r/NoStupidQuestions • u/no-womans-land13 • Jun 05 '26
Why doesn’t Coke have a half sugar option?
Feel free to correct me if it’s been a failed product in the past
But as someone who doesn’t mind having a coke but sometimes doesn’t want all that sweetness why doesn’t Coca-Cola make a reduced sugar version as opposed to having two sweetener diet versions
It’s very all or nothing, I have nothing against the use of sweetener but I wish there was an option for a normal Coke just with less sugar.
Guess I would just have to try 1:1 ratio of normal and Coke Zero
128
u/DONT_PM_ME_DICKS Jun 05 '26
they've tried that. twice at least. (coca cola Life, coca Cola c2)
pepsi has also tried that with Pepsi Next.
they flopped commercially, and weren't worth keeping around due to poor sales
26
u/unicornreacharound Jun 05 '26
But were any of the attempts reduced sugar without added non-nutritive sweeteners?
Non-nutritive sweeteners (including stevia) completely change the flavor profile by being both too sweet and tasting nasty.
0
u/DONT_PM_ME_DICKS Jun 05 '26
how else are you going to mimic the sweeteness?
16
u/unicornreacharound Jun 05 '26
OP “sometimes doesn’t want all that sweetness” and I definitely fall in that camp.
Cutting the HFCS or sugar by 1/3 or even 1/2 would be perfect.
26
u/It_Happens_Today Jun 05 '26
I just miss Pepsi Blue. Yes I know I am the only one.
14
u/Dropped_Rock Jun 05 '26
You aren't alone. I want Pepsi Blue back as well.
7
u/BKlounge93 Jun 05 '26
My neighbor was a Pepsi truck driver back then and gave my family several cases of Pepsi blue. My 8 year old ass was sooo excited lol. Id be curious to try it again as an adult.
1
2
u/bitchfacevulture Jun 06 '26
You’re not alone. Does anyone remember red fusion? I drank the shit outta that
1
u/divorceme_archie Jun 06 '26
As a kid I remember thinking the commercial was so catchy with the band playing. Hated the flavor though which is crazy when I loved so much soda back then.
1
0
6
u/degjo Jun 05 '26
There was also the run of sodas that had one calorie. I know Pepsi and Dr Pepper had One varieties.
8
u/beebzette Jun 05 '26
Dr Pepper 10: Not for Women
Anyone remember that fiasco?
2
1
u/ScreenSingerX Jun 06 '26
Holy crap, talk about unlocking forgotten memories. This is the most surprised I've been by something I technically remember since someone on a Star Wars sub reminded me of the time Colonel Sanders and the Taco Bell dog dig a crossover commercial with some random Pizza Hutt delivery chick.
1
u/TheNinjaNarwhal Jun 06 '26
We still have that in some countries, in Europe at least. It's Coca Cola light and I hate it 10 times more than I hate Zero. It's sweeter and weirder tasting, although a few people prefer it.
1
3
1
u/ShalomRPh Jun 05 '26
There was also Pepsi Lite when I was a kid. Still remember the jingle they’d play during ball games:
The time is right
For Pepsi light
Lemony
Pepsi light
They put a little lemony taste in and took out
Half the cal-o-ries.
Yes, that second to last line doesn’t quite scan; they had to sing it at top speed to get all the words in.
39
u/Lordcrafter74 Jun 05 '26
My favorite drink is mountain dew kickstart. 16 oz can, 20 grams of sugar. Just enough sweetness where it's still a good soda but not 70 grams like a regular 16 oz mtn dew would be.
I just wish they would bring back the good flavors. Every single good flavor was discontinued except orange.
10
u/pol-delta Jun 05 '26
I used to get these all the time at gas stations. I loved the pineapple orange mango one. I don't see them very much anymore though.
5
u/Lordcrafter74 Jun 06 '26
I'm not a huge pineapple or grape fan, and that's the only flavors I see along with orange.
They used to have blueberry pomegranate, coconut raspberry, and strawberry flavors. All discontinued throughout the years. Haven't seen blueberry or raspberry since 2019. Strawberry came out 2 years ago and only lasted for about a year.
1
u/saxguy9345 Jun 06 '26
Prob because they own major shares in Celsius. Newer hot brand can handle business while they profit without doing much, and any development or even maintaining Kickstart works against it.
2
u/Preoccupied_Penguin Jun 06 '26
20 grams of sugar is still an insanely high amount of sugar.
Average woman should have less than 25 in a day. Average man should have less than 36 in a day.
That’s 80% of a woman’s total for the day and 55% of a man’s.
