“Dirty sodas” — essentially sodas mixed with syrups, juices, creamers or other flavorings — have bubbled into the national spotlight after having become popular among Utah consumers in the 2010s.
(NEXSTAR) – Tempted to order your next soda a little “dirty”? There are a few things your nutritionist might want you to know first.
“Dirty sodas” — essentially sodas mixed with syrups, juices, creamers or other flavorings — have bubbled into the national spotlight after having become popular among Utah consumers in the 2010s. Utah is also home to several chains that specialize in the drink, including Swig, Sodalicious and Fiiz — all of which have already expanded outside the state in recent years.
But “dirty sodas” are currently having another moment in the limelight thanks to “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” The Hulu reality series focuses on a group of Mormon influencers, including a few who regularly consume the trendy beverages.
“We don’t drink alcohol or do drugs, so it’s kind of our vice,” Demi Engeman, one of the cast members, remarked in a promo for the show.
Layla Taylor, another cast member, claimed she drinks a 44-ounce dirty soda almost every day of the week.
“I’m probably only gonna live to, like, 50, but it makes be happy,” she said.
Not surprisingly, sucking down several servings’ worth of soda in a single go — with added sweeteners and creams mixed in — is not exactly a nutritious practice.
“I think these drinks are risky for anyone wanting to maintain their weight and health,” Kim Shapira, a registered dietitian and nutritional therapist, told Nexstar.
Dirty sodas can certainly be “sometimes” treats, Shapira explained (having one “on occasion” is probably OK, she said), but they shouldn’t be part of a regular diet.
“Then we are talking about a bad habit,” Shapira said.
The issue with dirty soda, like any food filled with empty calories, is the lack of any significant nutritional value, she explained. Some of the larger-sized (44-ounce) soda concoctions served up at the major dirty soda chains can exceed 600 calories and 100 grams of sugar, according to nutritional information available online and obtained via email. The large (44-ounce) size of one particular drink modeled after an orange creamsicle contains over 1,100 calories and 47 grams of fat.
Customers also have the option to order customized beverages with sugar-free ingredients or artificially sweetened components, though these drinks, too, provide “zero nutrition” and no “vitamins, minerals, protein or fiber,” Shapria said.
When consumed on a regular basis, these sodas could be replacing “something far more nutritious, which is one of the risks,” she added.
But just like “Mormon Wives” cast member Layla Taylor, most consumers likely aren’t under the impression that they’re doing their bodies any favors when sipping on a dirty soda. It’s a once-in-a-while indulgence, and, as Shapira noted, it’s fine to allow yourself leeway to enjoy an ice cream, or a cocktail, or a soda when the mood strikes.
“It’s important to not feel restricted [and] to know that you can have it,” Shapira said. “But why would you? There are far better drinks to have.”