OLIPOP Soda Review
I've Curbed My Diet Coke Obsession With Olipop, a Healthier Soda
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I've been an avid Diet Coke drinker for as long as I can remember. But through the years, I've tried to intersperse my obsession with healthier alternatives. In all honesty, they usually didn't stick. Rarely would I try something that would impact me in a way that a cold bottle of DC would. That is until I got my hands on the social media-famous Olipop. Based in Oakland, California, and launched in 2018, the brand describes itself as a "new kind of soda." It was created to taste just like soda — and it does! — with that same sweet flavour and fizzy bubbles that many of us know and love. But what separates it from the pack, remarkably so, is that it's full of plant fibre and prebiotics to support your digestive and gut health. And here's the best part: The flavours are so good. (And did I mention the cans are cute?) Ahead, I break down everything you need to know about the brand and which flavours you need to scoop up stat.
Is Olipop Healthy?
Olipop was in development for two years before it launched, cofounder David Lester told POPSUGAR. The hard work paid off in a better-for-you can of soda that's dietician-approved. Put simply, fibre and prebiotics — types of carbohydrates that we can't digest — found in these drinks feed the naturally occurring probiotics in our bodies that deal with digestion. This, in turn, may make the probiotics more effective and create a more balanced microbiome (read: the living bacteria in and on the human body).
"It is OLIPOP's mission to provide a real solution to consumers that want to benefit their digestive health, drink less soda, and share an accessible health product with their friends and family," cofounder Ben Goodwin wrote in a post explaining more about this process. For context, each 12-ounce can of Olipop contains 9 grams of fibre and 2-3 grams of sugar. In comparison, a 12-ounce can of Coke has virtually no dietary fibre and 39 grams of sugar. Wild, right?
So what's the verdict, health-wise? Should you be drinking a few of these daily? Simply put, Olipop is a "more healthy alternative than reaching for a can of soda," says Patrice Amore, MS, RD, LDN, clinical dietician and owner of Amore Fuels Nutrition. One thing to keep in mind, though, is if you already eat a high-fibre diet that hovers near the recommended 25 to 30 grams per day, you may want to restrict yourself to "one to two a day max" to avoid a "fibre overload."
What I Like About Olipop
I love everything about Olipop, from the colourful packageing and ingredient transparency to the fun flavours and sweet taste (sans high sugar content). But if I had to pick a favourite it would be the flavours. I've tried all ten (twice) and can't say that I'm infatuated with every single one, but can't get enough of Classic Grape, Classic Root Beer, and Ginger Lemon.
What's Worth Noting
In my opinion, there's only one drawback worth noting: The price. A 12-ounce can costs around $3 and a pack of 12 costs around $30, whereas Coca-Cola costs just a fraction of that. Obviously, that's not financially sustainable for a lot of people, especially those who like to stock up in bulk. (For the record, I'm still entirely onboard with Olipop, but just stating the obvious: It's pricey).
Who Is Olipop Best for?
Olipop is best for those like me: People looking for a healthier alternative to classic soda. Once you determine what flavours you love most, you'll be hooked, too.
Ahead, check out the nutrition facts for each flavour and my honest review of how they taste, ranked from my favourite to least favourite.
Rating:
— Additional reporting by Samantha Brodsky
Olipop Classic Grape
- Calories: 45
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 15 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 4 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, stevia, Concord grape juice concentrate, and lime. (See can for full ingredients.)
Taste: This is my favourite of Olipop's offerings, by far, as it tastes exactly like sweet grape soda, maybe even better than I remember. I can see how it may taste *too* sweet for some, but at just four grams per can, it's hard to go wrong.
Olipop Classic Grape ($36)
Olipop Classic Root Beer
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 2 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, stevia, cassava root syrup, apple juice concentrate, and natural root bear flavour. (See can for full ingredients.)
Taste: I was shocked by how Olipop's version of root beer tastes just like what I recall drinking as a kid. This version tastes like a fizzy, melted-down version of a root beer float with vanilla ice cream. In other words, it's heavenly.
Olipop Classic Root Beer ($35)
Olipop Ginger Lemon
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 13 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 2 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, ginger juice, lemon juice, stevia, and mulled spice flavour. (See can for full ingredients.)
Taste: If you love both ginger and lemon, you need to try this one ASAP. I know I'll be drinking this one regularly because it's refreshing and tastes delicious. IMO, this one's best for sipping poolside.
Olipop Ginger Lemon ($35)
Olipop Orange Squeeze
- Calories: 45
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 5 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, stevia, lemon juice, apple juice concentrate, and mandarin juice concentrate. (See can for full ingredients.)
Taste: As a sucker for all things orange-flavoured, I hoped this one would live up to my expectations. Spoiler alert: It did. It tastes more natural than classic, artificially flavoured orange soda — almost like fizzy orange juice.
Olipop Orange Squeeze ($40)
Olipop Orange Cream
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 5 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, clementine juice concentrate, mandarin juice concentrate, and stevia. (See can for full ingredients.)
Taste: As someone who grew up eating orange creamsicles, I was really excited to try this one. It's certainly creamier than "Orange Squeeze," as expected, like dessert, but not.
Olipop Orange Squeeze ($37)
Olipop Strawberry Vanilla
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 3 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, strawberry juice, stevia, and essence from vanilla bean and strawberry. (See can for full ingredients.)
Taste: This one is supposed to be an ode to cream soda, and...it works! It doesn't taste overly sweet and you can definitely pick up on the strawberry and vanilla components. I'll definitely restock this one.
Olipop Cherry Vanilla
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 3 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, tart cherry juice, stevia, and natural white cherry flavour and natural vanilla flavour. (See can for full ingredients.)
Taste: Yet again, the brand hit the nail on the head with this one. It's both sweet and tart at once, reminiscent of a cherry pie, but probably more gentle on your stomach.
Olipop Cherry Vanilla ($34)
Olipop Tropical Punch
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 13 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 3 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, lemon juice, pineapple juice concentrate, and natural fruit punch flavour. (See can for full ingredients.)
Taste: I'm bummed to admit that this one didn't do it for me. I wasn't able to pick up on the tropical punch flavour, and found that the stevia was a bit too overpowering. But boy do I love how cute and vacay-ready the can is!
Olipop Tropical Punch ($39)
Olipop Vintage Cola
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0 grams
- Total carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Dietary fibre: 9 grams
- Sugars: 2 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients include: Carbonated water, stevia, and organic natural cola flavour. (See can for full ingredients.) One can contains 50 mg of natural caffeine from green tea.
Taste: Admittedly, this won't be my go-to. I like bold flavours like the aforementioned root beer and grape and found that this one didn't hit as hard, and in all honesty, it's hard for me to compare it to actual Coca-Cola. But it still reminds me of it, and I see how people would enjoy it.
Olipop Vintage Cola ($33)
