Sonic is a popular fast food chain known for its extensive drive-in menu with a variety of burgers, hot dogs, sides, and especially drinks. With so many sugary drink options to choose from like sodas, shakes, slushes, and lemonades, it can be difficult to find the healthiest low sugar options at Sonic. For people watching their sugar intake or managing conditions like diabetes, knowing which drinks contain the least amount of sugar is important.
Sonic’s Drink Menu Overview
Sonic categorizes their drinks into several sections:
- Fountain Drinks – Sodas like Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Root Beer, Hi-C, and Powerade
- Real Fruit Slushes and Lemonades – Slushes made with real fruit like Strawberry, Blue Coconut, Limeade, and Lemonades
- Shakes and Malts – Hand mixed milkshakes and malts in flavors like Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Oreo Cookies & Cream
- Juices – Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Apple Juice, Pineapple Juice
- Coffee Drinks – Hot Coffees, Iced Coffees, Lattes, Cappuccinos
- Teas – Sweet Tea, Unsweetened Tea
- Smoothies – Made with yogurt and real fruit
- Chillers – Blended fruit and ice drinks
- Ice Cream Floats – Made with ice cream and soda or juice
With so many options and flavors available, sugar content can really vary between each drink. Next we’ll break down the sugar content in each category and determine which specific drinks contain the least amount of sugar.
Sugar Content in Sonic Fountain Drinks
| Fountain Drink | Sugar Content (fl oz) |
|---|---|
| Coca-Cola | 40g |
| Diet Coke | 0g |
| Sprite | 38g |
| Root Beer | 44g |
| Hi-C Orange Lavaburst | 48g |
| Powerade (20 fl oz) | 34g |
Of the regular fountain drink options, Diet Coke is the clear winner with 0g of sugar. All other sodas and fruit drinks contain high amounts of added sugar, ranging from 34-48g per serving. Diet sodas like Diet Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper, and Diet Sprite are the best low sugar choices in this category.
Sugar Content in Sonic Real Fruit Slushes and Lemonades
| Slushes and Lemonades | Sugar Content (fl oz) |
|---|---|
| Blue Coconut Real Fruit Slush (small) | 87g |
| Watermelon Real Fruit Slush (small) | 81g |
| Cherry Limeade (small) | 69g |
| Ocean Water Slush (small) | 65g |
The Real Fruit Slushes and Lemonades have extremely high sugar levels, ranging from 65-87g per small serving. There are no truly low sugar options in this category. The Ocean Water (a combo of coconut, lime, and blue raspberry) contains slightly less sugar than the other flavors. But all these sugary slushes and lemonades should be limited in a healthy diet.
Sugar Content in Sonic Shakes and Malts
| Shakes and Malts | Sugar Content (small) |
|---|---|
| Chocolate Shake | 103g |
| Vanilla Shake | 99g |
| Strawberry Shake | 114g |
| Oreo Cookies & Cream Shake | 132g |
| Chocolate Malt | 119g |
| Vanilla Malt | 116g |
Hand mixed shakes and malts are one of the highest sugar drinks at Sonic. Even a small size contains almost 100-130g of sugar! There are currently no low sugar shake options at Sonic, so shakes and malts should be avoided if watching sugar intake.
Sugar Content in Sonic Juices
| Juices | Sugar Content (small) |
|---|---|
| Orange Juice | 34g |
| Cranberry Juice | 40g |
| Apple Juice | 34g |
| Pineapple Juice | 42g |
The juices at Sonic are on the lower end for sugar compared to their other specialty drinks. But they still contain 30-40g of natural sugar per small serving. For a light drink with minimal sugar, opt for water or an unsweetened iced tea.
Sugar Content in Sonic Coffee Drinks
| Coffee Drinks | Sugar Content |
|---|---|
| Hot Coffee (no additions) | 0g |
| Iced Coffee (no additions) | 0g |
| Caramel Latte (small) | 38g |
| Vanilla Latte (small) | 38g |
| Mocha Latte (small) | 40g |
| Caramel Cappuccino (small) | 40g |
Sonic’s basic brewed coffee contains no sugar. The best low sugar coffee drinks are regular black hot coffee or iced coffee with no extra syrups or sweeteners added. Once flavorings and creamy additions are added, the drinks rack up substantial grams of sugar. For example, a small Caramel Latte has 38g of sugar. Limiting flavor pumps and choosing small sizes can reduce the sugar content of lattes, cappuccinos, and flavored coffees.
