Summit Popz Probiotic Soda

I’ve been on a big kick with Poppi recently. Poppi is a name brand line of prebiotic sodas marketed as healthier, with reduced calories and sugar.

Last year, Aldi came out with Popz, its own version of Poppi, and I compared the two last year. They turned out to be pretty similar, and I actually thought Popz did some flavors better than Poppi. As Poppi has released new flavors, so has Popz.

A few weeks ago, I spotted Popz probiotic soda in addition to the prebiotic soda. The new probiotic soda was available in two flavors at my local Aldi, and I was curious.

First of all, Poppi doesn’t sell probiotic soda, nor do other popular prebiotic soda brands like Olipop. So this is a slightly more unique version of healthier soda done under Aldi’s prebiotic soda house brand.

So what’s the difference between prebiotic and probiotic? Both deal with gut health. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that live in the gut and help to digest food. Probiotics are found in fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut. Prebiotics are nondigestible fiber that feed that bacteria.

Summit Popz Probiotic Soda is $1.49 per 12-ounce can. This is a Regular Buy, meaning it’s in stores year round.

There were two flavors at my location: watermelon lime and tropical.

The tropical flavor has 35 calories, 5 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of total carbohydrates, and 8 grams of total and added sugars.

The watermelon lime flavor has 40 calories, 5 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of total carbohydrates, and 8 grams of total and added sugars.

The prebiotic sodas I’ve tried in the past generally don’t have more than 30 calories and 5 or 6 grams of sugar. So, these probiotic sodas have slightly more calories and added sugars.

The can says the sodas have live probiotics. The ingredients list includes live bacillus subtilis, a type of “good bacteria” that may help the body absorb nutrients and fight disease.

These probiotic sodas also don’t have the same artificial sweeteners that prebiotic Popz has. Popz Prebiotic Soda uses stevia. Instead, Popz Probiotic Soda uses monk fruit extract, a different sweetener that doesn’t appear to have any side effects. The biggest benefit to this sweetener is that you’re replacing traditional sugar with a fruit-based sweetener. But like all sugar substitutes, it should be consumed in moderation.

So, how do these taste? After letting the drinks chill in the fridge, I cracked open the first one, watermelon lime. This was my favorite of the two by far. In prebiotic Popz, the stevia always left a sweet aftertaste that was prominent in every flavor. But because probiotic Popz doesn’t have stevia, it doesn’t have that aftertaste. It had a bit of a candied watermelon flavor without being too sweet, and the lime went well with it. Tropical, on the other hand, isn’t a flavor I’ll buy again. It was too sweet and artificial-tasting, and the “tropical” flavors just didn’t blend well together.

The Verdict:

Summit Popz Probiotic Soda is a Regular Buy at Aldi. While I may still reach for my usual prebiotic Popz most of the time, I could see myself grabbing this probiotic option again, especially if I see new flavors released. Popular healthier soda brands tend to lean into prebiotics, so if you’re looking for something different with a probiotic option, this might be the soda for you.