How to Stop Craving Soda: Why It Hits and 5 Steps That Help

It's 3pm. Lunch was fine, but the fridge at work is humming and all you can think about is a cold, fizzy can. You don't even feel thirsty. You just want that first sip.

If you're wondering why you're craving soda so much, you're not weak. A soda craving is usually a habit, a caffeine routine or a tired brain asking for a reward. Here's why it happens, and five steps that take the edge off this afternoon.

Why am I craving soda all of a sudden?

A sudden soda craving usually comes from a routine, a caffeine habit, a long gap since you ate or a hard day. Your brain links the can to a time, a place or a feeling.

A 2020 review in Current Nutrition Reports calls food craving "a conditioned response that, therefore, can also be unlearned." That's good news. What you learned, you can unlearn.

Caffeine can add to the pull. The FDA lists 23 to 83 milligrams of caffeine in a typical 12-ounce caffeinated soft drink. If you have one at the same time every day, your body learns to expect it.

When it hits	Usually means	Try this
At your desk at 3pm	The slump, plus a caffeine routine	A real lunch and a cold drink planned ahead
With dinner or takeout	A "meal's not finished" habit	Sparkling water over ice
On the drive home	A learned cue at the gas station	A different route, or a drink in the car
After a stressful day	Looking for a reward	A sweet drink that doesn't count

If you're suddenly thirsty all the time, or the craving is new and very strong, talk to your doctor.

How do you stop craving soda?

You stop craving soda by changing the routine around it, not by white-knuckling it. These five steps start with the habit and end with something sweet and cold to sip.

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Step 1 of 5

Step 1: Write down your soda time

For three days, note when the craving hits, where you are and what you just did. Most people find one or two danger times, like 3pm at work or dinner on the couch. That's where you focus. You don't need to fix the whole day.

• What time was it, and where were you?
• Were you hungry, tired, stressed or bored?
• Was it the taste, the cold, the fizz or the caffeine you wanted?

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Step 2 of 5

Step 2: Cut back slowly if your soda has caffeine

If your usual soda has caffeine, quitting overnight can make the craving louder. If you want to cut back on caffeine, the FDA says "it's best to do so gradually." It adds that withdrawal "isn't considered dangerous but can be unpleasant."

• Swap one can a day for a caffeine-free drink this week.
• Next week, swap the second one.

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Step 3 of 5

Step 3: Keep the cold and the fizz

Often you want the ritual as much as the soda: the crack of the can, the ice, the bubbles. Keep the parts you love and drop the sugar. Fill a big glass with ice and sparkling water, then add a squeeze of lemon or lime.

• Keep sparkling water cold in the fridge, where the soda used to be.
• Use the same glass or cup you'd use for soda.

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Step 4 of 5

Step 4: Change the cue, then eat a real lunch

The review suggests that not eating certain foods for "at least several weeks" may break a learned link, like evening time and chocolate. The same idea may apply to soda. Don't stock it at home, and skip the vending machine on your way back from lunch.

A light lunch makes the 3pm pull louder, so eat a proper meal. If you're hungry, eat. If only a soda will do, it's a craving.

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Step 5 of 5

Step 5: Sip something sweet that doesn't count

When the sweet tooth still calls, give it something that doesn't count. That's why we made Kraving Killa, a flavored drink mix with zero calories, no added sugar and zero stimulants. One of its three flavors is Root Beer: old-school soda-shop root beer.

• How to take it: one scoop in about 500ml (17 oz) of cold water, just before your cravings usually hit.
• Up to two scoops a day, any time. Add ice, or try it hot in winter.
• No caffeine and no stimulants, so a 9pm glass won't keep you up.

What do customers say about Kraving Killa?

Kraving Killa is rated 5.0 from 174 reviews. Here are three from verified buyers on the product page, word for word.

"This is now my go to instead of a cold coke."

The caffeine-free part comes up a lot.

"The fact that it’s caffeine free too is amazing for me as I really struggle with caffeine."

And so does the 3pm slump.

"I always want snacks after I finish work at 3pm and so Kraving Killa is the perfect go to."

Results vary.

What's in Kraving Killa?

Kraving Killa lists every ingredient and dose in full on the product page. Here are three of them, per 2-scoop serving.

Ingredient	Per 2 scoops	What it is
Chromium (picolinate)	200mcg	The mineral your body uses to keep blood sugar normal*
L-theanine	200mg	The calming compound in green tea*
L-tyrosine	750mg	The raw material your brain makes dopamine from*

It's sweetened with sucralose and stevia. It contains no dairy, gluten, soy, peanuts, tree nuts or added sugar.

How much is Kraving Killa?

Kraving Killa costs $60 a tub of 60 scoops. That's 30 days at two scoops a day, or two months at one.

• One tub: $60, or $2.00 a day
• Three tubs: $144, or $1.60 a day
• Six tubs: $270, or $1.50 a day
• Three flavors: Root Beer, Berry Bliss and Candy Shop

The empty-tub guarantee: "Try it for 30 days. If it doesn't kill your cravings, email us and we'll refund you, even if the tub's empty."

It's for the 3pm slump and the after-dinner sweet tooth. It isn't a meal. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication or worried, check with your doctor first.

Choose your Kraving Killa flavor