I ended up with the stomach flu a few weeks ago, Hubby drove me into work and I asked him to run up to Whole Foods (AKA Whole Paycheck) and grab me some ginger ale. He returned with a six pack of Zevia ginger ale. I opened a can and sipped the soda, it was sweet and ginger like. Honestly it was fantastic! See I grew up with soda and have always been a fan, that was until I started learning about aspartame and high fructose corn syrup. So I quit drinking soda, I have learned how to make lacto-fermented sodas and they are great but there is still something about a can of soda, call it ingrained or comfort but it is what it is.
I found myself at Whole Foods again last week. I grabbed a six pack of Zevia Ginger Root Beer. I’m a HUGE root beer fan, in fact I really want to make some. I took it home and Hubby and I both tried it. This stuff is the real deal! There is no off taste or anything. So I guess I’m getting ahead of myself, what exactly is Zevia? It is a all natural soda with zero calories and zero sugar, in fact the only things listed on the label of this can of root beer I have next to me is 20mg of sodium, 7g of carbs and 7 grams of erythritol. The soda is actually sweetened with erythritol and stevia. What is erythritol? This comes from Zevia’s website: Erythritol is one of those ingredients that we love but shouldn’t judge by its overly scientific sounding name. Erythritol is a natural component of fruits and vegetables. It is called a sugar alcohol, even though it is neither sugar nor alcohol. It is removed from fruits and vegetables through a natural fermentation process, much like that of yogurt. It has absolutely no calories and no effect on blood sugar. Super safe? You betcha! In fact, unlike its sugar alcohol cousins, Xylitol and Sorbitol, Erythritol is not known to cause digestive issues.
This is not sold in every supermarket though, I found it at Whole Foods and a 6 pack is close to $6, but a $1 a can… that’s not too bad. I have also found it at Fred Meyer (Kroger for the rest of you) but they have less variety. Whole Foods has probably 3 shelves full of different flavors, Fred Meyer had 4 different flavors. So far we’ve tried Ginger Root Beer, Ginger Ale, and Black Cherry, Hubby is a fan of Cream Soda so I want to try that next. This is a great alternative for diabetics, people with insulin resistance, and children. If you go to the Zevia website http://www.zevia.com/index you can also print off (or have them mail you) a $2 off coupon when you buy two 6 packs. I don’t think you’ll be sorry, this stuff really tastes like soda but without all the garbage. If you have neither Kroger or Whole Foods near you, check out the website, you can enter your zip code and find a store near you. It’s a great “treat” after dinner, I don’t feel guilty about having sugar late and it still curbs that sweet desire I have. LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff! Check it out yourself and tell me what you think.
virtuousgracious 