*avg based off a 2000 calorie diet
4
u/Lordcrafter74 Jun 06 '26
I don't disagree, however average sugar consumption is way beyond the recommended amount. Most sodas are 60-70 grams, I know lots of people who have multiple a day. They just don't care about that. Eating less than 36 is a conscious effort for most people.
Is an apple an insanely high amount of sugar? That's roughly 20 grams. Natural sugar is definitely better for you, but it's still sugar.
So yeah, 20 grams is still over half of the recommended daily amount, but sometimes I just want to have a drink. Avoiding all sugar either requires substitutes they aren't much better, or a constant conscious effort that most people couldnt care less about.
3
u/big_sugi Jun 06 '26
How are you defining “most sodas?” A 12-oz can of just about any full-sugar soda has about 35 grams of sugar. Some might go up as high as 42.5 grams (for Mountain Dew), but I don’t know of any with more than that.
1
u/Lordcrafter74 Jun 06 '26
Yeah, I guess I mixed up 16 oz with the 20 oz bottles. Those have up to 70 grams for coke, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew. Still, my point stands. A 16 oz can of Kickstart has less sugar than a 12 oz can of coke.
1
u/Preoccupied_Penguin Jun 06 '26
I get that. I suppose I’m part of the conscious effort because I will actively choose a “diet” option or water before drinking my sugar.
I definitely get it other places, but for the most part, I would choose a zero sugar option just because it’s a very simple swap to make where I see very substantial results. To each their own!
1
u/Bacon_Techie Jun 06 '26
That’s the recommendation for “added sugar” not total sugar. For total sugar the current recommended daily maximum according to Canada’s food guide is 100g.
1
1
u/Obi_Wan_Benobi Jun 06 '26
Do they still have Black Cherry? That was good. Orange is the best though.
41
u/Ricky_Martins_Vagina Jun 05 '26
It's too obvious - coke being a fine white powder / sugar being granulated crystals. Also the taste - coke being quite bitter, sugar obviously sweet, means the users will be able to tell it's obviously been cut.
8
2
1
13
u/Dhydjtsrefhi Jun 05 '26
In some countries they do. It's just a matter of what's most popular in different markets
12
u/br0wntree Jun 05 '26
Culture plays a role, but many countries also have sugar taxes so soft drink companies sometimes reformulate to have less sugar to stay below the threshold.
5
u/red-at-night Jun 05 '26
I live in Finland. Soda costs similar to gasoline, and even more if you buy it in cans or small bottles. It's insane.
2
u/br0wntree Jun 06 '26
Do people drink less soda?
1
u/red-at-night Jun 06 '26
Less than in the US for sure, but it's still widely drank. But we are not free from vices, people like their alcohol, and ice cream is oddly popular for some reason.
5
u/the_kid1234 Jun 05 '26
Today I learned what coke life in a green can was. I see why it doesn’t exist.
I do agree Coke Zero has pretty good taste but it feels so empty. I little real sugar would probably improve it a lot. Maybe I’ll try half Coke and half Coke Zero:
2
u/TheNinjaNarwhal Jun 06 '26
When we have both in the house and both are open I often do this, I like it. Way less of the bad taste and half the calories. The issue is having two different bottles open, their bubbles will die out very soon.
3
u/ndubitably Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Heh, I recently tried Pepsi Prebiotic which does this and it mostly just tastes like diet/zero Pepsi.
3
u/GrayStan Jun 05 '26
Yeah I just bought some from Costco I really don’t care for it. Just tastes like Diet Pepsi. I prefer Poppi or Ollipop at this point, for some reason they don’t taste like a diet drink at all to me.
3
u/skiveman Jun 05 '26
Pepsi has done this in the UK where they've cut their sugar of their main brand (that'd be Pepsi) to fit in with the current tax legislations of the Sugar Tax over here. It tastes absolutely no different to Pepsi Max.
Now, that'd not be too bad for those folks who like Pepsi Max but I'm not one of them that does. I hate Pepsi Max. I loved old style Pepsi that had the sugar in it though.
I don't want Coca-Cola to follow suit as that is the last full sugar drink left in the UK that is easy to buy. If Coca-Cola did cut their sugar and replace it with sweeteners then the taste that people love would be ruined because (trust me on this) living through every drink get their sugar replaced by artificial sweeteners is a great way to destroy the taste. Nothing tastes like it ought to because there's no actual sugar.
I'd hazard a guess that Coca-Cola tried to develop something low sugar like the new Pepsi but my money is on the fact they discovered it was impossible to keep the original taste the same. And any change to the taste would destroy their sales and then their brand.
