If you absolutely love soda, you may wonder if you can get away with drinking some of it as long as you’re keeping up a healthy diet otherwise. After all, you should be allowed to have some kind of treat when you’re doing very well otherwise, right?

The truth of the matter is that no amount of soda is actually good for you. Ideally, you shouldn’t drink it. That said, the ideal situation is rarely the same as reality. Not every bite (or sip) of everything we have needs to be nutrition-dense. Still, that doesn’t necessarily answer the question of how much is too much when it comes to your sugar cravings.

There isn’t really a single answer to that question. The reason is that the allowable amount depends on the type of healthy diet you are eating and a number of other health factors specific to you. However, in general, the advice usually given regarding soda consumption is that you should have it as little as possible. Save it as a rare treat for times that you truly want to enjoy it. Moreover, try to keep your portion reasonable.

It may be tempting to get the biggest cup available, especially since they’re not usually much more expensive than the smaller cups and you’re only having soda rarely, after all. However, having a tremendous amount of soda at once, even if you don’t have it very much, can still do harm to your health and your overall effort to eat a healthy diet.

The reason is that there is a shocking amount of sugar in soda, which means it is terrible when it comes to keeping blood sugar levels stable. Spiking blood sugar levels lead to crashes and even more cravings, creating an endless cycle that’s hard to break. Don’t think that choosing calorie-free options are any better as studies are starting to show that artificial sweeteners can be even worse for you.

One can of Classic Coke contains 39 mg of sugar. The same size can of Pepsi contains 41 mg. That said, the damage doesn’t stop there. Moreover, don’t think that you’re somehow making a “healthier” choice by choosing Coke over Pepsi because of the sugar content. The reason is that there is a lot more to it than just sugar. Coke also contains 50 mg of sodium, while Pepsi contains 15 mg. They contain nearly the same number of calories and caffeine content. That said, they also contain caramel color to make them their trademark brown colors. That substance has been associated with an increased risk of certain cancers as well as other health issues.

As you can see, the real answer to the question of how much soda you can have with a healthy diet is essentially “as little as possible,” but enjoy what you do have.