For decades, soda has been a staple beverage of many households. However, it has negative side effects and this was barely talked about in the 1980s when it was drunk all day long, much to the pleasure of children and adults alike. Today, however, we live in a more informed world, and we are only too aware of such ingredients as high-fructose corn syrup that can result in numerous health issues.

Fortunately, we are also more aware of healthier options that exist today. One of these options is to make your own soda at home, which is both cheaper and healthier than buying regular soda. Furthermore, once you get into the habit of making your own soda, one positive side effect is that your family and friends will thank you for making their lives that much healthier.

Homemade soda versus store-bought soda

The main difference between homemade soda and store-bought soda is that you decide what ingredients to include when making your own. In mass-produced store-bought soda, you are forced to drink preservatives, artificial colorings and flavorings, huge quantities of sugar, and waste such as aluminium and plastic. It might taste great, but then it would with that amount of sugar.

When it comes to diet soda, evidence asserts that it’s just as bad, if not worse, in spite of the lack of calories. That’s due to the inclusion of artificial sweeteners like sucrose, acesulfame-k, saccharine, cyclamate, and aspartame.

With regards to alternatives, other carbonated beverages are available like seltzer and club soda. But they still involve mass-production, and flavours are limited, with notable healthy exceptions such as Yuzu.

When making your own soda, you decide what ingredients to include and what ingredients to leave out. You can put in as much sugar as you want, as there’s still sugar involved in homemade soda. The opportunities are almost endless when it comes to natural ingredients. Bottling your own soda is also beneficial to the environment, as you can use your bottles multiple times.

Making your own soda is both creative and fun. You can educate your children on the differences between making homemade soda and buying store-bought products, experiment with spices and herbs, and discover new flavors.

Here are two recipes to get you started.

Cinnamon Spice Soda

  • 1 cardamom pod, crushed
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 allspice berries
  • 4 cinnamon sticks (broken into small pieces)
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 9 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine crushed cardamom pod, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, water, and brown sugar in a saucepan over a medium-high heat, bring to boiling point, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sleep for one hour. Strain the syrup and discard the solids before cooling completely. Finally, stir 1 1/2 tbsp of syrup into one cup of seltzer water, and store the syrup chilled for up to two weeks.

Grapefruit Soda

  • Seltzer water
  • 2 lemons
  • 2 large pink grapefruits
  • 1 cup water
  • 9 tablespoons sugar

Combine 2/3 cup of grapefruit juice, 1 tbsp lemon juice, the rinds (peel them into strips beforehand) of both grapefruits and lemons, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, water, and sugar in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Bring the saucepan to boil and stir the sugar until it dissolves. Then remove from the heat, let it sleep for one hour, and strain the syrup. Then discard the solids and allow it to cool completely. Finally, stir 5 tsp of syrup into one cup of seltzer water and store the syrup chilled for up to two weeks.