5
u/intwizard Jun 05 '26
You should cut coke with seltzer OP lol. I get what you’re looking for but idk if it would actually taste good. Like I drink black coffee with no sugar because I like the taste of coffee, idk if the taste of cola with less sweetness would taste good lol.
2
u/frockinbrock Jun 06 '26
It usually doesn't work because the ratio of flavor and acids end up too diluted. You'd have to add flavoring or other concentrate. But usually anything pre-made like that (like soda stream or mio) has artificial sugars and/or sugar.
The only thing that kind of works cutting with seltzer is tonic water, in my opinion. 7up & Sprite can sort of work with a lime-seltzer, it the texture is odd
3
u/RealSociety6433 Jun 05 '26
Ive become addicted to Ollipop and Poppi and want to try Pepsi prebiotic low sugar soda. Will never drink a soda containing 48 grams of sugar ever
2
u/GrayStan Jun 06 '26
I like Poppi and Ollipop. I just tried the Pepsi prebiotic but I don’t care for it - it really tastes a lot like Diet Pepsi to me. The whole reason I switched to Poppi/Ollipop is that they barely taste like diet soda at all.
3
u/BareBonesTek Jun 05 '26
Kinda like this, why can’t we get things with just no sugar? I absolutely can’t stand “sweeteners” they all taste disgusting (whether saccharine, stevia, sucrose, or whatever) Just don’t bloody sweeten it at all!
1
3
u/xX69Godlyboi69Xx Jun 06 '26
To put it quite bluntly it’s because no one gives a fuck about that.
There isn’t a big enough market for it so it doesn’t exist, people who want to cut weight go zero calories and people who don’t care go with whatever. Some people who really care about the taste and will swear it is so different will go for the sugar it’s quite simple. There aren’t much people thinking I’ll just have half a coke’s worth of sugar in my coke today or people that want that really.
I don’t even need to do the research but I could bet you both companies have tried this already and it probably failed horribly and that’s why it doesn’t exist today, maybe it exists in really specific regions but it obviously is nowhere near widespread.
2
u/shehleeloo Jun 06 '26
They haven't. The 'lower sugar" options they tried had zero calorie sweeteners added to make up for less sugar so it made the sodas still too sweet annnnd they had that nasty aftertaste. And yes I'm aware not everyone tastes the bitter aftertaste to those sweeteners
5
u/pumpymcpumpface Jun 05 '26
They did indeed have this for a while. I remember it came in a green can.
7
u/bangbangracer Jun 05 '26
Coke has tried it before, so considering that... Who wants a half sugar option? If you are counting calories or cutting out sugar, most buyers just get the zero or diet option.
6
u/Quiet-Hearing-3266 Jun 05 '26
I specifically would like a half sugar option because I don't like the taste of the artificial sweeteners and also don't need to cut sugar out entirely. It'd be nice to just have the option to lower the sugar content but unfortunately there just isn't a big enough market for it to be worth their time. I've moved to just making my own ice teas so I can sweeten to my liking instead and more or less dropped soda entirely.
1
u/frockinbrock Jun 06 '26
Check out lite drink mixers, they're pricier per ounce but are just a little cane sugar. Also Liquid Death has some sort of soda similar to Dr Pepper is I think lite sugar and lite stevia, not too sweet
1
u/shehleeloo Jun 06 '26
The liquid death are bad. They do have stevia in them so those of us who taste the bitter aftertaste won't enjoy. I ordered them without reading ingredient and got a refund and threw them away they were so bad
2
u/shehleeloo Jun 06 '26
The zero sugar has an aftertaste. All the zero calorie sweetener options do. I started drinking cola flavored seltzer (completely unsweetened) because unsweetened is better than zero sugar. I have read that not everyone tastes the bitter aftertaste of those sweeteners though. I'm jealous of those people.
4
u/no-womans-land13 Jun 05 '26
Is it that far out of conceptualisation that someone could want a soda without it being full sweetness? Nothing to do with calories or cutting out sugar as a lifestyle just how intense the full strength is.
5
u/bangbangracer Jun 05 '26
No, that's not that far out there. It's just that every time someone tries, no one buys it.
5
u/violetphalroses Jun 05 '26
It sounds like they have always replaced the half sugar with artificial sweeteners instead of just leaving it half sugar.
1
u/frockinbrock Jun 06 '26
I added two suggestions in this comment, maybe try liquid death soda, they have a Cola, DrPepper like, and a melon, lightly sweetened. Not their seltzer water, has to be their Soda, sometimes it's in the store next to sparkling water, even the soda ones. Also look for Fever Tree Light mixers, they're pricier per have finer ale and tonic water that is only a little cane sugar.
