Sierra Mist has been reformulated many times over the years. Weâve seen versions that are sweetened with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and even stevia. So whatâs the verdict on the current version, made with âReal Sugarâ? Is it bad for you?
Sierra Mist is not very healthy because it has 37g of sugar per can (12 fl oz). Just one can of Sierra Mist puts you above the American Heart Associationâs recommended daily limit for sugar. However, it may be a slightly healthier choice than other sodas like Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Below, Iâll discuss Sierra Mistâs sugar content, whether it is fattening, how it compares to other popular sodas, and whether itâs bad to drink it every day.
Is Sierra Mist Bad for You?
Here are the 10 specific questions Iâll be answering about Sierra Mist nutrition. Click any of them to skip ahead to that sectionâor just keep scrolling to read them all:
Sierra Mist has added sugar. Sierra Mist has real sugar, which isnât much better than high fructose corn syrup nutritionally. Specifically, Sierra Mist has 37g of sugar per can. Thatâs a lot. Even one can of Sierra Mist puts you over the American Heart Associationâs daily sugar limit. More about the sugar content below.
Sierra Mist is free of artificial colors. Sierra Mist is clear, so there is no need for dyes like Red 40 or Yellow 5. Artificial dyes seem to cause behavioral issues for some children. So itâs a good thing that Sierra Mist doesnât have them.
Sierra Mist has only seven ingredients. Generally, I appreciate when my foods only have a few simple ingredientsânot a ton of crazy chemical ingredient names. That said, despite Sierra Mistâs somewhat low number of ingredients, the sugar content is still quite high.
The biggest nutritional concern with Sierra Mist for most people will be the sugar. So letâs look at the sugar content in the next two sections below.
Related questions:
Does Sierra Mist Have Alcohol in It? Sierra Mist is a non-alcoholic soda. It does not have alcohol. However, some people may use Sierra Mist as a mixer along with vodka, tequila, rum, or other alcoholic drinks.
Does Sierra Mist have aspartame? Normal Sierra Mist does not have aspartame or other artificial sweeteners. However, Sierra Mist Zero Sugar is sweetened with aspartame and another artificial sweetener, acesulfame potassium.
2. How Much Sugar Is in Sierra Mist?
Sierra Mist has 37 grams of sugar per can (12 fl oz). That is around the same amount as in Sprite, 7 Up, Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, or Monster Energy. Drinking just one can of Sierra Mist puts you above the daily sugar limit recommended by the American Heart Association.
The American Heart Association recommends a limit of 25g of sugar per day for women and 36g per day for men. Even just one can of Sierra Mist already puts you above that.
Keep in mind: No added sugar is needed for human health. Really, the healthiest diet would likely just have natural sugar from fruit and whole foods. So in a sense, any âadded sugarâ is already a negative.
Hereâs a table showing how the sugar content of Sierra Mist compares to other sugary drinks:
Drink
Sugar (per 12 fl oz)
V8 Tomato Juice
10g
Vitamin Water
15g
Gatorade
20g
Simply Orange Juice
34g
Sierra Mist
37g
Sprite
38g
7 Up
38g
Dr Pepper
39g
Coca-Cola
39g
Monster Energy
40g
Barqâs Root Beer
45g
Mountain Dew
46g
Welchâs Grape Juice
52g
Sugar Content Comparison Table.
As you can see, sodas are among the most sugary drinks available. Sierra Mist doesnât have quite as much sugar as Mountain Dew or Barqâs, but itâs still a lot.
3. Is the Sugar in Sierra Mist Better Than HFCS?
Sierra Mist is sweetened with real sugarâand this is depicted as a positive thing in its marketing. Some people may prefer real sugar for its taste, but nutritionally speaking, is it actually better than high fructose corn syrup?
Some research suggests HFCS may increase appetite and contribute to obesity more than regular sugar. However, other research contradicts this. Overall, itâs unclear whether high fructose corn syrup is worse than normal sugar. (source)
The real bottom line is this: Any high-sugar diet, whether itâs HFCS or normal sugar, can increase heart disease and obesity risk while raising blood sugar, triglycerides, and blood pressure. (source)
So with Sierra Mist, the amount of added sugar is a bad thingâregardless of the fact that it is âreal sugar.â Thirty-seven grams per can is just a lot of sugar.
4. Does Sierra Mist Have Caffeine?
Sierra Mist does not have caffeine. It is not an energy drink. It is not advertised as providing caffeine, and none of the ingredients have caffeine naturally. Sierra Mist should not keep you awake.
Caffeine is an interesting ingredient because it has documented health benefits, but it can also be bad in many cases. Studies show it may reduce the risk of Alzheimerâs and Parkinsonâs. But itâs habit forming, and too much can disrupt sleep.
Therefore, caffeine is generally not considered simply âhealthyâ or âunhealthy.â Itâs more complicated than that. It can be good or bad depending how itâs affecting your life specifically.
5. Is Sierra Mist High in Sodium?
Sierra Mist has about 35mg of sodium per 12 oz can. This is only about 1.5% of the daily recommended limit of 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Therefore, Sierra Mist is not high in sodium.
Even if you drank Sierra Mist all day, you would probably only consume a couple hundred milligrams of sodium from it. So, you should be fine on that front. Itâs mostly just the sugar thatâs unhealthy.
Fun Fact: Sierra Mist has only about 53% of the sodium of Sprite. When comparing Sprite, 7 Up, and Sierra Mist, the lowest sodium option is Sierra Mist. See more soda comparisons below.
6. Does Sierra Mist Make You Gain Weight?
Sierra Mist is high in caloriesâ140 calories per 12 oz canâso it could contribute to weight gain. However, changes in bodyweight depend on overall calorie balance. So drinking Sierra Mist in moderation will not automatically cause weight gain.
