Do The Amish Drink Soft Drinks?

Coke. Pepsi. RC. Mountain Dew. Squirt. There are just so many of them....but the question lingers for some: Do the Amish drink soft drinks?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is yes. Now, I will qualify this.  

The Amish are just like any other group of people, you’re going to find some Amish who never touch the vile stuff. Gloria, who writes the Amish column, her family never has soft drinks.  I think there tends to be a little bit more awareness about healthier eating and drinking among the New Order Amish, which Gloria is a part of

In other Amish communities, it’s not uncommon at all to see Amish people going into convenience stores and loading up on cases of soft drinks.

🥤 What Soft Drink Seems To Be The Favorite?

In my experience, for whatever reason, Pepsi seems to enjoy a stronger following among the Amish than Coke. But which soft drink seems to enjoy the biggest appeal? And this is only from personal observation: Mountain Dew.

I have seen buggies being loaded up with cases of Mountain Dew far more than any other soft drink. I suppose it’s a caffeine kick. I don’t know.

⚡ What about other non-alcoholic drinks?

I don’t think you’re going to find many flavored waters among the Amish. They would just drink regular water.

If Mountain Dew is popular among the Amish, you would think Rockstar, Monster, Red Bull, and other energy drinks are popular among the Amish too.But I have not seen that in my personal observation.

I would expect, however, for these types of energy drinks to be more popular among Amish young people and teens.

🏥 Health Impacts

Unfortunately, these mainstream processed foods and drinks that are entering the Amish diet has changed the Amish diet. A century ago, the Amish diet was almost entirely a home-based locavore diet.

The Great Depression and World War II changed that. Farms failed, and the Amish weren’t always able to feed themselves like they were before. Add to that that the post-World War II era brought a lot of “convenience foods “within reach of the Amish and they started sampling them. Fast food has also made inroads. Along with all of that, came soft drinks. The arrival of soft drinks, fast food, and packaged foods to the Amish has led to more cases of obesity and diabetes among the Amish, where those were once rare.

🌳 Natural "Soft Drinks"

Here's an interesting "soft drink" I have seen some Amish drink: cold tree sap. I was surprised when I tried some how smooth it went down, tasted like a slightly sweet water. But one Amish woman had some in a pitcher and would pour into glasses just like water.

Other cold drinks that are popular among the Amish include herbal teas, homemade lemonade, and sometimes iced coffee. The photo above is of an "apple mint" tea I enjoyed at an Amish home in Maryland. So there are alternatives to not-good-for-you sodas!