A line of sparkling water drinks that come in a variety of wide flavors, containing no carbs and low calories, Sparkling Ice has made it name in the low-carb, sugar-free and ketogenic communities.
Is Sparkling Ice really good for you? If you’re doing keto, could it kick you out of ketosis? Read n to find out more about these drinks!
This brand has been described as 16 fizzy, fruity flavors with a splash of juice, colors and flavors from natural sources. Added to that, vitamins and antioxidants, with five flavors to choose from with a little kick of caffeine.
The product came from a company called Talking Rain Beverage Co., which began in a little town in the state of Washington. But now, products are distributed worldwide. Across the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, South Africa, and the Caribbean.
Just last year, 2019, Sparkling Ice relaunched its entire brand of carbonated water. Backed up with three years of research, development and sensory testing, Sparkling Ice boasts in an updated look with natural colors and flavors.
How Is It Consumed?
Sparkling Ice can be conveniently taken, as is, like water. Though there are many recipes suggested online which Sparkling Ice can be added as the major ingredient for clean beverages intended for keto diets. Examples of these are Ginger Fizz, Mystery Colada, Orange Mango Surprise, and Aperol Spritzer which are all found on Sparkling Ice’s website.
But first let’s take a look at what’s packaged inside a bottle or can of Sparkling Ice.
Sparkling Ice Ingredients
Here’s a list of ingredients you can find in most of their products: carbonated water, juice concentrate, malic acid, natural flavors, vegetable juice (for color), potassium benzoate (to ensure freshness), gum arabic, green tea extract, retinol (vitamin a), niacinamide (vitamin b3), biotin, cyanocobalamin (vitamin b12), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin b6), calcium pantothenate (vitamin b5), cholecalciferol (vitamin d3), and sucralose.
Nutrition Facts
There are three (3) Sparkling Ice varieties being sold in the market. The Classics, +Caffeine and those under the New product line which are continuously being innovated as this moves forward.
In Sparkling Ice’s earlier years in the market, consumers can read on the label that it has zero calories.
However, recently in January 2020, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) new Nutrition Facts Panel labeling requirements took effect. One of the differences was that the serving sizes of products area must be updated to more accurately reflect the amount people actually drink (or eat) in a sitting.
In accordance with that, one bottle of Sparkling Ice is now labeled as 1 serving rather than what was previously indicated as 2. The calories shown reflect the larger serving size. Before 2020, Sparkling Ice rounded down to zero calories based on an 8-ounce serving, designated previously also by the FDA.
Therefore, it can now be seen in the package labeling that Sparkling Ice has 5 calories per serving. What is the source of calories? It comes from the acid, juice content and colors from natural sources.
Sparkling Ice does not contain sugar, instead being sweetened by sucralose. Sucralose is approximately 600x sweeter than cane sugar. It is also under the category of an artificial sweetener.
Here’s what you can see at the product’s nutrition facts:
| Sparkling Ice Variety | Classics | +Caffeine | New |
| Serving size | 1 bottle (17 fl. oz) | 1 can (16 fl.oz) | 1 bottle (17 fl.oz) |
| Calories | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Fat | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Protein | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carbs | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin A | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Vitamin D, 3 mcg | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Niacin | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Vitamin B6 | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Vitamin B12 | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Biotin | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Pantothenic acid | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Antioxidants, Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) Vitamin A | 135 mcg | 135 mcg | 135 mcg |
| Juice content | 1% | 0% | 1% |
| Caffeine | Caffeine free | 70mg | Caffeine free |
Classics
The Classics come in seventeen flavors and packaged in a bottle:
- Grape Raspberry
- Black Cherry
- Black Raspberry
- Pomegranate Blueberry
- Cherry Limeade
- Strawberry Watermelon
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Kiwi Strawberry
- Pink Grapefruit
- Peach Nectarine
- Orange Mango
- Crisp Apple
- Coconut Pineapple
- Classic Lemonade
- Ginger Lime
- Coconut Limeade
- Lemon Lime
Each of these all contain 5 calories per bottle containing 17 fl. oz (502.8 ml), also equivalent to one serving size. The Classics does not contain fat, carbs, nor protein. A bottle also contains 1% juice. To add, each bottle contains 15% of each of the following vitamins indicated on the table above.
It also contains 135mcg of antioxidants per bottle. These antioxidants are in the form of vitamin A.
Bottom line: These products under the Sparkling Ice Classics are keto-friendly, because it contains only 5 calories, not coming from carbs, but from the vitamins added to the beverage. It has zero sugar and uses sucralose as a sweetener. Sucralose is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA and permitted to be used in food (1).
+Caffeine
The +Caffeine variety come in five flavors and are packaged in a can:
- Black Raspberry
- Blue Raspberry
- Orange Passion Fruit
- Strawberry Citrus
- Triple Citrus
A serving of this flavor variety is 1 can (16 fl. oz). Each contains 5 calories, 70mg of caffeine and 0% juice content. The +Caffeine does not contain fat, carbs, nor protein. Therefore, it has zero sugar and uses sucralose as a sweetener. Every bottle also contains 15% of the vitamins stated on the table above.
It also contains 135mcg of antioxidants per bottle. These antioxidants are in the form of vitamin A.
Bottom line: These products under the Sparkling Ice +Caffeine are keto-friendly, because it contains only 5 calories, not coming from carbs but from the vitamins added to the beverage. It has zero sugar and uses sucralose as a sweetener.
The difference it gives from the Classics is the added caffeine content and having 0% juice content.
New
The New products are just the same as the Classics. Sparkling ice is committed to releasing innovative flavors, now then so they have these announcements under the New flavor category. Up to date they have the following New flavors:
- Fruit punch
- Coconut Lime
Is Sparkling Ice Keto-Friendly?
All Sparkling Ice products are keto-friendly because they have zero carbs per serving. They are okay for people who follow a general low-carb and ketogenic diet.
However, some people who follow a strict keto diet might want to avoid artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and maltodextrin. If you’re having a weight loss plateau, you might want to avoid any artificial sweetener and switch to natural sweeteners instead.
Where to buy
Sparkling Ice can be bought online from Amazon, Jet, Sam’s Club, and Walmart.
Conclusion
Sparkling Ice products are keto-friendly. Since it uses sucralose as its non-caloric sweetener. Generally, it’s simply sparkling water with added vitamins and antioxidants. Consequently, the +Caffeine brand has an added caffeine.