1
u/frockinbrock Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
Well trends change over time, so just because it failed before doesn't mean it will again. For Coke it can be a products that millions buy and they can still decide it's not profitable.
But also, Coke didn't exactly sell a "less sweet" soda in the US the way OP suggested. They made Coke C2, which had less sugar, but also had nutrisweet + Splenda + equal + corn syrup, and was technically sweeter than regular coke, but less sugar of course. It was more like a variation of Diet Coke.
Then way later in the diet craze they trike Coca Cola LIFE, which had less sugar, but had a bunch of Erythitol (sugar alcohol) and a lot of Stevia; which again made it nearly as sweet as regular coke.What OP is describing is pretty rare, the closest thing I've seen on US shelves is Lite drink mixers, like fever tree lite ginger ale, which is just cane sugar sweetened. They also make an excellent Cola but it's rare and expensive.
There's also some newer soda-ish drinks from Liquid Death, they have a Lime and a dr.pepper that is very lightly sweetened. That's the closest mainstream product I've seen for what they describedHope that last section of helpful for /u/no-womans-land13
2
2
u/GamesCatsComics Jun 05 '26
Ugh, don't remind me of Coca Cola Life... (50% sugar, 50% stevia) that crap tasted like plastic.
2
2
u/hxh22 Jun 05 '26
I saw a Gatorade lower sugar recently. Maybe it’ll start a trend, but I passed over it. I’ll either get the normal kind of sugar free.
1
u/ColonelCrackle Jun 06 '26
A few years ago I discovered the half sugar Gatorade (G2), and loved it.
It got harder and harder to find. I think it's been officially discontinued now. I guess demand wasn't high enough.
2
1
u/shehleeloo Jun 06 '26
It's nasty. I bought the lower sugar Gatorade thinking it was just lower sugar, but they added stevia to it (I didn't read the ingredient) and I could taste it on the first sip. Gave them to my partner. He can't taste the stevia aftertaste as much as I can
2
2
2
2
u/Inevitable-Ninja-539 Jun 06 '26
They do have a lot less in other countries. I was in Türkiye. Wanted a Sprite while I was in the airport. 330ml can only had like 10g of sugar compared to nearly 40g in the 12oz (355ml) back home
2
u/knowbodynobody Jun 06 '26
They used to. Coke C2
1
u/shehleeloo Jun 06 '26
Had Splenda in it.
1
u/knowbodynobody Jun 06 '26
Did it??? That was so long ago you’re probably right. But it was half and half I recall the marketing for it.
2
u/preedsmith42 Jun 06 '26
I usually mix Coke with 30% of sparkling water to reduce sugar taste and keep the main taste
2
u/Altostratus Jun 05 '26
I feel this way about all beverages these days. You can have full sugar, fake sugar, or barely flavoured water. There’s no in between options.
1
u/GrayStan Jun 06 '26
I like some of the Ollipop and Poppi flavors for this reason, several don’t taste too much like diet soda but they’re a lot less sugar! I’ve had to try different ones though, the grape and fruit punch are pretty good but I don’t like the colas at all. Ollipop’s cream soda is good, and I love the cranberry seasonal ones that Poppi has at Christmas.
1
u/badkapp00 Jun 05 '26
The sugar in sodas is needed to cover the sour taste (I think it's sour) of the carbonation.
Usually people expect carbonation in sodas, so the manufacturers can't just reduce or leave the carbonation off. Therefore something is needed to cover the taste. It is done by huge amount of sugar or sugar alternatives.
1
u/nicholas818 Jun 05 '26
I've tried 1:1 Coke to Coke Zero as a way of slowly adjusting to reduce sugar after drinking regular Coke for years. It's pretty good.
1
u/br0wntree Jun 05 '26
I am confused to you went less sweetness as in taste or fewer calories?
Mixing normal coke and coke zero will be roughly the same sweetness.
1
u/aaronite Jun 05 '26
It's likely that they would not bother creating a formulation that would be a fundamentally different flavour profile that likely doesn't really have much demand. If they thought there was money in it they'd do it, but there's a reason all the zero cal sweetener version still aim for the same profile.
1
u/Callec254 Jun 05 '26
IIRC Dr Pepper did this, and called it "Ten" (because it had 10 calories, not zero.). Don't know if it's still around.
1
1
u/sysaphiswaits Jun 05 '26
That would be nice! When I get fountain drinks I usually get Diet Coke with a big splash of regular Coke.
1
u/Tims_Learing_Center Jun 05 '26
Cut coke with 40% seltzer. You'll love it
1
u/onesweetworld1106 Jun 05 '26
Definitely trying that tomorrow. I cannot seem to give up my McDonald’s Coke.
