Sonic Drive-In is a popular fast food restaurant chain that is known for its extensive drink menu, which includes slushes, shakes, and flavored drinks. One of Sonic’s most iconic offerings is their Ocean Water drink, which consists of a mixture of fruit syrups like grape, lemon and pineapple, blended with soda water.
Ocean Water contains no actual ocean water, but it does beg the question – does this sweet, fruity drink contain sugar? As a SEO writer researching this topic, I will analyze the ingredients and nutrition facts for Sonic’s Ocean Water to definitively answer whether or not it contains sugar.
Ingredients in Sonic’s Ocean Water
To determine if a drink contains sugar, we need to examine the ingredients list. Here are the ingredients in Sonic’s Ocean Water, according to the company’s website:
– Carbonated Water
– High Fructose Corn Syrup
– Citric Acid
– Sodium Citrate
– Natural Flavors
– Blue 1
– Red 40
Looking at this list, we can clearly see that Ocean Water contains high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is a common sweetener used in soft drinks and other processed foods and beverages. HFCS is chemically similar to table sugar (sucrose) and provides a sweet taste.
So based on the ingredients list alone, we can confirm that yes, Sonic’s Ocean Water does contain added sugar in the form of HFCS.
Nutrition Information for Ocean Water
In addition to checking the ingredients list, we can verify that Ocean Water contains sugar by looking at its nutrition facts.
Sonic provides complete nutrition information for all of its menu items online. Here are the nutrition facts for a regular 20 oz Ocean Water drink:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 220 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Sodium | 55 mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 56 g |
| Sugar | 56 g |
The nutrition facts confirm that a 20 oz Ocean Water contains 56 grams of sugar. Since the drink contains no fat, protein or other macronutrients, essentially all of those carbohydrates and calories are coming from the added sugar.
So in summary, both the ingredients list and the nutrition information verify that yes, Sonic’s Ocean Water does contain added sugar.
How Much Sugar is in an Ocean Water
Now that we’ve established that Ocean Water contains sugar, a logical follow up question is: exactly how much sugar is in an Ocean Water drink from Sonic?
To determine the sugar content, we’ll again refer to the nutrition facts for a regular 20 oz serving:
– Serving size: 20 fl oz
– Sugar per serving: 56 grams
To put 56 grams into perspective, the American Heart Association recommends that adult women consume no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day, and adult men no more than 36 grams.1
So a single 20 oz Ocean Water from Sonic contains over twice the recommended daily amount of added sugar for women, and more than 1.5 times the recommended limit for men.
The World Health Organization is even more strict, recommending limiting added sugar to just 25 grams per day for adults regardless of gender.2 By this standard, drinking one Sonic Ocean Water exceeds your total recommended daily sugar intake.
For further context, 56 grams of sugar is equivalent to:
– 14 teaspoons of granulated white sugar
– 112 calories from sugar alone, out of the beverage’s 220 total calories
– More sugar than a 12 oz can of Coke, which contains 39g of sugar
So in summary, a regular 20 oz Ocean Water from Sonic packs a very high sugar punch, delivering over 2-3 times the maximum recommended daily amount of added sugar for healthy adults.
Sugar Content in Different Ocean Water Sizes
Sonic allows you to customize the size of your Ocean Water, so the sugar content will vary depending on the serving size.
Here’s how the sugar content changes based on size:
| Ocean Water Size | Sugar (grams) |
|---|---|
| Small (12 oz) | 33g |
| Regular (20 oz) | 56g |
| Large (30 oz) | 84g |
| X-Large (40 oz) | 112g |
As you can see, the sugar content scales directly with the serving size. A small Ocean Water still packs 33 grams of sugar, meeting or exceeding recommended daily limits. While the large and x-large sizes deliver staggering amounts of added sugar.
So if you want to minimize (but not eliminate) the sugar intake from this beverage, opting for the smallest size is your best bet. But no matter what size you choose, Ocean Water is a high sugar drink.
How Sonic’s Ocean Water Gets Its Sweet Taste
Now that we’ve thoroughly covered the presence of sugar in Ocean Water, let’s discuss how this drink derives its characteristically sweet, fruity flavor.
The primary source of sweetness in Ocean Water is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). As one of the first ingredients listed, HFCS makes up a significant portion of the drink’s makeup.
HFCS is a liquid sweetener that food and beverage manufacturers use as a replacement for sugar. It provides a very sweet taste, while being cheaper and easier to mix into products than regular granulated cane sugar.
In addition to HFCS, Ocean Water contains “natural flavors”, which likely include fruit juice concentrates and purified versions of sweet-tasting fruit essences. Common fruits used for flavoring citrus-y drinks like Ocean Water include pineapple, orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit. These fruit flavors complement the sweet taste.
