If you are like me and gave up your daily pop habit for your health (mine was two large bottles of diet Mountain Dew), you still crave something sweet and bubbly for those sluggish afternoons. Try TeaZer organic sparkling teas by Santa Cruz Organic.

Unlike pop, these are good for you and have a bit of soothing and satisfying carbonation that most tea beverages don’t. The drinks are a blend of fair-trade-certified green, black and white teas from Choice Organic Tea along with Santa Cruz Organic fruit juice, lightly sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice. According to the not-for-profit George Mateljan Foundation, evaporated cane juice is a healthy alternative to refined sugar. It’s made from sugar cane but does not undergo the same degree of processing that refined sugar does, so it retains more nutrients. TeaZers come in lemon, raspberry, pear and passion fruit flavors and are sold in 12-ounce and four-pack recyclable bottles. Each 12-ounce bottle has around 90 calories. And the taste? If you are used to drinking pop, it won’t seem very sweet or fruity at first. It also will not jolt you like a Mountain Dew. The flavors are subtle, as are the carbonation and the caffeination. But once your taste buds switch over, it’s really nice. My favorite is the passion fruit. It has a light peachy/grape taste.

The bottom line: Sugar addicts and pop fiends won’t like it, but the healthy palate will. And if you drink, TeaZers would make a good mixer. Get them at Hy-Vee in Kansas City and at other locations listed on www.scojuice.com. The suggested retail price is $5.49 for a four-pack of 12-ounce bottles.

Lifestyles reporter Sylvia Anderson may be reached at sylviaanderson@npgco.com.