generally contains 60 calories and over a dozen vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium and vitamin C.

5. Coffee & Tea Fusions

As cold brew coffee and tea grow increasingly popular, beverage brands have started fusing them together for canned drinks that give you the best of both worlds. Options like High Brew's Coffee + Tea blends combine antioxidant-rich teas with a caffeine boost from coffee. Starbucks' Evolution cold brew line also includes coffee and tea mixtures in flavors like peach green tea and black tea with honey. These innovative hybrid beverages deliver the energizing lift of coffee plus herbal flavor in a low calorie, soda-alternative can.

6. Organic Juices

Freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices make for flavorful non-carbonated canned drinks. While some canned juices contain added sugars, you can find many with no sweeteners whatsoever. Organic brands like Suja, Raw Generation, and HPP offer cold pressed juices in antioxidant-rich combinations of fruits and veggies. Options include green juices packed with kale and spinach, orange carrot juices, and tropical blends made with pineapples, apples, and more. Though pricier than soda, unflavored canned juices provide nutrients, minerals and natural sweetness in each serving.

7. Kombucha

A tangy, fizzy fermented tea, kombucha has grown from a health store obscurity to a mainstream canned beverage. Major brands like GTs, Health-Ade, Brew Dr., and Humm all offer pre-bottled kombucha in a spectrum of enticing flavors, from fruity blends to botanical varieties. Though it contains a bit of natural sugar, kombucha is raw, unpasteurized and filled with probiotics for gut health. The effervescence and hint of vinegar taste make kombucha a unique stand-in for conventional sodas. Try flavors like ginger-lemon, passionfruit, or peach mint when looking for something flavorful and refreshing.

8. Drinking Vinegars

Drinking vinegars have also surged in popularity as unique soda alternatives. These beverages mix fruit juices or purées with vinegar, resulting in a tangy, semi-sweet flavor. Brands like Farmhouse Culture sell canned drinking vinegars in varieties like strawberry hibiscus, pineapple chili-lime, and beet-ginger-turmeric. Though they sound odd, drinking vinegars contain less sugar than many sodas and provide the acidic brightness that quenches thirst. The vinegar is alkalizing and offers a boost of prebiotics to support gut bacteria as well.

9. Wellness Tonics

Functional beverages that blend adaptogenic herbs, mushrooms, roots, spices and other healing ingredients are coming to the canned drinks aisle. Many of these pre-mixed tonics use apple cider vinegar, which gives them a soda-like tartness with health benefits. For example, Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha sells bottled tonics featuring ingredients like turmeric, reishi mushrooms, schisandra, cinnamon and more. Others, like shorts from Tonic Health, contain soothing and energizing Ayurvedic spices and botanicals. Though flavor profiles vary widely, wellness tonics make intriguing alternatives to sugary sodas.

10. Flavored Sparkling Waters

While some enjoy the purity of unflavored seltzer, others may find the taste lacking. Thankfully, there are dozens of flavored sparkling waters that provide light fruit or herbal essences without calories or sweeteners. Spindrift makes sparkling waters with just a squeeze of real fruit juice, while La Croix and Bubly offer fun essences ranging from mango to lemon to coconut. For something more exotic, branch out with water brands like Olipop that use botanicals like chamomile, rose hips, and elderberry. The flavor variations are endless, giving you no shortage of bubbly, soda-like alternatives.

11. Traditional Ginger Ale & Root Beer

When crafted properly with natural ingredients and less sugar, old fashioned ginger ales and root beers can also make tasty alternatives to heavily sweetened sodas. Look for canned versions made with pure cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, which has an even more dramatic impact on blood sugar. Small batch brands like Spindrift, Boylan Bottling Co., and others offer ginger ales and root beers with a nostalgic flavor and just a touch of real sugar. Though not completely without calories, they reintroduce traditional sodas in a healthier light.

With this range of bubbly, flavorful options, there's no reason to limit yourself to syrupy, artificial sodas that are all sugar and no substance. Branch out with lighter drinks that hydrate, energize and satisfy your cravings without the unhealthy side effects. From iced teas, juices and coffees to naturally flavored waters, the canned beverage world offers something for everyone looking to avoid conventional sodas. Get adventurous and try out a few new varieties from this list - your body and tastebuds will thank you!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.