The other ingredients – carbonated water, citric acid, sodium citrate, and food dyes – are either flavorless or have non-sweet tastes. So HFCS and fruit flavors provide essentially all of the sweet, sugary taste in a Sonic Ocean Water.
Does Ocean Water Contain Artificial Sweeteners?
Given its very sweet taste, some people may wonder if Sonic’s Ocean Water contains artificial sweeteners in addition to regular sugar.
However, there is no indication from the ingredients list that artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose or acesulfame potassium are used in this beverage. The sweet taste comes from natural sugar sources – HFCS and fruit juice concentrates.
Drinks that contain artificial sweeteners will usually make a “no sugar added” or “zero sugar” claim on the menu. Ocean Water makes no such claims, because it is sweetened with regular added sugar rather than artificial sweeteners.
So in summary, while Ocean Water is certainly a sugary drink, it does not appear to contain artificial sweeteners or non-nutritive sweeteners of any kind. The sweet flavor is derived from high fructose corn syrup and fruit juice concentrates.
Does Sonic Offer a Lower Sugar Version?
Given its extremely high sugar content, some health-conscious consumers may wish that Sonic offered a lower sugar version of their popular Ocean Water beverage.
Unfortunately, Sonic does not currently offer any reduced sugar or sugar-free varieties of Ocean Water on their menu. The standard version contains high fructose corn syrup as a primary ingredient and derives essentially all of its calories from added sugar.
However, there are a few lower-sugar options you can choose from the Sonic menu:
– Diet Soda – Get a diet cola like Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper as a zero-calorie, sugar-free alternative. Add a splash of fruit syrup like strawberry or peach to mimic some of the fruity flavors.
– Iced Tea – Unsweetened iced tea contains no sugar and offers an refreshing, lighter alternative. Sweeten to taste with a splash of fruit syrup or artificial sweetener.
– Slushes – Slushes made with diet soda or sugar free syrups have significantly less sugar than Ocean Water. A medium Diet Cherry Limeade Slush has 29g of sugar compared to 56g in Ocean Water.
– Flavored Sparkling Water – Order unsweetened flavored sparkling waters like berry, peach or coconut to get the fruit taste without tons of sugar.
While not a perfect substitute, these lower-sugar options can partially satisfy an Ocean Water craving. But for now, Sonic does not offer its signature drink in a reduced sugar formulation.
Sugar Content of Other Sonic Drinks
To provide more context around its high sugar content, here’s how Ocean Water compares to some other popular beverages at Sonic:
| Drink | Sugar (grams) |
|---|---|
| Ocean Water (20 oz) | 56g |
| Cherry Limeade (20 oz) | 65g |
| Strawberry Limeade (20 oz) | 69g |
| Vanilla Coke (20 oz) | 63g |
| Chocolate Shake (small) | 103g |
| Slushes (small) | 38-45g |
As you can see, most Sonic beverages are high in added sugar, with shakes, limeades and other specialty drinks often exceeding Ocean Water in sugar content.
So while Ocean Water may not be the single most sugary option at Sonic, it ranks very high in sugar compared to typical beverages. Given its giant size and flavor profile, it would be easy to consume 56+ grams of added sugar drinking a regular Ocean Water.
Is Ocean Water Unhealthy?
Given its extremely high amount of added sugar, is Sonic’s Ocean Water an unhealthy beverage choice overall?
The answer is yes – regularly drinking Ocean Waters is likely detrimental to health for most people. Here’s why:
– Excessive sugar intake is linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease and tooth decay.3 Consuming 56+ grams of sugar from a single beverage far exceeds healthy limits.
– The large size (up to 40oz) means you’re consuming a huge amount of liquid sugar very quickly, which can overload the liver and cause metabolic disturbances.
– With 220 calories and no protein, fiber, vitamins or minerals, it lacks nutritional benefits despite containing nearly a full day’s worth of discretionary calories.
– Fruit flavors disguise the high sugar content and make it easy to over-consume. You may underestimate how much sugar you’re actually drinking.
– Sugar tolerance varies by individual – children, smaller adults and those managing health conditions need to be particularly careful about sugar-sweetened beverages.
In moderation, Ocean Water can be safe for most healthy adults as an occasional treat. But regularly drinking full-sugar Ocean Waters in large sizes is likely to have negative effects on health over time.
Conclusion
In summary, analysis of the ingredients list and nutrition facts conclusively shows that Sonic’s Ocean Water does contain high amounts of added sugar, primarily from high fructose corn syrup. A 20 ounce regular size Ocean Water provides around 2-3 times the maximum daily recommended sugar intake for adults. Larger sizes can contain over 100 grams of sugar.
While Sonic does not offer a reduced sugar or artificially sweetened version of this fruity drink, consumers can customize their order to minimize sugar intake. Overall however, Ocean Water is one of the highest sugar options at Sonic, and drinking it regularly is likely unhealthy for most people. Moderation is key when enjoying this sugary signature beverage.
