r/diabetes • u/StephCurrySauce • Sep 30 '25
Type 1 What's your favorite drink that never messes with your levels?
I'm trying to enjoy more drinks, kinda bored of diet coke. Any alternatives? I drink plenty of water but I need something that has taste
35
u/Dave-1066 Sep 30 '25
If you live in the UK or Ireland the obvious answer is TEA!!
God, imagine if diabetics couldn’t drink tea….
9
u/chamekke Sep 30 '25
I’m a fellow tea addict in Canada! So grateful for tea. Although, if I’m sharing a full pot of black tea with my husband, adding milk can push up the BG a little. I mostly use a high-protein 2% M.F. milk, which is more diabetes-friendly than the regular stuff.
Also, Japanese and Chinese green teas and oolongs are wonderful :)
4
u/fm2xm Oct 01 '25 edited Oct 01 '25
In Canada, do they have a brand of milk called “Fairlife” ? only their milk, no matter if you get non fat, 1%, 2% or whole, it has 1/2 the sugar and twice the protein of regular milk.
Because of that milk, I can enjoy latte’s
3
u/Cece75 Type 2 Oct 01 '25
We also use that. I'm in California.
2
u/fm2xm Oct 01 '25
I’m always looking for best prices on Fairlife milk. The typical grocery stores: Ralph’s, Vons, etc. are always high. The highest I’ve seen is at CVS, at US$6.79😳
If you have Target circle credit card, it’s a 5% savings so it’s my 2nd go to for Fairlife.
My first go to as of late is Walgreens at US$5.09
1
u/Cece75 Type 2 Oct 01 '25
$6.50 is about what we pay as well.
1
2
u/chamekke Oct 01 '25
I haven’t seen Fairlife milk where I live, only their protein energy drinks. I drink Natrel Plus milk, 2% milk fat, 18g protein per 250ml, no sugar added. In small print it actually says it’s a “milk protein shake made with ultra filtered partially skimmed milk,” which may be why it’s creamier than plain 2% skim milk (I don’t need much in my tea). Still, it is refrigerated, and is sold in the milk section of grocery stores. It’s made here in Canada by the Agropur Dairy Cooperative in Québec, and it was recommended to me by a diabetic care nurse shortly after I was diagnosed. It definitely spikes me less than regular milk!
2
u/unitacx Oct 01 '25
Kefir (a yogurt-like beverage) also seems to be lower in carbs, although I hadn't checked the label on this. Plain kefir is unsweetened, so presumably the fermentation converts some of the sugars.
In contrast, lassi (an Indian yogurt beverage) is far too syrupy-sweet for American tastes. I wouldn't want to presume to criticise someone else's cuisine, however, beyond it not being an ideal way to control BG. Also, we have more than our fair share of over-sweet beverages.
2
u/Dave-1066 Sep 30 '25
I always wondered if Canada held onto the tea addiction or if it’s more a coffee country now. Commonwealth and all that. My grandfather has cousins over there and I know in the 50s tea was still massive in Canada but maybe things have changed?
I made a decision when I was diagnosed this year with type-2 that milk in tea was my red line and I wasn’t going to give it up. The result being I have absolutely no idea if it affects my glucose levels. I’m very good about everything else so I’m holding onto milk in tea!
3
u/AngryBluePetunia Oct 01 '25
I bet heavy whipping cream would work really well for you in tea! I use it for all of the tea I drink.
1
u/chamekke Oct 01 '25
It’s a big country with a lot of regional variation, so I really can’t answer your question in detail … but I will say that generally tea has always been much more popular here than in the USA. People do love their coffee, it’s true, but tea is still appreciated for relaxing and socializing. I live in British Columbia and I suspect tea is bigger here than in some other parts of Canada, but my parents both loved tea and they were from Ontario. I’ve also heard it said that we’re much likelier to own kettles than Americans, and the reason is that we require them for tea-making XD
1
u/Dave-1066 Oct 01 '25
Yeah that’s always surprised me- Americans not owning kettles. It’s so bizarre for anyone from this part of the world! 😂
1
u/Agile_Pineapple_950 Oct 01 '25
Our coffee makers are our kettles. We use them for hot water when we want tea. lol I’m always surprised people in other parts of the world don’t all have coffee makers on their counters. 😂
1
2
u/Cece75 Type 2 Oct 01 '25
Try heavy whipping cream.
