People swapping a sugary soft drink
If you usually choose fizz or fruit flavour with snacks, consider sparkling water or a flavoured water labelled no added sugar or sugar free. Pick according to which feature you would miss most.
Who is each option for?
Flavour seekers who check ingredients
A sugar-free label does not mean a drink has no sweeteners. If that distinction matters to you, read the ingredients as well as the nutrition panel; Volvic lists acesulfame K and sucralose in its Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Cherry.
People stocking up for several TV nights
Choose a bottle or multipack size that suits how many people will drink it. Check the format of the particular listing rather than assuming every flavour or water type comes in the same pack.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide whether you want neutral water, fizz or fruit flavour, then check the label of the specific bottle you plan to buy.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar | For flavoured water, look for a no-added-sugar or sugar-free claim. Check sugars per 100ml and the ingredients of that flavour. | I want a flavoured drink with my snacks without assuming that every bottle called water meets my no-added-sugar preference. |
| Sweeteners | Read the ingredient list separately from the sugars figure. Volvic says its Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Cherry has 0g sugars per 100ml and lists acesulfame K and sucralose. | Fruit flavour appeals to me, but I also want to know whether the drink contains sweeteners. |
| Fizz and flavour | Distinguish still from sparkling water, then plain from flavoured. The NHS suggests sparkling water or no-added-sugar drinks as options for adults who do not like plain water. | Would carbonation make the drink more appealing with snacks, or would I rather have a neutral still water or fruit flavour? |
| Bottle format | Check bottle volume and the number of bottles in a pack. Match the format to how many people will drink it and whether you prefer individual bottles or a larger one. | For several evenings at home, I would rather choose a pack size that fits our use than pick a format by habit. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Assuming every flavoured water has no added sugar
Flavoured waters are not interchangeable when avoiding added sugar is the aim.
Check the claim on the chosen flavour, its sugars figure per 100ml and its ingredients.
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Reading 0g sugars as no sweeteners
A drink can show 0g sugars and still contain sweeteners. Volvic Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Cherry lists acesulfame K and sucralose.
If you prefer to avoid sweeteners, read the ingredient list rather than relying on the nutrition figure alone.
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Choosing fizz without considering preference
Sparkling water supplies carbonation, not fruit flavour. That distinction matters if flavour, rather than fizz, is what you want alongside snacks.
Choose still water if you prefer no carbonation, or check a flavoured option if fruit taste is the deciding factor.
Relevant brand ranges
Highland Spring
Highland Spring offers plain water and a flavoured still range relevant to shoppers seeking fruit flavour without added sugar.
- Highland Spring describes its five flavoured still varieties as having no added sugar.
- Check the label for the particular flavour and bottle size you choose.
Volvic
Volvic offers plain mineral water and Touch of Fruit flavoured drinks, including a Sugar Free line.
- Volvic states that Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Cherry has 0g sugars per 100ml.
- That Cherry product lists acesulfame K and sucralose, so check ingredients if you prefer not to have sweeteners.
Buxton
Buxton has still and sparkling mineral-water formats for shoppers choosing plain water.
- Buxton describes its sparkling water as mineral water with carbonation rather than fruit flavour.
- Choose by whether you want fizz; this plain-water option does not provide fruit flavour.
Evian
Evian describes the source and mineral composition of its plain natural mineral water.
- Its published mineral composition offers detail for shoppers comparing plain waters.
- Check a specific product label if you want a flavoured no-added-sugar drink rather than plain water.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label plain water alongside branded and flavoured choices.
- Its water listings include different bottle and pack formats.
- Check the individual product label: a category listing does not establish the ingredients of every flavoured drink.
Joybuy bottled-water options
These options cover plain sparkling water, sugar-free flavoured water and plain still water for drinking with TV snacks. Check the individual listing and bottle label when ingredients or nutrition details affect your choice.
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Buxton Sparkling Water 8 × 500ml
A plain, fizzy option for TV snacks if carbonation matters more to you than fruit flavour. The pack contains eight 500ml bottles; choose still water instead if you do not want fizz.
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Volvic Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free 6 × 500ml
A strawberry-flavoured, sugar-free option in six 500ml bottles if you want fruit flavour with snacks. Check this flavour’s current ingredients if you prefer to avoid sweeteners.
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Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry Still Water 1.25L
A still, strawberry-flavoured option in a single 1.25L bottle for those who want flavour without fizz. Check the current bottle’s ingredients and nutrition panel, particularly if sweeteners or the calorie figure affect your choice.
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Highland Spring Still Water 6 × 1.5L
A plain, non-fizzy spring-water option when you want a neutral drink with snacks. The pack contains six 1.5L bottles; check the current label if you need a particular nutrition figure.
Questions about bottled water for TV snacks
Is sugar free the same as having no sweeteners?
No. Volvic Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Cherry states 0g sugars per 100ml but lists acesulfame K and sucralose. Check both the nutrition panel and ingredients if sweeteners matter to you.
Should I choose still or sparkling water with TV snacks?
Choose still water for a neutral drink without fizz, or sparkling water if carbonation is what you want alongside snacks. The NHS also suggests sparkling water as an option for adults who do not like plain water.
How do I choose a flavoured water without added sugar?
Start with a product specifically labelled no added sugar or sugar free, then check its sugars figure per 100ml and ingredients. Flavours can differ, and a sugar-free drink can still contain sweeteners.