Many people misunderstand what actually causes fat gain. It isnât generally caused by eating a specific unhealthy food. Itâs a result of consuming more calories than you burn overall. The overallquantity of calories is whatâs important.
For example, itâs possible to gain fat from healthy foodsâif you eat large portions and donât exercise. In the same way, itâs been shown that you can lose weight by eating McDonaldâs, if you eat a small amount.
So, thereâs a sense in which no specific food is âfattening.â Only overall diets can be fattening. However, thereâs still a sense in which Sierra Mist may lead to weight gain: It has a lot of empty calories that donât fill you up much.
That is, when you drink Sierra Mist, youâre getting a lot of calories, but not much satiation. And that can lead you to consuming more calories than you need for the day. And in turn, that can cause weight gain.
So, yes, there is a sense in which Sierra Mist can cause weight gain, just like other sugary drinks. But the actual key is your overall diet and calorie balance. One specific food generally wonât make or break your diet.
If your goal is weight loss, I would recommend (A) tracking your calories, or (B) following some of these 18 tips for weight loss without counting calories. Whether you drink Sierra Mist will not make or break your weight-loss journey by itself.
The relationship between diet and acne is still evolving. But increasingly, there is significant evidence that diet does play a major role in acne. And there are a few specific types of foods that are widely acknowledged as problematic.
One of the foods most strongly associated with acne is sugar. And as covered above, Sierra Mist has a lot of sugar in each can (37 grams). This means Sierra Mist could cause acne for many acne-prone people.
For many acne sufferers, reducing acne is about stabilizing your blood-sugar and insulin levels. And often, that means minimizing or eliminating high-GI carbs like the sugar found in Sierra Mist.
If you want to learn more, I wrote more about acne science and how to clear your acne in this blog post. But suffice it to sayâthereâs a decent chance Sierra Mist will be a negative for your skin.
8. Is Sierra Mist Healthier Than Other Sodas?
Despite its high sugar content, Sierra Mist may actually be slightly healthier than most other popular sodas. Letâs make a few comparisons:
Sierra Mist vs Coca-Cola: Sierra Mist is likely a bit healthier than Coke. They have nearly the same sugar content (37g vs 39g) and similar same sodium content ( 35mg vs 45mg) per can. But Sierra Mist doesnât have caramel color or phosphoric acid like Coke, making Sierra Mist Up potentially healthier in comparison.
Sierra Mist vs Dr Pepper: Sierra Mist may actually be slightly healthier than Dr Pepper, for the same reasons as with Coke: Sierra Mist avoids the caramel color and phosphoric acid, while not being dramatically worse in any other way.
Sierra Mist vs Pepsi: Pepsi has 4g more sugar per serving compared to Sierra Mist. And again, like Coke and Dr Pepper, Pepsi has caramel color and phosphoric acidâyikes. So again, Sierra Mist is likely a bit healthier.
Sierra Mist vs Mountain Dew: Sierra Mist has about 9g less sugar per serving than Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew also has the artificial color Yellow 5, which may cause behavioral issues for some children. So again, Sierra Mist seems a little bit healthier.
Sierra Mist vs Root Beer: Sierra Mist has about 8g less sugar per serving than Barqâs Root Bear. So, Sierra Mist is probably healthierâbut again, neither drink is very healthy.
Sierra Mist vs Sprite: Sierra Mist has 1g less sugar per serving compared to Sprite. Sierra Mist also has about 47% less sodium. So Sierra Mist may be slightly healthier than Spriteâbut not by much.
Sierra Mist vs 7 Up: Sierra Mist has 1g less sugar per serving compared to 7 Up. Sierra Mist also has about 22% less sodium. So Sierra Mist may be slightly healthier than 7 Upâbut not by much.
But really, any of these sugar-loaded sodas are not very healthy. For a healthier soda option, you can look at Zevia. Itâs sweetened with stevia rather than sugar. Read my Zevia review here.
9. Is It Bad to Drink Sierra Mist Every Day?
Generally speaking, yes, it is bad to drink Sierra Mist every day. Even drinking just one can of Sierra Mist already puts you above the American Heart Associationâs recommended daily sugar limit.
High-sugar diets lead to increased risk of obesity, heart disease, tooth decay, and more health problems. And if you drink even a can or two of Sierra Mist per day, youâve already entered into the realm of âhigh sugar.â
Now, technically, you could drink one sip of Sierra Mist a day, and you could still be consuming a low-sugar diet. So, that would probably be fine. But who is really stopping after one sip? Letâs be realistic.
The most sensible guideline would probably be to only drink Sierra Mist and similar sodas on occasion. Donât make it a daily habit.
Related question:
Is it OK to drink Sierra Mist once in a while? Sure. For most people, your body can tolerate occasional spikes in sugar and empty calories like those in Sierra Mist. What really causes most diet problems is the repeated consumption of unhealthy foods as a habit.
10. Is Sierra Mist Vegan?
Sierra Mist is generally considered vegan, but it may contain sugar that is filtered with animal bone char. Therefore, some strict vegans may avoid Sierra Mist. Sierra Mist Zero Sugar is considered vegan.
Often, non-organic cane sugar is filtered with bone char, making it a controversial ingredient among some groups of vegans. Although many vegans donât worry about sugar like this, you may find some vegans who avoid Sierra Mist for this reason.
Since Sierra Mist Zero Sugar is sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of real sugar, it is more solidly vegan.
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Iâm Tyler McFarland, the editor and main author here. When I first went vegan 13 years ago, convenience products like veggie burgers and soy milk were a lot harder to find. Now theyâre everywhere!