4 better ways to enjoy your summer dirty sodas (without the excessive amounts of sugar)

SALT LAKE CITY — We know and love our local soda shops. They are part of our Utah culture! But the dirty soda obsession is spreading. This summer McDonalds, Dunkin' Donuts and Crumbl all added specialty sodas to their menus. In fact, one of the Crumbl drinks got quite a bit of bad press the last month because it was so sugary.

The "Crazy Cousins" bev is a mixture of Red Bull, syrups, purees and creams. It comes in at 840 calories and 186 grams of sugar.

"The recommendation… is no more than 25 grams of sugar a day," KSL Health Contributor Miki Eberhardt said. "That one drink has over a cup of sugar… over a week's worth of sugar."

Eberhardt shared her general reaction to this "Summer of Sugary Drinks" and gave a few suggestions to consider.

Portion Control Yourself

One of the easiest ways to scale back is just adjusting how much you're drinking and how often.

"Choose the small versus the large," Eberhardt suggested. "Make it a weekly treat, not a daily thing."

Adding in small habits can help offset the impact. She explained that even just going on a 10-minute walk can help your body process sugar more effectively.

Go for Diet or Sugar-Free

If you do enjoy sweet drinks regularly, Eberhardt suggested making smart swaps.

"The diet or the sugar-free syrups… [are] a helpful option," she said.

She doesn't recommend this as an everyday staple, but they can reduce your overall sugar intake when used occasionally. It's about choosing the better option within your habits, not aiming for perfection.

"If we're replacing a sugared version… it would be a better bet," Eberhardt said.

Consider Sparkling Water

For many people, it's not just the sweetness they enjoy, it's the experience.

"If you love the bite of carbonation… all of those same soda shops will offer a sparkling water," Eberhardt said.

Getting that carbonation still feels fun and refreshing without all the extra sugar. Add fruit or light flavoring and sparkling water recreates that same "treat" feeling without the heavy sugar load.

THE STRAWBERRY LIME ICEBREAKER

Eberhardt also shared a simple recipe you can make at home without excess sugar.

Coconut-flavored LaCroix

Wild Strawberry Crystal Light

Fresh lime slices

True Lime Packet

Coconut creamer

Find more health insights from Miki Eberhardt on Instagram, @nutritionbymiki .

This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL's editorial standards are upheld.