Life with Coke + Giveaway

As an Atlanta native, Coke products have always been a part of my life. We see the Candler family name everywhere in downtown Atlanta from the Callanwolde House to the World of Coke Museum and even among lawyers, doctors, governors and elites. While I definitely remember drinking coke as a child (this was before we knew too much soda was bad for you), I also remember the year that I first tried diet coke…

My brother was in kindergarten and his teacher had planned a night time Christmas lights and junk food extravaganza. (Honestly, she planned tons of exciting things. I only wish I had had her as a kindergarten teacher…) My mom was going on the field trip to mix and mingle with the adults as well chaperone the twenty something 5-year-olds that would be taking part in the field trip; I was going as a "peer leader" or someone who was actively involved with taking care of younger children without actually being responsible for their behavior.

At the first house we stopped at our options included treats (brownies, Christmas cakes, the like), hot chocolate (this is 5 year olds we're talking about) and diet coke. Given that Georgia isn't exactly known for their cold winters, I opted for diet coke – which I immediately handed over to my mom. One sip and I knew that the sugary goodness of it's predecessor (regular coke) would not be found in this disgusting imitation. Ever since that time, so many years ago, I have refused to drink anything that even dares to use the words "diet" or "sugar free". Of course, studies suggesting that diet coke can be worse for you than regular coke only add to my dislike of the drink.

Anyway, with all of that in mind, a few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to try the brand new Coke Life. It came to me in a glass bottle. I must say, without any extra information, I assumed Coke Life would have less sugar than the regular brand and more "real sugar" as opposed to high fructose corn syrup. I assumed, much like the green product packaging implies, that Coke Life would somehow be healthier than regular coke.

After putting it off for a week waiting for a special dinner, I finally gave up and poured myself and my mom a glass to have with a dinner of lasagna. Frankly, I only really drink coke products when I go out to eat, so drinking a soda at home just seemed out of the ordinary and strange to me. Nevertheless, my husband, mom, and dad all sampled the new soda to give me more information for what to say in my review.

My mom was the first to try the new product. She claimed it wasn't very sweet – "Where's the sugar?" My dad thought it tasted fine. Justin was thrown off by the stevia mention on the label. And me? Well, at first I thought it tasted fine, but then there was an aftertaste … caused by, what I presume to be, the stevia.

Further investigation showed that while the drink was lower in calories than traditional coke, the product still contains a lot of sugar! According to this article: 3 Dunkin' Donuts worth of sugar! It is, however, less sugar than the original coke products contain, so there's that.

Point being: If you have to drink coke, Coke Life is healthier than regular Coca-Cola, but don't be seduced by the green labels and suggestions of health. No matter how you look at it, drinking soda is neither as healthful nor green (beneficial to the earth) as Coca-Cola seems to suggest.

Want a coupon to try the product for yourself? Enter my giveaway below! You have until 10/2 to enter and five winners will be chosen. Good luck!


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*I received this product (and giveaway coupons) for free in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.