The best of the best is right here

[Today's title is brought to you by the name of the strawberry kiwi lifewater from Sobe.]

Many of you were intrigued by my burrito rankings from a while ago (see below). I did it to remember the places I’d been but it also allowed me to get recommendations on where I should go next. I am extremely happy that all of you took interest! Thank you for your input.

Now I present my diet soda rankings. I drink regular (original) soda maybe once a month, if that. The reason is that I can save a hundred or two hundred calories a day this way.  I may not always make the healthiest choices, but this is one of them.  There is the detrimental dental effect of diet soda consumption, but for the sake of argument let’s say you otherwise take great care of your teeth :-) 

For those still concerned about a diet soda-cancer link, many studies negate that link. Here’s one report:
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Large government study
The new study, by scientists at the National Cancer Institute, involved 340,045 men and 226,945 women, ages 50 to 69, participating in a research project by the National Institutes of Health and AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons.

From surveys they filled out in 1995 and 1996 detailing food and beverage consumption, researchers calculated how much aspartame they consumed, especially from sodas or from adding the sweetener to coffee or tea.

Over the next five years, 2,106 developed blood-related cancers such as lymphoma or leukemia, and 376 developed brain tumors. No link was found to aspartame consumption for these cancers in general or for specific types, said Unhee Lim, who reported the study’s findings.

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Here is my list (from worst to best). I’ll make the disclaimer that none of these is really all that bad tasting, but I’m grading on a curve

(10): Diet Ginger Ale. Sorry. Had to start somewhere. There’s no essence of real ginger in Ginger Ale and no essence of real Ginger Ale in Diet Ginger Ale.  So…Diet Ginger Ale = worthless.  This is the perfect equation for our loser today.  Tough competition.
(9): Diet Root Beer. I always have such high hopes when I buy a bottle/can. I’m looking for a bite and never really get one. [I probably drink regular root beer more so than any other soda because I like its taste so much.]  Only Diet Barq’s really delivers. Regardless, this drink needs to be ice cold in order to satisfy but otherwise my mom’s ‘tastes like medicine’ comments hold true.
(8): Diet Sunkist. Again, it’s an expectations thing. I’m looking for a bite. Original Sunkist doesn’t have the same type of bite that original root better does, but it’s a bite nonetheless. Again, it needs to be ice cold otherwise it completely loses its effect.  The chemical lab-like orange color does little to help its case.
(7): Diet Pepsi. It’s the worst tasting of the best sellers. Just not as good as Diet Coke and the constantly changing bottle label colors aren’t helping either. Don’t try and entice me with your ‘Max’ labels…I don’t want ‘Max’ amounts of whatever you put in there…I’ve had enough, thanks.  But more Britney Spears ads, please.
(6): Sprite Zero. One magazine article ranked this as the top diet soda because of its simplicity in taste. There are certainly days when I agree but again, the competition is tough so simplicity is just not enough.  Not quite a ‘zero’ but not a winner either.
(5): Diet Coke. My usual choice of drink with a burrito.  A real classic.
(4): Coke Zero. Wait, scratch that.  This is my choice of drink with a burrito. The Zero edges its less cool cousin by a hair because of its resemblance to real Coca Cola and because of the rare appearance of Vanilla Coke Zero in a restaurant near you.
(3): Diet 7up. Not thought of as much as the others, but still a super drink. A little bit more lemon-lime in taste than Sprite Zero. Your best ’safe’ choice.
(2): Diet Mountain Dew. Extremely undervalued. Has the bite. Has a taste that doesn’t make you think it’s something totally different than original Mountain Dew. Do the Dew is an awesome slogan. And as an underdog compared to the other giants at the top of this list, it’s hard not to root for.
(1): Diet Dr. Pepper. WHERE ARE YOU WHEN I NEED ONE?! While the regular is superb by itself, Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, a recent addition to the Diet Dr. Pepper line (even more recent than Black Cherry, Cherry Chocolate, and French Vanilla Cherry…how weird is that…), truly puts Diet Dr. Pepper over the top.  Oh Diet Dr. Pepper, I want to get my PhD from wherever you got yours.

Not applicable: Fresca. It’s pretty killer because of its fruity bite (I guess that’s the defining term of this entry), but since it does not have a regular counterpart (it’s not even advertised as ‘diet’), it’s ineligible for this list. Based on taste alone, it’s probably 2A in my rankings.

So enjoy a zero-calorie drink and I sure will too. A toast to you…to many more happy years ahead.

Wait!  Am I missing a drink? Diet Sierra Mist? RC Cola? Tab? Well, write your comments below or let me know!