May 6: Cascal All-natural soda

There was a time when I would, literally, drink 2-3+ cans or bottles of soda pop per day. At 40+ grams of sugar in each serving, my dentist was likely loving it, but my body was not. I'm proud to say that I've cut back considerably over the past few years to maybe 2-3 per week now (okay, maybe a little bit more than that), as part of my efforts to invest in my future. Recently, we stumbled upon Cascal soda at Whole Foods market. The maker claim it to be an all-natural soda made from fruit and "botanical ingredients". They also refer to it as an alcohol-free alternative to wine. And, actually, that's pretty accurate. The bubbly, refreshing flavor does remind one of the old Bartles and James offerings. But, I would never refer to as a wine-like option. Cascal offers three different "blends", as they call them. I can only attest to the Black Currant, Cherry and Mirabelle, which is good. The best part, if you're a former pop junkie, is the low 7 grams of sugar per bottle. And, no caffeine...if that's something that appeals to you. The worst part, while delicious, it's no substitute for a Coca-Cola. And, at 6.99 for a 4-pack, it's definitely something we consider a treat every now and then as opposed to a daily staple of our nutritional menu.