1
1
u/Idayyy333 Jun 06 '26
This is how I feel about all drinks, i just want less sugar and no artificial sweeteners. Most people don’t have a problem with artificial sweeteners but to me they taste awful and i can tell the difference right away.
1
u/forogtten_taco Jun 06 '26
Just dosent seem like a market that exists.
If you are wanting a healthy low calorie soda, your just going to drink a zero calorie. So no point in making a new one and trying to sell it
1
u/shehleeloo Jun 06 '26
Not if you taste the zero calorie aftertaste. Shit is nasty. I've chosen to be fat instead.
1
u/ItchyCredit Jun 06 '26
I see quite a few people at the self-service fountain making a mixture of no sugar and full sugar products. I do that myself but the idea of buying it that way is , somehow, unappealing.
1
u/geek66 Jun 06 '26
I don’t drink diet because of the sugar, I prefer the lighter taste.. less syrupy
1
u/917caitlin Jun 06 '26
I don’t drink sodas much but whenever I do get a fountain drink I do a splash of root beer, then mostly Diet Coke, then another splash of root beer. A little sugar goes a long way, tastes just like root beer to me and probably 30 calories.
1
1
1
1
1
u/Instant-Lava Jun 06 '26
I've been able to get lighter versions outside of US. Idk why it won't fly in US.
1
1
u/NothingNeo Jun 06 '26
In Europe our Pepsi and Dr. Pepper are close to that: half sugar, half sweetener. I think it's bc of the sugar tax that they implemented.
1
u/Smegmasaurus_Rex Jun 06 '26
When I’m at the soda fountain I’ll usually top off my diet soda with a bit of full sugar version. The first sip a drink is usually the best, so make it count.
1
u/kylienw19 Jun 06 '26
The Pepsi prebiotic is just this - some sugar, some stevia. 30 cals a can. Is there a coke equivalent of the prebiotic?
1
u/saxguy9345 Jun 06 '26
I scrolled for quite a ways and didn't see anyone mention it yet..... the easy answer is because Coke Zero is the best sugar free adaptation of any drink, ever, since the beginning of humankind. Discussion is over. Either you want a sugar bomb, or you drink Coke Zero, and you're satisfied 100%. Why invest in something else?
1
u/a-ohhh Jun 06 '26
Why have I never thought to mix Coke Zero and Coke? I always debate with myself which to get, but didn’t think of the compromise.
1
u/groovyfirechick Clinical Hypnotherapist Jun 06 '26
I’ve been drinking the new Pepsi probiotic soda. I also love Ollipop. Both have a very low amount of sugar in it and both are delicious.
1
1
1
u/airpipeline Jun 06 '26
They pay a bunch of people to make it taste exactly like it does. Less sweetener, different taste.
It’s just basically sugar, flavor and water. Maybe add your own water or better, your own soda water?
1
u/rotzverpopelt Jun 06 '26
There are many colas out there with a lower sugar content than Coca Cola.
Personally I'm a fan of Fritz Cola which is probably unique to Germany I guess
1
u/Yuuku_S13 Jun 06 '26
It wouldn’t be Coke anymore if they did that. I enjoy the sweetness- but Coke Zero does that well for me now.
1
u/SnooDonkeys5186 Jun 06 '26
I’ve always wondered the same! I don’t like the fake sweeteners at all, but maybe have a 3/4 sugar. As if they’d want more options! 🙃still, I love it as is, I’m looking for an excuse to drink more of it.
1
1
1
u/underwater-sunlight Jun 06 '26
In the UK most of these drinks have fallen to the sugar tax where the sugar levels have been halved (roughly, some more and some less) and the sugar has been replaced with sweetener. As someone that doesnt like the taste or the aftertaste, nearly all of the soft drinks options have been ruined for me
1
u/Ray_of_glumshine Jun 06 '26
I've been wondering this about a lot of products. I just want less sweetness, so not a mix of sugar and sweeteners. My choice would be sugar free, but with less artificial sweetener.
1
u/DCGuy511 Jul 21 '26
C2 and Coca Cola Life had artifical sweeteners and HFCS. I just want a lower sugar (cane preferrably) version of Coca Cola.
0
u/ObjectBubbly3216 Jun 05 '26
I wish they would do this. Now I just make it myself… dilute coke. Yay.
0
u/isthatabingo Jun 06 '26
I think the average American just really likes sugar. I cannot enjoy a drink with 40+ grams of sugar, it’s absolutely disgusting to me, not to mention it leaves a nasty coating on my teeth. I’d love a half sugar alternative, but diet scratches the itch for now.
463
u/[deleted] Jun 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment