Summit Popz Prebiotic Soda

Summer is here, which means it’s time to break out the grill and cooler for poolside get-togethers. However, one thing that many people struggle with is the sheer number of calories and grams of sugar they’re going to consume at such gatherings. A quick glance at a can of Coca-Cola reveals it’s a whopping 140 calories, with 39 grams of added sugar. And going the diet or zero sugar route means sketchy ingredients that I can’t even begin to pronounce.

So what’s the solution?

One popular alternative to regular soda is Poppi Prebiotic Soda, which claims to offer the taste and fizz of traditional soda with less sugar. I first came across Poppi through some ads I’d seen.

Poppi is relatively new, dating back to 2015. The company was founded by Allison Ellsworth in Texas, who crafted a healthier alternative to soda, utilizing apple cider vinegar, and branding it as a prebiotic soda. To its credit, it’s done extremely well. It was featured on the show Shark Tank, in addition to gaining support from influencers and celebrities, as well as the general public.

Not only does Aldi sell Poppi. The grocer also sells its own dupe of Poppi, called Popz.

Both name-brand Poppi and Summit Popz are Regular Buys at Aldi, which means they’re available year round. You can find them stocked with other sodas and sparkling beverages.

Summit Popz currently costs $1.59 per 12-ounce can, while Poppi is $1.89 per 12-ounce can. Or, Aldi sells some flavors of name-brand Poppi in a 4-pack for $7.19, or $1.79 a can. For comparison, a traditional Coca-Cola costs 69 cents a can.

For this review, I focused primarily on how Aldi Popz stacks up to Poppi. For that reason, I only focused on flavors that Popz has in common with Poppi. There are Poppi flavors that Aldi doesn’t have dupes of, but I won’t be talking about those here.

We’ll be talking about Cherry Lime (Poppi calls it Cherry Limeade), Strawberry Lemon, Lemon Lime, and Raspberry Rose.

Even when they’re the same flavor, Poppi and Popz don’t share the same nutrition facts.

Going flavor by flavor:

Cherry Lime(ade)

• Poppi has 30 calories, 5g of total sugars, and 4g of added sugar
• Popz has 25 calories, 5g of total sugars, and 4g of added sugars

Strawberry Lemon

• Poppi has 30 calories, 3g of total sugars, and 4g of added sugars
• Popz has 25 calories, 5g of total sugars, and 4g of added sugars

Lemon Lime

• Poppi has 25 calories, 3g of total sugars, and 2g of added sugars
• Popz has 25 calories, 5g of total sugars, and 4g of added sugars

Raspberry Rose

• Poppi has 30 calories, 5g of total sugars, and 4g of added sugars
• Popz has 25 calories, 5g of total sugars, and 4g of added sugars

All cans have 2 to 3g of dietary fiber, which is unusual for traditional soda and contributes to its health benefits.

To get its low sugar and calorie content, both brands use stevia leaf extract, though on the Popz can it’s simply labeled as stevia. Stevia is a natural sweetener, and it’s a non-nutritive sweetener, meaning it has no calories. Stevia has been shown to help those who are diabetic or trying to lose weight, although more studies are still under way to confirm. Potential side effects are mild, usually just gas and/or bloating, so the best thing to do is limit your consumption to one can a day. Overall, stevia is better than the majority of artificial sweeteners you’d find in other diet sodas.

As for the taste of Aldi Popz, there isn’t much difference between name brand and Aldi. If I had to pick a side, though, I actually thought Popz was superior. Stevia has a very strong sweet taste, and it tends to be at least a little noticeable in each flavor. Popz, however, seemed to have less of a stevia taste than Poppi, most notably in the Cherry Lime, which was my favorite Popz flavor. If you’re looking for the best Poppi flavor, I’d go with Raspberry Rose. It’s got a lot of flavor, and the stevia is the least noticeable.

The Verdict:

Both Poppi (name brand) and Summit Popz (Aldi brand) are Regular Buys at Aldi, and neither is a bad option. If you’re looking to save money and still get a healthier soda, Popz is the way to go. Shameless copying aside, Popz has a nice crisp flavor. If I did a blind taste test, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between it and its name-brand counterpart.