Sugar Content in Sonic Teas
| Teas | Sugar Content |
|---|---|
| Unsweetened Iced Tea | 0g |
| Sweet Tea (small) | 39g |
Unsweetened iced tea is the clear low sugar choice when it comes to teas at Sonic. Their classic Sweet Tea contains 39g of sugar in a small size. Opt for unsweetened tea or water to avoid extra sugars.
Sugar Content in Sonic Smoothies
| Smoothies | Sugar Content (small) |
|---|---|
| Strawberry Banana Smoothie | 53g |
| Mango Pineapple Smoothie | 58g |
| Triple Berry Smoothie | 69g |
Sonic’s real fruit smoothies range from 53-69g of sugar for a small serving. The strawberry banana is the lowest sugar option. But all of Sonic’s smoothie flavors contain high amounts of natural fruit sugars, so they should be enjoyed in moderation.
Sugar Content in Sonic Chillers
| Chillers | Sugar Content (small) |
|---|---|
| Wild Cherry Chiller | 63g |
| Blue Coconut Chiller | 65g |
| Strawberry Pineapple Chiller | 69g |
Sonic Chillers blend fruit flavors with ice to create flavorful icy drinks. But these chilled drinks also pack in 60-70g of sugar per small serving. There are currently no low sugar Chiller options.
Sugar Content in Sonic Ice Cream Floats
| Ice Cream Floats | Sugar Content (small) |
|---|---|
| Vanilla Float | 67g |
| Chocolate Float | 72g |
| Cherry Float | 77g |
| Orange Float | 82g |
Ice cream floats made with soda or juice unsurprisingly also make the high sugar list. The classic Vanilla Float with soda contains 67g of sugar in a small. Sugary floats are best saved for an occasional treat.
Lowest Sugar Drinks at Sonic
To recap, here are the drinks at Sonic that contain the least amount of sugar:
- Diet Coke Fountain Drink (0g sugar for any size)
- Unsweetened Iced Tea (0g sugar)
- Hot Coffee or Iced Coffee with no additions (0g sugar)
- Diet Dr. Pepper Fountain Drink (0g sugar)
- Diet Sprite Fountain Drink (0g sugar)
- Ocean Water Slush (65g sugar in small size)
- Orange Juice (34g sugar in small size)
Water is also always a great zero calorie, zero sugar choice!
Highest Sugar Drinks to Limit at Sonic
And here are the drinks highest in sugar that are best limited in a healthy diet:
- Shakes and Malts (99-130g sugar in small size)
- Real Fruit Slushes (65-87g in small size)
- Floats (67-82g in small size)
- Chillers (60-70g in small size)
- Fountain Drinks besides Diet (34-48g in regular size)
- Sweet Tea (39g sugar in small size)
Being mindful of sugar content and choosing low or no sugar options when possible is important, especially for those managing health conditions affected by sugar intake. Review the nutrition facts carefully when deciding on a drink option at Sonic. And of course, moderation is key when enjoying any of their flavorful drinks.
Tips for Ordering Low Sugar Drinks at Sonic
Here are some tips for ordering low sugar drinks at Sonic:
- Opt for water, unsweetened tea, Diet Coke, or coffee with no additions.
- Customize drinks by asking for less pumps of syrup, no whipped cream, nonfat milk, etc.
- Choose small sizes which have slightly less sugar than large sizes.
- Request light ice to get more drink and dilute the sugar.
- Avoid most slushes, shakes, floats, and chilled drinks.
- Check nutrition info and sugar content before ordering.
Following a low sugar diet doesn’t mean you have to avoid Sonic altogether. Customizing orders and being aware of sugar content makes it possible to enjoy their drinks moderately without going overboard on sugar.
Sugar and Health
It’s important for both children and adults to monitor their sugar intake and aim for the recommendations from leading health authorities. Current sugar intake guidelines recommend:
- Children: Less than 25g added sugar daily
- Adult women: Less than 25g added sugar daily
- Adult men: Less than 38g added sugar daily
It’s easy to go over these amounts with just one high sugar drink from Sonic. Drinking high sugar beverages regularly has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other negative health outcomes. By choosing low or no sugar options wisely at Sonic, you can still enjoy their signature drinks while promoting good health. Moderation and variety are key principles to follow.
Conclusion
Sonic’s extensive drink menu has both very high and very low sugar options. Diet sodas, unsweetened tea and coffee, and water are the clear winners when it comes to the lowest sugar drinks. Slushes, shakes, chilled drinks, and lemonades pack in the most sugar and should be limited. Checking nutrition facts, customizing orders, and opting for smaller sizes makes it possible to enjoy Sonic drinks in moderation while still watching sugar intake. Drink variety, balance, and mindfulness when ordering at Sonic can promote both health and enjoyment.
