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If there's anything worth cutting from your diet, it's soda. That's easier said than done for most. But a few simple techniques might help you finally figure out how to stop drinking soda for good. Reminder: Soda isn't good for you. You already know that soda is not great for you. In fact, it’s pretty bad for you. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2019 on more than 450,000 people from across Europe found that people who consumed two servings of soda per day, including diet soda, had a higher risk of dying from any cause compared to those who sipped less than one serving a month. Soda has also been linked with higher risk of stroke, diabetes and obesity.“The challenge with soda is the quantity of added sugars," said Maya Feller, a Brooklyn-based registered dietitian and certified dietician/nutritionist who is the author of "The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook." Often, a serving of soda meets or exceed the recommendation for your total daily added sugar intake. One 12-ounce can of cola packs 35 grams of sugar. That’s nearly nine teaspoons of sugar. A can of lemon-lime soda has 38 grams, or nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar. But isn't diet soda healthier?Diet soda isn’t the answer, either. Diet soda may be sugar-free, but all those artificial, calorie-free sweeteners aren't exactly good for you, either. “Some artificial sweeteners are hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar,” said Feller. While they may have less of an effect on your blood sugar, that sweetness overload still makes you crave more sugar, she said, which is not exactly the outcome you’re going for. Not to mention, research has linked consuming artificial sweeteners with an increased risk of stroke, depression and belly fat. So what is the best way to stop drinking soda?Ready to give the syrupy-sweet habit the boot? Just follow these dietitian-backed tips. Go gradual — not cold turkey. Good news! You don’t have to wake up tomorrow and vow to never have soda again. That probably wouldn’t work out anyway. “Making drastic changes is not an effective way to create sustainable behavioral changes,” said Mascha Davis, a registered dietician/nutritionist and the author of the upcoming book "Eat Your Vitamins."Have a plan. It’s one thing to tell yourself you’ll cut back. It’s another to have an exact goal that you can work toward. Let’s say you usually drink two sodas a day. As you get started, keep your two sodas four days a week, but cut down to one the other three days, suggested Davis. “You won’t feel like this thing you enjoyed so much is being taken away,” she said.Then, reevaluate and adjust. Take a second for a self check-in. How tough was the first step? “Most people say that incrementally decreasing intake is actually an easy switch,” said Davis. Once you feel comfortable with your new soda routine, cut down more: Have one soda four days a week and half a soda the other three. Find balance elsewhere. Unfortunately, if you were consuming large amounts of caffeinated soda, you may experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms as you cut back. To diminish the side effects, stay hydrated, eat a balanced diet, exercise and prioritize at least seven hours of sleep per night.Be patient with your taste buds. Though cutting back on soda may leave you with wicked sugar cravings at first, your taste buds will eventually stop seeking out super sweet flavors and your desire for soda will wane. “As you adjust to a lower amount of sugar and sweetness, it becomes easier and easier to have less soda,” said Davis. When this kicks in — it might take a few weeks — commit to drinking just one soda every other day.Never say never. Though you want to cut back on soda so that you don't rely on it regularly, you don't have to cut it out completely. “Keep it as an occasional treat,” said Davis.What's a good drink instead of soda?Does the thought of swapping soda for plain water literally make you cringe? Keep your taste buds occupied by subbing soda out for one of these flavorful, good-for-you drinks. Herbal tea. If you're craving soda, go for teas with bolder flavor, such as hibiscus or mint, Feller said.Sparkling water. If the fizz and flavor are what you love about soda, meet your new love — flavored sparkling water — said Davis. She recommends LaCroix, Waterloo and Spindrift, all of which use natural ingredients and offer lots of funky flavors. Kombucha. Davis also gives kombucha, a fermented, fizzy tea, the green light. Since this buzzy drink naturally contains some sugar, which is necessary for the fermentation process, read labels carefully and look for a brand that's lower in sugar, such as Health-Ade.The bottom line: Though you should give soda the boot, do so gradually, and find better-for-you beverages you'll enjoy sipping on instead.