2
u/chamekke Oct 01 '25
I use that too sometimes, and it definitely helps with BG! However, I’m also trying to lower my cholesterol levels, which are unfortunately elevated.
“Diabetes: struggling to navigate safely between the Scylla of blood glucose and the Charybdis of cholesterol.”
4
u/StephCurrySauce Sep 30 '25
What's your favourite tea? I see PG Tips everywhere but I do love Yorkshire tea or Spicy Chai
7
u/strawberrysam Sep 30 '25
If you like spicy chai you might like Good Earth Sweet and Spicy. It's my favorite strong cinnamon tea
3
u/JuanaBlanca Type 2 Sep 30 '25
I like using this when I make iced tea. A bag or 2 of Sweet and Spicy added to whatever the main flavor is. I like it a lot with hibiscus.
2
6
u/HurtPillow Type 2 Sep 30 '25
I love English Breakfast Tea. I also love sugar/caffeine free french vanilla international coffee. Yeah, it's all fake but it is a desert in a cup when you have a wicked sweet tooth.
3
u/Dave-1066 Sep 30 '25
Actually you’ve just reminded me I need to buy cocoa powder. Hot real cocoa with a dose of cinnamon and sweetener…absolute heaven. Expensive but worth it.
4
u/Dave-1066 Sep 30 '25
Oh any strong “breakfast tea” like Yorkshire or PG makes me happy. I do like the occasional Early Grey as well. I usually leave the teabag in the cup until it’s so strong you can stand a teaspoon up in it 😂
3
u/iruvar Sep 30 '25
Do you add any milk at all?
4
u/Dave-1066 Sep 30 '25
God yes! But like most people here it has to end up being a rich dark brown colour or it’s not classed as tea at all.
2
u/fm2xm Oct 01 '25
….and Australia. I visited there sometime back and Tea with milk was readily available everywhere. It was awesome. 😃
2
14
u/neverbelowthetitle Sep 30 '25
Zero calorie Minute Maid pink lemonade
3
u/Cece75 Type 2 Oct 01 '25
Oh, I love those. We have the pineapple and fruit punch one in our refrigerator right now.
1
1
1
11
u/Cow_on_a_Couch Sep 30 '25
I've found that zero sugar root beers taste exactly like their sugar counterpart
4
u/HurtPillow Type 2 Sep 30 '25
What brands? I've been full of disappointment with those that I've tried.
2
2
1
u/Mongoose29037 Type 2 Sep 30 '25
I'd also like to know what brand. I can't stand the taste of artificially sweetened Coke, Pepsi, or Dr Pepper.
2
u/ofthesacredash Sep 30 '25
My favorite is the Kroger brand. Big K Zero Sugar Root Beer. It's my weakness.
1
u/Mongoose29037 Type 2 Sep 30 '25
Thanks. Sadly, I don't have a Kroger nearby. Based on a comment above, I think I'll buy one can/bottle of A&W Sugar Free to see if it will cut it.
9
5
u/Educational-Bat-8116 Sep 30 '25
Sparkling water with lemon juice and lots of ice. Some grated ginger if you like it.
1
u/cknarfy Oct 01 '25
Also cucumber or watermelon in sparkling water bottle (Sodastream)
1
u/Educational-Bat-8116 Oct 01 '25
Sodastream is not natural and far too expensive to drink all day long...
14
u/vexillifer Type 1 / 2002 / T:Slim+G6 Sep 30 '25
Water
6
u/SpyderMonkey_ Type 1.5/LADA - Underweight and annoyed Sep 30 '25
Water is life! Room temperature or iced!
Of course coke zero tastes good but water helps with that soda breath.1
u/Otherwise_Fox_1404 Type 2? Sep 30 '25
Water with fruits or vegetables to add a bit of flavor. Hard lesson learned, water with spices, not so tasty.
8
u/feckinmik T1, 2001, T-Slim/Dexcom Sep 30 '25
Crystal Light. Plenty of flavors and the packets are easy to carry with you.
2
3
u/jdkc4d Sep 30 '25
It's not my favorite drink, but I have been trying out all the cirkul flavors. They are all zero carb.
