Monday, March 16, 2009

I'm a Pepper...







Lately, I’ve had a craving for Diet Dr. Pepper. Though I’m not technically supposed to have soda because of a stomach condition, I broke down and bought a 2-liter anyway, considering this the least of my food infractions. I’m not sure when I developed a taste for this drink, but I love it. To me, it has the least “diet” taste of any diet drink.






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This is actually kind of funny, considering I hated Dr. Pepper growing up. My sister always loved it. Then I married a man who is addicted. I buy quite a few 2 liters every week for at home, and he drinks the 20 ounce bottles at work. Trust me, I don’t use the term addicted lightly. When health issues forced me to make the switch to diet drinks, I taught myself to like Diet Coke, though it was a long time coming. I still can’t stomach Diet Pepsi. Diet Mountain Dew is another favorite. But at home I usually drink decaffeinated tea made with Splenda or Crystal light. Unfortunately, making myself drink water is a chore I constantly struggle with.

But every so often, I’ll indulge that need for bubbly sweet goodness for just a little while. Besides, it is spring break week. I could use all the caffeine I can get with the munchkins at home 24/7.

What’s your Go To drink every day? What do you find yourself craving every once in a while?

Angel

22 comments:

Maven Linda said...

I haven't had a carbonated drink of any kind in about five months. I drink coffee and water for the most part, though I've also fallen in love with Simply Orange orange juice. My goodness, that stuff's good! I also drink Crystal Light lemonade, a few bottles a week.

I actually took myself off soft drinks a few years ago, then gradually got back into drinking maybe one a day, or two if circumstances made water or coffee unavailable. Now I'm completely off them again. Diet Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew are so addictive because of the high caffeine content, and about the only way to wean yourself off them without headaches is to replace the caffeine.

I've also begun making the occasional cup of coffee with International Foods French Vanilla sugar-free mix. Yum.

But I do occasionally miss the taste of a Diet Coke. Diet Pepsi? Barf.

Playground Monitor said...

Diet Anything? Blech. I'v never been able to stomach the taste of aspertame. Everyone says it's tasteless but it isn't to me. I'm a supertaster (I have more tastebuds per inch than most people) and tastes are more intense to me. I also don't like really salty or fatty foods. Unlike most supertasters, I like brocolli and fish.

I can handle Splenda okay, but my preferred Go To drink is regular Pepsi or sweet iced tea.

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

I like diet drinks (except pepsi, hate pepsi). Diet Coke is my favorite, followed by Diet Dr. Pepper, Sprite Zero, and Diet Mt. Dew. That said, I try not to drink it on a daily basis. Usually when I go out because I don't like the tap water that most restaurants give you. At work, I drink green tea in the mornings, flavored, sugar free water in the afternoon.

I've even gotten DB to try Diet Dr. Pepper. He says its 'allright' but he's as addicted as your DH is, Angel.

Problem Child said...

I was a Dr. Pepper addict for years. I gave it up when I got preggers and the caffeine wasn't good for AC. Now I think it's way to sweet.

I never liked the diet drinks until I found Diet Coke with Splenda, and now I'm hooked on that.

I'm trying to wean myself now as part of my new diet/exercise plan, but it's really tough.

Sherry Werth said...

So far we're in agreement on the Diet Pepsi. Yuck!
I usually only allow myself 1 diet soft drink at lunch. My favs are: Diet Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Mt. Dew. I will throw in a Diet 7-Up sometime but they're hard to find in my town. I drink coffee in the morning but it has to have creamer and sweetnlow.
As I'm typing this I realize I'm such a creature of habit.
AM-coffee; lunch-Diet Coke; afternoon-water (plain or with flavor packets); evening-adult beverage. :)

The International Foods coffee Maven Linda mentioned is good stuff. My fav is the sugar-free Swiss Mocha.

Anonymous said...

I'm a tea drinker myself, make that decaf tea drinker. 1 cup of decaf coffee daily and when not either of these I drink flavored water.
robertsonreads

mslizalou said...

I love diet drinks, except diet pepsi(to me it taste like flat diet coke). My favorites are Diet Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper, and Diet Mt. Dew. I drink Diet Sprite too, but normally when I don't feel well. My trainer has told me to cut out all soft drinks, but I do let myself have one a day.

I do tend to crave diet drinks if I haven't had one in a while. My cravings are either for Diet Dr. Pepper or Diet Mt. Dew.

housemouse88 said...

I'm trying to quit the carbonated drinks. I've fallen off the wagon today. My usual drink of choice is sweet tea or lemonade.

My hubby loves Mt. Dew. If they ever go on strike, I'll have to stock pile the stuff. Otherwise, there won't be a soul alive in Kentucky. He is so addicted to Mt. Dew I can't live with him if he doesn't have one in his 24/7.

Have a great day.

Lynn Raye Harris said...

