A USA TODAY reporter gave up Coca-Cola’s cold turkey. It turned out like this.
USA TODAY reporter Julia Gomez used to consume about two to three sodas a day, but after quitting Coca-Cola, she noticed a big change.
Soft drink fans can be the first to taste Pepsi’s new healthy carbonated beverage.
Pepsi Prebiotic Cola will be in stores in early 2026, PepsiCo announced on July 21. But ahead of that, Pepsi Prebiotic Cola is now available in limited quantities online.
Eight-packs of both Original Coke and Cherry Vanilla flavors will be available starting Black Friday, November 28th, at Amazon, Walmart.com, Pepsi TikTok Shop, and in select markets via Kroger.com, DashMart, and Gopuff while supplies last. People watching the Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles game on Amazon Prime Video on Black Friday will be able to purchase drinks from their TV screen.
“This breakthrough innovation maintains the iconic Pepsi taste that people love, without any artificial sweeteners, low sugars or functional ingredients,” Gustavo Reina, Pepsi’s vice president of marketing, said in a news release.
The new Pepsi prebiotic drink comes months after PepsiCo acquired prebiotic soda maker Poppi for $1.95 billion in March.
Poppi and other prebiotic beverages such as Olipop and Culture Pops are gaining acceptance from consumers seeking healthier drink options. Coca-Cola launched its own Simply Pop prebiotic drink in February.
What are the ingredients in Pepsi Prebiotic Cola?
A 12-ounce can of Pepsi Prebiotic Coke contains 5 grams of sugar, compared to 41 grams of total sugar in traditional Pepsi, according to Pepsi’s website. A can has 30 calories, compared to 150 calories in a traditional can. Each can of Pepsi Prebiotic Cola also contains 3 grams of prebiotic fiber. Traditional Pepsi has a carbohydrate content of 41 grams, while Pepsi Prebiotic Cola has a carbohydrate content of 6 grams.
Here is the ingredient list for Pepsi Prebiotic Cola and Traditional Pepsi:
- Pepsi Prebiotic Cola: Carbonated water, cane sugar, soluble corn fiber, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, stevia extract, caffeine.
- Traditional Pepsi: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid, natural flavor.
What is prebiotic soda?
Poppi and Olipop launched the prebiotic soda category in 2018, touting plant-based fiber ingredients that increase the number of good bacteria in your gut. However, most prebiotic sodas contain between 2 and 9 grams of prebiotic fiber per can, far short of the recommended daily intake of fiber (25 to 38 grams), according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Last year, Poppi faced a class action lawsuit filed after consumers said they wouldn’t have bought the product had they known it contained just 2 grams of prebiotic fiber. Mr. Poppi settled the lawsuit for $8.9 million in September 2025.
“Prebiotic soda is certainly a healthier alternative to soda for people who are looking for a bubbly (and) sweet drink and don’t want to give up soda completely,” Jessica Alfano, a clinical dietitian at Huntington Hospital in New York, told USA TODAY after the lawsuit was filed.
But “this is definitely not a product that will fix your gut health by drinking one or two cans a day,” she says.
Contributed by: USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes, Greta Cross and Jonathan Limehouse
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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