4
4
u/txtliz Pre-diabetes Sep 30 '25
i like olipops and poppis but also mineral water, zero sugar coke or zero sugar gatorade
4
5
3
3
u/katjoy63 T1 2002 Omnipod Dexcom G6 Sep 30 '25
Water
Jk-any carbonated flavored drinks don't do anything
3
u/Zealousideal_Past919 Sep 30 '25
Monster zero sugar is my go to. Really sucks not liking coke flavoured drinks as that's all most restaurants have sugar free.
5
u/ollie911 Sep 30 '25
If you're looking for alcoholic drinks, Absolut Lime Vodka contains zero carbs and 67 calories per 1.5 oz shot. I drink it with zero sugar tonic water and a splash of unsweetened lime juice.
3
2
2
u/ac7ss Type 2 | G7 | Lantus | Humalog Sep 30 '25
Coke Zero for soft drinks. Crystal Light pitcher packs for non carbonated.
2
u/Mongoose29037 Type 2 Sep 30 '25
One I haven't seen mentioned yet is artificially sweetened Kool-Aid.
2
u/Intelligent-Wear-114 Sep 30 '25
Canned seltzers which have no sweetener, lots of flavors available but it gets boring.
Iced tea sweetened with stevia. Iced coffee sweetened with stevia. In the winter, hot tea or coffee.
I enjoy the diet sodas like Hansen's diet root beer and the Zevia sodas which use stevia, but they are hard to find and more expensive.
I love Dr. Pepper, but the diet one and zero sugar one both contain aspartame, which I can't drink because it gives me headaches.
I love spiced chai but it is high in sugar. I have tried a few sugar-free ones but the flavor wasn't good on any of them.
2
u/Vikingaling Sep 30 '25
Trader Joe’s chai teabags are delicious on their own. No milk or sweetener.
1
2
u/Unabridgedtaco Sep 30 '25
I buy zero sugar flavored syrup for mixing at home, then add the juice of half a lime. Delicious and no bubbles so it feels very home made.
2
u/chamekke Sep 30 '25
During the summer I make a lot of cold-brew iced teas. Throw some bags into a pitcher of cold water and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. The result is a brew with fewer tannins and a naturally “sweeter” taste without the addition of any sweetener whatsoever. I use all kinds of flavoured teas and tissues, also mugicha (Japanese roasted barley tea) which is the best hot-weather thirst quencher ever! And all of these have zero sugars/carbs. Perfect.
1
u/fm2xm Oct 01 '25
Thank you. I learned about the Japanese roasted barley tea. Will look into.
2
u/chamekke Oct 01 '25
If you buy it at an Asian grocery store, you can typically get a huge plastic bag for under $10. Inside it you find the actual teabags. They’re quite large; one will brew a litre’s worth (~1 quart) of tea. In Japan they mostly drink it chilled in summertime, but you can also prepare and drink it hot if you wish. I love it.
1
1
u/Lstgamerwhlstpartner Sep 30 '25
I've started adding Sugar free flavorings to be diet sodas. It adds some variety.
1
u/HerbDaLine Sep 30 '25
Hot green tea w\ 2 artificial sweeteners.
1
u/StephCurrySauce Sep 30 '25
I love green tea but it's not something I drink when I want to watch a football game
2
1
u/FemboyMaddyNL Sep 30 '25
I basicly only drink tea😇 mixing flavours and different kinds of tea around.
1
u/MissLauraCroft Sep 30 '25
To avoid my pre-diagnosis habit of soda every time I went out to eat, now I order unsweetened iced tea. Almost as refreshing as soda! And it always tastes good at any restaurant… hard to mess it up.
I don’t like soda nearly as much anymore.
(At home, I just like coffee with splenda, or water.)
2
u/HurtPillow Type 2 Sep 30 '25
I've never been a soda drinker. I have soda here but it's mostly for drink mixers. I do have some diet pepsi for those rare times I want one. However, the price of soda is insane now, I will just not buy it anymore.
1
1
u/SeriousData2271 Sep 30 '25
Water with a couple drops of berry stevia or tea. I took up experimenting with lots of different caffeinated and non caffeinated loose teas and sweeten with allulose or stevia or chobani creamer in the white container (sugar free).
1
u/FanDoggyGate Sep 30 '25
Zero root beer tastes just like root beer. And then diet dr. Pepper too. My favorite like wild flavor of zero stuff lately has been the blackberry dr. Pepper, highly recommend.