I drink so few carbonated drinks that when I do, I go for full sugar. Like SP, I don't like restaurant tap water, so I order sweet tea or Coke or Dr. Pepper. Those are my drinks when out, typically.

At home, I drink coffee in the morning, water all day (must be spring water) and red wine a few nights a week.

Fortunately, I like water. I especially love bubbly water, like Perrier, but I don't drink it much because it's expensive in the US. In Europe, bubbly water is a staple. I learned to drink it there, though I know people think it tastes like Alka Seltzer. I did too, until I suddenly didn't. :)

Sometimes, I'll get a case of San Pellegrino at Costco. It's great with a slice of lemon or lime, and I swear that bubbly water cured my GERD. I very rarely have acid reflux anymore, and I used to be a serial consumer of Zantac. But about the time I moved to Europe for the second time and started drinking bubbly water, my acid reflux subsided and hasn't returned.

MLC said...

I'm another one who doesn't do aspartame... it makes me sick. Never could handle it.

My Go to drink is, believe it or not, V-8 Fusion Peach-mango. I just love this drink! I also drink Sprite, mostly in the evenings.

I got off of caffeinated pops and coffee when I was pregnant (about 16 years ago!).

I am, however, a tea enthusiast and I love some of the GFIC flavors-Cafe Vienna and Hazelnut Belgian Cafe. Otherwise, I mostly drink water or plain ice tea.

Sherry Werth said...

Lynn, thanks for that GERD info. Bubbly water, huh. Hubby takes Prilosec daily and it mostly keeps it under control but sometimes it flares up anyway. Who knows, it may help him.

Playground Monitor said...

LOL at the Alka Seltzer. When we lived in Germany, the husband's secretary invited us for dinner one evening. She was a terrific cook and we were all stuffed and uncomfortable from all the food we'd consumed. She brought out Apollonaris, a bubbly water, and poured us all a glass. It tasted like plop, plop, fizz, fizz and darned if it didn't ease the discomfort.

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

LOL - one of the first phrases I had to learn in Germany was the word for "still water." That bubbly stuff tastes like club soda, which I hate.

Lynn Raye Harris said...

Sherry, if you can get him to drink Appollinaris or San Pelegrino or Perrier, it might help (but of course it's not a guarantee!). It definitely did for me. I pretty much drank it non-stop when I lived there, so I consumed a lot. :)

PM, I'm not surprised! That would definitely help ease the discomfort.

SP, I don't like the stilles wasser you get in restaurants over there. It's kind of like distilled water. But it seems like every region of Germany has a local bottler of mineral water. I think the one we drank the most actually was from a French spring in the Vosges mountains.

You can also get Gerolsteiner Sprudel in some grocery stores, btw. That is also bubbly water. :) And if you feel like spending the money, buy the lemon or lime flavored Perriers. They are SOOOO good, IMO.

Angel said...

I've never known anyone who drank bubbly water, much. Now I guess I do. :)

Looks like I'm not the only Dr. Pepper fan out there. I'll have to give those IF drinks a try, too. I'm usually a big hot chocolate drinker in the winter. Love that stuff!

Angel

PM's Mother said...

Do any of you drink milk (skim of course)? I6 is good for your bones!

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

No milk for me. Lactose is not my friend.

Playground Monitor said...

I recently developed lactose intolerance too. I can tolerate yogurt okay, but otherwise I'm popping Lact-aid pills.

Actually, humans are the only animals who drink milk beyond infancy and the only animals who drink milk from another species. The US leads the world in after-infancy milk consumption. And given that 75% of the world is lactose intolerant, it's scary we're pushing something on folks that can make them sick.

My doc told me there were lots of other ways to get calcium such as broccoli and other dark green leafy vegetables, almonds, tofu, beans (especially navy beans and pinto beans), oatmeal and oranges. And many foods are fortified with calcium too. I buy orange juice with added calcium.

Off my soapbox.

Jane said...

I can't live without Coke. Every once in a while I'll crave a Sunkist.

Katherine Bone said...

I love Coke!! As a matter of fact, when I came home today there wasn't any left. Imagine my surprise as I'd just been to the store and could have bought more.

Arrrrr!! My little beasties run me aground!

Anonymous said...

Coffee is my go to drink.

Every once in awhile I crave a chocolate ice cream soda or Baskin Robbins Blast or a similar choc or mocha drink.

Pat L.

Carol Burnside aka Annie Rayburn said...

LOVE Diet DP, the cherry vanilla one too. Reminds me of going to the Sonic when I was a teenager. Don't get me started!

I'm not a water drinker, was raised in the South and let's face it, iced tea is our water. I'm also a hot tea fan of many kinds and flavors.

However, I've made myself drink more water and learned it goes down much easier if I add a little lemon or lime to it. Keep one sliced in the fridge or keep a pitcher of water cold with the slices floating in it. Much more palatable and refreshing.