Rocky Mountain Soda has gained significant traction in the marketplace recently, and we can't thank our customers enough. Going forward, we'll maintain our commitment to producing only the highest quality craft soda pop for people with a taste for good taste. That said, folks are sometimes surprised that our bottles and cans contain those Nutrition Facts labels, but we're compelled to include it. We have no problem with it because we believe it allows potential customers to see the Rocky Mountain difference. In this guide, the Rocky Mountain Soda Co. team provides tips on how to properly read food and drink labels.
How to Read Nutrition Fact Labels on Soda
All soda manufacturers must follow FDA labeling guidance. That's why all our vegan, kosher soda flavors include these labels. Below, we'll show you how to interpret what you see on one of our labels.
The only foods exempt from including a Nutrition Facts label are fresh as you buy in the supermarket's produce section or at a fresh market on the street. Everyone else - including Rocky Mountain Soda - is compelled to include it. So, let's go through what's on this label, starting at the top and working down.
Serving Size
This one is pretty self-explanatory. It's the first thing indicated under the Nutrition Facts banner, which indicates the type of container and the number of servings contained within. Whether you buy our delicious all-natural Buena Vista Black Cherry soda (or any of our other flavors) in cans or bottles, you get 12 thirst-quenching ounces, which equals one serving.
For the record, 12 ounces is the standard serving size for soda, so if you buy a liter of someone else's pop, you'll see the label indicates it contains "about" three 12-ounce servings. All other information on the Nutrition Facts label will indicate how much of a certain thing is contained in a 12-ounce serving.
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a Nutrition Facts label on most packaged foods and beverages. At the top of the Nutrition Facts label, you will find the total number of servings in the container and the food or beverage’s serving size."
—National Institutes of Health
Calories Per Serving
The next item on the Rocky Mountain Soda Nutrition Facts label indicates how many calories are contained in a single serving. The FDA recommends that the average healthy adult consume 2,000 calories per day. All of our Rocky Mountain Soda flavors contain only 130 calories per serving. Compare that to 139 calories in a serving of Coke® and 149 calories per serving of Sprite®.
Perfect of Daily Value
As defined by the FDA, the "% Daily Value" amount indicates how much a particular ingredient contributes to the recommended daily total of 2,000 calories for an average healthy adult. If you require more or less than 2,000 calories to maintain a healthy weight, the % Daily Value of a given nutrient will need to be more or less than what is displayed on the can or bottle label.
Another thing to remember is that the % Daily Value does not reflect the unique nutritional needs of older adults, who typically require fewer calories to maintain robust health. Also, many assume that a lower % or higher % Daily Value is automatically better or worse (respectively) for them, but that is not necessarily the case. A lower % Daily Value may be good for a person depending on their physical size or nutritional requirements. Likewise, a higher % Daily Value may benefit larger individuals or those who have particular nutritional requirements (for instance, if they need more dietary fiber than the average person).
Total Fat
A single serving of our natural soda contains 0 grams of fat. We'd like to be able to say we're the only soda manufacturer that can make that claim, but alas, 0 grams of fat is industry standard for 12-ounce servings of soda.
Sodium
Many soda pop manufacturers add sodium to their beverages. Not us. All of our gluten-free sodas contain zero grams of sodium per serving. Considering that most people get way too much sodium in their diet, which can contribute to long-term health problems such as heart disease, we're all too happy to keep it off our ingredient list.
Total Carbohydrate
The FDA recommends that the average healthy person consume 2,000 calories daily. Of that, anywhere from 900 to 1,300 should be carbohydrates. That works out to between 225 and 325 grams of carbs per day. On the Nutrition Facts label on a can or bottle of Rocky Mountain Soda, you'll see it contains 36 grams of carbs, which is on the low side of most brands of soda pop.
Total Sugars
The next item on our Nutrition Facts label is total sugars. Now, remember that at Rocky Mountain Soda, we do not use typical refined sugar in any of our tasty beverages. Nor do we use potentially problematic artificial sweeteners. Instead, because we want to offer the healthiest beverages to our customers, we use only vegan cane sugar. That means animal bone char was not used to process this type of sugar. As a result, we can claim that all of our sodas are indeed vegan.
That said, Rocky Mountain Soda contains 36 grams of total sugar, where the 36 grams of carbs come from. Since the FDA recommends a total of 50 grams per day of sugar for the average adult, that is 72% of the total. Compare that, however, to 39 grams in a 12-ounce can of Coke® (78% of the FDA total) and 41 grams of sugar in Fanta Orange® (82% of the FDA total).
| Type of Soda | Sugar per 12 Oz. |
|---|---|
| Mountain Dew ® | 77 grams |
| Fanta Orange ® | 69 grams |
| Sprite ® | 68 grams |
| Coke ® | 65 grams |
| Mello Yello ® | 63 grams |
| 7Up ® | 60 grams |
| Dr. Pepper ® | 58 grams |
| A&W Root Beer ® | 53 grams |
| Rocky Mountain Soda Co. ® | 36 grams |
SOURCE: Medium
Protein
The last nutrient on the Nutrition Facts label on a can of Rocky Mountain Soda pop is protein. No mainstream or craft sodas contain protein in any measurable amount. As such, the Nutrition Facts label on our pop-menu displays 0 grams of protein for all of our soda flavors.
Try Our Natural Sodas Today
If you compare the Nutrition Facts labels of Rocky Mountain Soda to other major brands, you'll get an idea why so many people are making the switch. With no fat, no GMOs, and being low in carbs and sodium, our innovative soda pop flavors are proof positive that you can have your cake and eat it too.
If you want to take your soda pop experience to a whole new level, try one of our "Very Berry," "Roots & Beers," or "Fun Fruit" variety packs. Or, to send your taste buds to pop nirvana, pick up our "Rocky Mountain Soda Sampler" with all 12 of our amazing and innovative flavors. By the time you're finished, you'll never think about soda in the same way again.