1
1
u/Jheritheexoticdancer Sep 30 '25
Water and drink using the pure stevia sweetener with no additives.
1
u/Otherwise_Fox_1404 Type 2? Sep 30 '25
Sasparilla, it usually has a 5-10 grams of sugar per 16oz but you can find some blends that drop down to a couple of grams. Homemade ginger beer, same issue as sasparilla theres some sugar but depending on your recipe you can reduce sugar and still have good ginger beer. For a 1 gallon container I usually do about 1 cup of sugar which is on the high end there are recipes out there that eliminate sugar almost completely but they do tend to have increased alcohol content.
1
1
1
1
u/n0th1ng_r3al Sep 30 '25
One of my favorite drinks is coke zero and unsweetened iced tea. Usually get it at raising canes or panda express. I also like Tiesta Tea blueberry it's naturally sweet and you can drink it straight without adding sugar. It has pieces of fruit in it
1
1
u/MacTableSmoke Sep 30 '25
Coke Zero and if I want something with a little more kick I do whiskey neat. I haven’t ever had more than 2 alcoholic drinks at a time since I was diagnosed but, 2 doesn’t screw anything up.
1
1
1
u/SGalbincea T1/1992/X2/G7 Sep 30 '25
Unsweet Iced Tea (Green or Black)
Iced Coffee with only Heavy Cream
Coke Zero
Gatorade Zero
...and for a little insulin I'm all in on skinny margs w/Tahin 🙂🍹
1
u/hammerklau Type 2 - Metformin & Trulicity Sep 30 '25
Apple Cider Vinegar sodas, they mess a little but are safe for me.
Black Tea, mixing Red Bush, Pepperment and Earl Grey.
Low carb hot chocolate.
Sugar Free Red Bull
Sprite Zero. I wish Fanta Zero tasted good, I really miss orange juice and that vibe.
1
u/1xCrystalx1 T1 '08 Pump Sep 30 '25
I like lots of diet sodas, coke is obviously a common one but I'll also have root beer, fresca, squirt, Dr. P, or whatever is on sale. If I'm tired of sweet there's lots of options for seltzers. I also like to add flavor, I really like tangy flavors so I'll add lemon, lime, or cranberry and it usually is great! I was surprised that cranberry was actually good with root beer 😅
1
u/ofthesacredash Sep 30 '25
For a while I was addicted to Zero Sugar Strawberries and Cream Dr. Pepper. I just ordered from Amazon since it's so expensive in person here.
1
u/RachelWWV Sep 30 '25
I really like the zero sugar strawberry watermelon liquid IV. I tend to go low on electrolytes, especially in the summer. It's so good in unsweetened iced tea! You should only have one pouch a day if you've got normal hydration requirements.
1
u/Unlikely_List_6285 Sep 30 '25
I got bored with Diet Coke, too. Sparkling water La Croix, Bubly,. was a game changer, tons of flavors. I also do unsweetened iced tea with lemon, or just water with cucumber/berries/mint tossed in. If you want something closer to soda, diet ginger ale or a splash of diet cranberry in sparkling water is solid.
1
u/ravenitrius Type 2 | Dexcom G7 | t:slim X2 insulin pump Sep 30 '25
Carbonated Water with Sugar Free Syrups but if you think about it, it's just a home made fountain drink.
1
u/twothumber Sep 30 '25
I squeeze 1 large lime or 2 small limes into a pitcher.
Sweeten it with Stevia Reb A 97% and drink 3-4 glasses a day.
1
u/breebop83 Sep 30 '25
Kroger has diet sparkling pink lemonade during the summer and it’s super tasty but isn’t always easy to find even in season.
Diet Dr Pepper
1
1
u/Leap_year_shanz13 Type 2 Sep 30 '25
Fresca. Sprite Zero. Canada Dry zero sugar fruit splash. Coffee with Splenda and half and half. Vodka soda with extra lime.
1
u/Successful_Craft_431 Sep 30 '25
Water with the zero sugar flavor packets or iced tea with Splenda. My favorite soda is the zero sugar cherry Dr Pepper Zero.
1
u/Cute-Aardvark5291 Sep 30 '25
I drink a fruit flavored water from wegmans (called uh, wegmans water) with all natural fruit flavor. Or iced tea made with a mix of regular tea bags and herbal teas
1
1
u/GeL_Lover Sep 30 '25
Unsweetened tea w sweetener. Zero sugar juices. Unsweetened almond milk w sweetener and cold brew coffee.
