Shoppers replacing a sugary lunch drink
Choose a drink separately from your food. NHS guidance suggests sugar-free drinks as an alternative to sugary ones and recommends checking drink labels.
Who is this choice for?
People who prefer flavour
If plain water does not appeal, check the exact flavoured-water variant rather than assuming every bottle in a range has the same sugar content or ingredients.
Regular office water buyers
For repeated desk lunches, weigh up an individual bottle you can carry against the storage and carrying demands of a larger pack.
What should you check?
Start with the drink you would enjoy with lunch, then check the exact variant and whether its pack fits your routine.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar and flavour | Distinguish plain water from flavoured water. For a flavoured drink, read the exact variant name, ingredients and nutrition panel; sugar-free and low-sugar are not interchangeable descriptions. | I want flavour without assuming that every flavoured water avoids sugar. Volvic describes its Sugar Free Lemon & Lime 500ml as sugar-free, but its regular Touch of Fruit Strawberry 500ml as low sugar. |
| Still or sparkling | Check whether the bottle is plain still or plain sparkling water, rather than a flavoured or sweetened drink. Choose carbonation for preference, not an assumed nutritional advantage. | For lunch, I would rather have bubbles than still water—or I would prefer a drink without carbonation. |
| The rest of lunch | Choose water as the drink, then consider the food separately. The NHS Eatwell Guide concerns the overall mix of foods across a day or week, not whether one lunch drink makes a meal complete. | A drink that fits my sugar preference matters, but I still need food for lunch. |
| Pack format | Check the size of each container, the number in the pack and where you will store it. If ordering a bulky quantity, check the retailer’s delivery conditions. | I need something manageable to take to work, or enough containers to keep for several desk lunches. Sainsbury’s says it may limit bulky bottled-water orders. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming all flavoured water is sugar-free
Variants within a range can differ. Volvic lists 3 calories per serving for its Sugar Free Lemon & Lime 500ml and 25 calories per serving for its regular Touch of Fruit Strawberry 500ml.
Read the name and nutrition panel on the particular bottle you intend to buy, including its sugar and per-serving values.
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Treating a water choice as the whole lunch decision
Water is a drink, not a substitute for the mix of foods covered by the NHS Eatwell Guide.
Choose your lunch food separately, then select still, sparkling or sugar-free flavoured water to suit your drink preference.
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Choosing a large pack without planning where it goes
Several containers can be awkward to carry or store, and Sainsbury’s says bulky bottled-water orders may be limited.
Check the container size, storage space and delivery conditions before ordering for repeated office lunches.
Brands and retail references
Highland Spring
A reference for comparing still, sparkling and flavoured water for lunch.
- Highland Spring describes its plain sparkling water as having nothing added but bubbles.
- Its announcement of a sugar-free flavoured-still range does not establish the nutrition of every Highland Spring variant; check the exact bottle.
Volvic
Its flavoured-water variants illustrate why the full product name matters.
- Volvic describes Sugar Free Lemon & Lime 500ml as sugar-free, with 3 calories per serving.
- Volvic describes its regular Touch of Fruit Strawberry 500ml as low sugar, with 25 calories per serving; the two variants should not be treated as nutritionally identical.
Buxton
Its still and sparkling natural mineral waters provide a straightforward carbonation choice.
- Buxton reports a pH of 7.4 for its still water and 5.2 for its sparkling water.
- Those figures describe Buxton’s products, not every still or sparkling water.
Tesco
A retail reference for looking at still and sparkling water in different pack formats.
- Tesco’s water category includes own-label water alongside branded variants.
- Check the current listing for the exact container size and pack before choosing a format for work.
Joybuy water options
These options cover plain sparkling water, sugar-free flavoured still water and plain still water in individual-container multipacks. Choose by drink type first, then check whether the pack suits your desk-lunch routine.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6 × 0.5L
A plain sparkling-water option if you prefer bubbles with lunch. The pack contains six 0.5L bottles.
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Buxton Sparkling Water 8 × 500ml
For lunches when you want sparkling rather than still water. The eight-pack contains individual 500ml bottles.
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Volvic Touch of Fruit Lemon & Lime Sugar Free 6 × 500ml
A labelled sugar-free, flavoured still-water choice if you want lemon and lime rather than plain water. The pack contains six 500ml bottles; check the exact label if sweeteners matter to you.
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Cano Water Still Resealable 12 × 500ml
A plain still-water option for a repeated lunch routine. The pack has twelve resealable 500ml containers; check that the container format suits how you carry your drink.
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Cano Water Sparkling Resealable 12 × 500ml
A sparkling-water option in a twelve-pack of resealable 500ml containers. Consider both the carbonation and whether the container format works for your journey to lunch.
Questions about desk-lunch water
Can bottled water replace a desk lunch?
No. Water is a drink to have alongside food. The NHS Eatwell Guide considers the overall mix of food groups across a day or week, so choose the drink and the lunch food as separate decisions.
Is sugar-free flavoured water the same as plain water?
Do not assume they have the same ingredients or nutrition. Check the exact label: Volvic describes Sugar Free Lemon & Lime 500ml as sugar-free with 3 calories per serving, while its regular Touch of Fruit Strawberry 500ml is described as low sugar with 25 calories per serving.
Should I choose still or sparkling water with lunch?
Choose plain still water if you prefer no carbonation, or plain sparkling water if you prefer bubbles; carbonation alone is not a reason to treat one as a better lunch. If you drink large amounts of sparkling water regularly over a long period, Buxton’s own guidance notes that its lower pH may be relevant to erosive potential.
What pack format works for repeated office lunches?
Choose individual containers you can carry and a pack you have room to store. Check delivery conditions before ordering a bulky quantity: Sainsbury’s says it may limit bulky bottled-water orders.