One of the most common questions I hear from people new to the keto diet is, “what can I drink besides water on keto?” Don’t worry, just because you’ve started a healthy path does not mean that you must give up tasty drinks for good!

There are plenty of drinks out there that you can continue to enjoy when you’re in ketosis. Some of these low-carb options even support your diet, encouraging your body to turn to fats rather than carbs for fuel. We’ve put together a list of our favorite keto-friendly drinks. Whether you’re looking for something that satisfies your cravings or for a drink that can give you a bit of energy or a buzz, we’ve got the best keto drinks for you. 

1. Zevia Zero Calorie Sweetened Drinks

Zevia carbonated beverages are sweetened with stevia, an all-natural zero-calorie sweetener. With zero sugar and zero calories, their enjoyable sweetness won’t kick you out of ketosis. Zevia has a large line of keto-friendly canned beverages, including:

• Zevia sodas (like black cherry and ginger root beer)
• Zevia energy drinks (like mango/ginger or raspberry/lime with 120 mg caffeine)
• Zevia iced teas (like sweetened passion fruit hibiscus tea and peach black tea)
• Zevia mixers (like ginger beer and tonic water)

2. Bang Energy Drinks

Bang energy drinks are not your typical sugar-laden, questionable-chemical packed energy drinks. Instead, they use the power of creatine, caffeine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to provide you with noticeable, long-lasting energy. They have many flavors, including black cherry vanilla, cotton candy, and purple guava bear.

Bang also has sweet teas, energy shots, and keto coffee to offer those on a keto diet lots of tasty, energizing options. 

3. Exogenous Ketones: D-BHB

Exogenous ketones can help to boost your physical and mental performance. D-Beta-hydroxybutyrate, or D-BHB, is the same ketone that our bodies produce. As such, it is the most effective ketone supplement for energy and performance. 

Try Simply Keto Nutrition’s D-BHB in watermelon or fruit punch for a tasty treat great for times when you need a physical or mental boost. With D-BHB, L-carnitine, L-taurine, and stevia, it supports ketosis, enhances energy, and tastes great. 

4. La Croix

Many health enthusiasts can’t get enough of the light, bubbly flavors of La Croix. These lightly flavored sparkling waters have 0 calories and 0 sweeteners, making them a guilt-free treat. If you were once a soda drinker, La Croix and other zero-calorie seltzer waters can be a good keto-friendly replacement. Their flavors include:

• Apricot
• Berry
• Coconut
• Cran-raspberry
• Key lime
• Lemon
• Lime
• Mango
• Orange
• Peach-pear
• Kiwi Sandia

5. Some Diet Sodas

Diet sodas are low-carb and low-calorie, but many of them use artificial sweeteners and other synthetic chemicals that are questionable for our long-term health. So, while you can have a diet soda here and there and stay in ketosis, it’s best to replace them with healthier alternatives. Try stevia-sweetened drinks when possible, but if you do slip up with a diet soda, you won’t immediately ruin your progress.

6. Stevia-Based Water Enhancers

Rather than carry around cans or bottles with you, water enhancers offer a portable way to flavor water wherever you find yourself. Water enhancers are a concentrated liquid that you add to water to boost its flavor and even enhance its health with things like B-vitamins. 

Stevia-based water enhancers are a good way to sweeten water throughout the day when you are following a ketogenic diet. There are many quality brands, including Stur liquid water enhancer and Skinnygirl water enhancer.  

7. Vodka and Other Clear Alcohols

You don’t have to say goodbye to alcohol forever when you’re on a keto diet. Fortunately, some alcoholic beverages are still a safe choice when consumed in moderation. This includes vodka and other clear alcohols. You can always use a zero-calorie mixer to make a yummy mixed drink, such as the Zevia mixers mentioned above. Do keep in mind that hangovers are often worse when you follow a keto diet, and drinking too much can still negatively impact your health and weight loss success. 

8. Michelob Ultra and Other Light Beers

Michelob Ultra, with only 2.6 g carb per bottle, and some other light beers are an okay choice for drinking alcohol when on a keto diet. Be sure to always check the number of carbs per drink as they can and will vary by brand. Darker beers have far more carbs and are not recommended when on a keto diet. 

9. White Claw

White Claw is a hard seltzer drink that is 5% alcohol by volume with only 2 g carbs per can. It comes in pure, mango, black cherry, natural lime, ruby grapefruit, and raspberry. Many people are replacing their go-to vodka & soda with White Claw thanks to it being tastier and easier to track your total quantity of alcohol and calories consumed. 

10. Wine

As wine is fermented grape juice, it might come as a surprise that some wines are keto-friendly thanks to friendly bacteria that chomp up some of the carbs as the wine ferments. Opt for dry wines, either red or white, and avoid sweeter wines as they will be higher in carb count. 

11. Tea and Coffee

We couldn’t leave without a shout out to the OGs tea and coffee. Black coffee or unsweetened teas are inexpensive and versatile beverage options. You can use cream to make them richer or liquid stevia extract to add some sweetness. Plus, there are a variety of flavors that you can enjoy hot or cold. When in doubt, grab a tea bag or brew some coffee for a budget-friendly, keto-friendly beverage. 

Closing Thoughts

Changing how you eat and drink is challenging, but there is good news. With so many people seeing great results from following a keto diet, new companies are creating tasty alternatives that are keto-friendly. Try out some of the above beverages to enjoy something new while sticking with your healthy eating goals.

Author: Nicole Gleichmann