“Protein Diet Coke” is going viral, but is it healthy? A nutritionist explains

If there's one thing people love to do on social media, it's adding proteins to their favorite foods and drinks.

The latest viral drink on TikTok is “Protein Diet Coke” – popularized by creator Rebecca Gordon, whose post about the drink she says is trending in Utah has racked up 2.4 million views in five days. Since then, many other TikTokers across the country have tried it out and posted their own versions.

So what is Protein Diet Coke and does it have the nutritional value the name suggests? As a registered dietitian, I'll explain the drink's nutritional values ​​and whether it's worth trying.

What is Protein Diet Coke?

Protein Diet Coke combines a ready-to-drink vanilla protein shake and Diet Coke.

Most #proteindietcoke videos on TikTok appear to use Fairlife Vanilla Core Power, an ultra-filtered, protein-rich vanilla milk drink. TikTokers pour the drink into a large Diet Coke, stir, and enjoy.

But here's a secret: This isn't a new idea. It is strikingly similar to egg custard, a favorite drink of baby boomers. An egg cream is a combination of seltzer, chocolate syrup and milk. It doesn't use as much milk as protein diet cola and people drink it for pleasure rather than for the protein. It's also similar to Dirty Soda, another Utah drink trend that went viral in 2022.

I couldn't figure out exactly where Protein Diet Coke originated, but some of the social media posts also link it to Utah.

Is protein diet cola healthy?

Protein Diet Coke contains only two ingredients: Diet Coke and a vanilla protein milk. Let's break down each one's diet.

Diet Coke (or any other soda) is not known for its health benefits. But unlike sodas with tons of sugar, Diet Coke is made with aspartame, a nutrient-free, zero-calorie sweetener.

Aspartame's safety has been in the spotlight for many years, but the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) says it is safe to consume and can help people reduce their added sugar intake. Likewise, the American Cancer Society notes that someone would have to drink more than nine cans of soda per day to reach unsafe levels of aspartame. However, diet sodas do not add additional nutrients to the diet.

The Vanilla Core Power drink is made from low-fat milk, monk fruit juice concentrate, stevia and a few other ingredients. Fairlife's website states that they use ultrafiltration to “concentrate the protein and calcium and filter out most of the sugar from the milk.” This means the drink contains 26 grams of protein and 50% of your daily calcium without added sugar.

It's marketed as a post-workout recovery drink to combat fatigue and dehydration “with high-quality protein and electrolytes.” In general, flavored milk has been proven to do just that, with plenty of research showing that flavored milk is a helpful post-workout recovery drink.

TODAY.com reached out to both Coca-Cola and Fairlife for comment on the protein diet cola trend, but they did not immediately respond.

Should you try it?

If you like the taste of protein diet cola or are curious about it, I see no reason not to try it. But here are some things to consider:

Calories

Protein Diet Coke has significantly more calories than Diet Coke alone. In fact, the Fairlife vanilla drink shown in many videos has a similar calorie count to a regular cola.

Nutritional value

Thanks to its protein and vitamin D content, the protein diet cola has a higher nutritional value than a diet cola alone or a regular cola. It also contains no added sugar. But you can get the same benefits by drinking the Fairlife drink straight.

If you like Diet Coke, I think drinking it neat in moderation is also fine.

How often should you drink it?

For people who like protein diet cola, I would recommend limiting intake to a post-workout recovery drink to help build muscle or a snack to stay full between meals. Think of it as a protein drink with a splash of sugar-free lemonade for added flavor. But here too you can simply drink the protein milk straight.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com