The Diet Soda You Should Definitely Avoid Buying

While trying out new diet sodas to see what best fits our tastebuds can be fun, the process can also be overwhelming, and over time, expensive too. To keep our wallets happy while giving us insight into the best diet drinks, Chowhound's own Robyn Blocker sat down and ranked 15 popular diet sodas from worst to best so we don't have to. The biggest loser according to Blocker? Those familiar bright green bottles of Diet Mountain Dew. 

While there might be something of a cult following for the classic Mountain Dew, especially in Appalachia, the diet version of the soda is lacking across the board in both categories of flavor and aroma. Blocker detected no enticing smells as she poured this drink into a glass, and the flavor itself was not bold, but lacking. Rather than a strong orangey taste, the drink only gave hazy notes of orange and lime, and even those hints of flavor faded fast. Simply put, Diet Mountain Dew is not a great choice compared to the rest of the diet soda lineup. As Blocker put it bluntly in her ranking, "I was left wondering what the point was."

While Diet Mountain Dew ended up being a lackluster choice for Robyn Blocker, there is always an alternative. For Mountain Dew lovers, that drink could be Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. This soda has no calories whereas the diet version is only low in calories, and Zero Sugar also offers slightly more in terms of caffeine too. The drink is said to be crisper overall, and a more citrus-forward cousin of Diet Mountain Dew, so it might be a fit replacement. (And if you don't already know it, learn the difference between zero sugar and diet soda here.)

For other diet soda options with notes of citrus, try a Sprite Zero or Fresca on for size. These options both ranked well on Blocker's list. The Sprite Zero was a refreshing option and a good no-caffeine choice, while Fresca tasted altogether sweet, natural, and refreshing. For something with a more orange-forward flavor, give a can of tangy Crush Orange Zero Sugar a try instead.

And hey, we get that taste can be subjective, so for all the diehard Mountain Dew fans out there, you can always give the diet variety a try for yourself. After all, Lana Del Rey did write a song about the beverage, so maybe it's just an acquired taste.