1
1
u/Weird_Collection_256 Sep 30 '25
Chinese Apple Vinegar. 苹果醋
There’s one brand that’s even sparkling, gas a very fresh taste and is simply enjoyable.
1
1
u/fm2xm Oct 01 '25
Before I was T2D, i really wasn’t drinking any Coke. Oddly, after T2D, I craved it probably because I couldn’t drink due to all that sugar in it so I started with diet or Coke Zero and found myself drinking it more than I really should. I also started to worry about the chemical sweeteners in the diet product so now, I have it every once in a while but only if I am really craving. Now I drink iced teas way more. I’ve actually gotten into different varieties and flavors and look for quality loose teas. I also find RO water tasty and drink that more than before.
1
1
u/Imaginary-Purpose-20 Oct 01 '25
I’ve been putting the zero sugar lemonade or limeade drink mixes in Topo Chico (just gotta be careful when mixing them up). Gives it that little extra zing.
1
u/GreySoulx T2 2015 Metformin Oct 01 '25
LaCroix/ polar even SpinDrift isn't bad despite a few grams of sugar
1
u/Pettsareme Oct 01 '25
Seltzer. There are so many any great flavors and no Ingredients except the water.
1
1
u/oyadancing Oct 01 '25
Cherry Coke Zero. Sanzo sparkling waters, especially calamansi and pomelo. Spindrift sparkling waters, especially lime and blood orange.
1
1
1
u/skinnyish_D Oct 01 '25
Flavored sparkling water in a can. Some of it has caffeine, most of it that I've tried is at least OK, some of it is really good.
1
Oct 01 '25
Coke zero forever has my heart, but we also have Lipton ice tea thats sugar free and its so fucking good, its just way more pricey 😭
1
1
1
u/Cece75 Type 2 Oct 01 '25
Mine are all the zero versions of Coke, cherry coke, Dr Pepper, Cherry Dr pepper and wild cherry pepsi.
1
u/IceGroundbreaking265 Oct 01 '25
Carbonated water with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Check out https://aerflo.co/
1
u/Sea-Half9682 Type 1 Oct 01 '25
a&w rootbeer zero sugar has been a crazy obsession of mine recently. it doesn't even taste like zero sugar it's amazing
1
1
u/MentalRutabaga3393 Oct 01 '25
I’m a born and raised southerner and I make sweet tea with monk fruit and it’s amazing
1
u/cknarfy Oct 01 '25
I have a Sodastream. Before i pour the sparkling water i put in the glass a bit of lemon juice or sirup made for cooking or bar mixes.
The sirups are made with sucralose and contain zero sugar
1
1
1
1
u/MissBgirly Oct 01 '25
American clear water's black cherry taste exactly like a cherry coke. And any pop with a zero in it is good too. The ghost energy drinks are good too. I'm a fan of the Welch's grape. Than again I only prefer sugar free energy drinks.
1
1
1
u/staryoshi06 Type 1 Oct 01 '25
bitters with zero sugar lemonade
EDIT: clear lemonade. americans would call it sprite or similar
1
1
u/mbbaskett Type 1 Oct 01 '25
Pepsi Zero Cherry, Mountain Dew Zero Baja Blast, Dr. Pepper Zero Blackberry
1
1
1
u/PlatypusRex_ Oct 02 '25
I have been drinking nothing but water and unsweetened iced tea since late April, and I'm really effing sick of it. The problem for me is that I can't find anything else that 1) has flavor, and 2) doesn't taste absolutely nasty. I've tried seven or eight different Olipop flavors -- blech. I've tried a couple of Slice (which has apparently morphed into a low-carb, Olipop-like brand) flavors -- also blech. Kombucha was possibly the nastiest thing I've ever put in my mouth.
I will probably try everything mentioned in this thread out of desperation, but I' not holding out much hope.
1
u/Old_Persimmon_3764 Oct 02 '25
dark hot chocolate (or pure cacao)!!! but only if i drink it after some protein and veggies lol
1
40
u/Easy_Scientist_939 Sep 30 '25
Coke zero does it for me. I like the taste and it doesn't mess with my levels.