Crystal Light - are my tastebuds broken?

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  • I normally stay away from artificial sweeteners when I can but recently I started drinking crystal light. The first time I made it, I added a little extra water over the recommendation. The second time, I made 3 quarts out of a tub, still way too sweet and had to water it down. Finally, I'm up to 4 quarts of water per tub of crystal light and it is about the right sweetness although still a tad too sweet but my jug only goes to 4 quarts. The recommendation is 2 quarts of water per tub and I need to add twice that to make it drinkable.

    Does anyone actually use it full strength? Am I imagining that it is way too sweet?
  • I very much dislike Crystal Light, but my DD used to drink it (better than softdrinks for a teen IMO). She didn't like the mixes at all--she preferred the premixed bottles which cost more than they are worth. Thankfully she's finally gone to plain water!
  • I go through spells of drinking CL - but only Raspberry Ice. Right now I've not been drinking much. I used to use the lemonade and mix it with 2 quarts of plain iced tea, but I don't have a taste for that anymore. Someone tried to convince me that the Sunrise flavor would substitute for orange juice - hah! OJ is the only juice I miss, but I hate drinking my calories. Plain old water is my beverage of choice, though club soda is good too.
  • No, you are not imagining it, but oooooh, I love Love LOVE Crystal Light - sorry! I drink it as my 3-6 liters a day, and what I do is buy the singles packets (6 in a box). Now, the directions on these say to mix one packet with 500ml of water - gross! I use two singles in a three liter jug - and it is GREAT! I hate it any stronger (too sweet - yuck!) but it helps me get my water intake in, and I no longer drink diet sodas at all! I am HUGE fan of the Strawberry Orange Banana (5 cal a packet), and for a treat, the Strawberry Kiwi (10 cal a packet).

    I know it has aspartame, but I'm willing to put it up with that!

    Heather
  • I use the little packets here at work, 1 packet is meant for 16 oz of water; I put it in my 32 oz mug and love it that way! The lemonade is my favorite; just adds a hint of lemon to the drink!
  • I don't drink CL because I think it's way too sweet, so I drink Diet Snapple Pink Lemonade. It's very good.
  • I love Crystal Light...I drink Raspberry Iced Tea the most. But I agree, it's way too sweet. I dilute it a lot...which is fine with me, because it lasts a lot longer that way!
  • I drink it in the hot weather . . . but I do add at least 50% more water than it calls for . . . and I really only like the pink lemonade and the raspberry or peach iced tea flavours.
  • I drink the lemonade and I do just a splash of crystal light (we make it according to the directions since the rest of the family prefers it full strength) and top it off with water. I know my tastes have changed because I used to like it full strength.
  • I can't drink the stuff full-strength either. I usually fill a quart jug and put just a sprinkle of the stuff in it and mix...CL lasts me forever! I basically use it just to flavor the water a little. The Fruit Punch flavor is my favorite! I still need to try the sunrise flavors.

    Don't worry your tastebuts aren't broken. They're just giving you more for your money...
  • Am I the only one who uses LESS water than it calls for? I use 6 cups intsead of 8 to make a tub and I fill up my 16.9 oz bottle about 3/4 the way full. There's nothing too sweet for my taste buds I guess. It isn't sweet enough when I make it normally.
  • Quote: Am I the only one who uses LESS water than it calls for? I use 6 cups intsead of 8 to make a tub and I fill up my 16.9 oz bottle about 3/4 the way full. There's nothing too sweet for my taste buds I guess. It isn't sweet enough when I make it normally.
    THANK YOU! I was thinking I was insane, but I dislike Crystal Light because it is too weak for my tastes I think at regular strength, it tastes soooo watered down--I don't like it. The only drink mix I like is sugar-free Kool Aid fruit punch.
  • Quote: THANK YOU! I was thinking I was insane, but I dislike Crystal Light because it is too weak for my tastes I think at regular strength, it tastes soooo watered down--I don't like it. The only drink mix I like is sugar-free Kool Aid fruit punch.
    This my first choice BEFORE CL...I love that Kool-Aid Fruit punch...soooo good!
  • Nelie - the only way I can drink it is mix it up by the directions....and then when I drink it I pout about 2 oz of CL in about 10 oz of H2O

    But I generally dont like it
  • i used to like it full strength.

    now i make it this way:

    gallon pitcher with 1 tub tea and 1 tub lemonade mixed. then i fill my cup half way with the full strength crystal light and add half water....