For an occasional snack stop, choose a no-sugar or no-added-sugar fizzy drink by checking its nutrition panel, caffeine and sweeteners, then pick a flavour and can size you want to carry. Fanta Orange Zero is listed as caffeine-free, while Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Pepsi Max contain caffeine and aspartame; despite its name, Fanta’s listed nutrition includes some sugar. Pack water separately: the NHS says water is the best way to replace fluid lost through physical activity.
A fizzy can can be an optional drink with a hiking snack; the choice changes if you also want to avoid caffeine or particular sweeteners.
If you want a fizzy drink for a break, check the sugars figure on the exact pack rather than relying on its flavour or a front-of-pack phrase. Carry water for drinking during the walk: the NHS recommends it for replacing fluid lost through activity.
Check the ingredients before choosing a cola. Coca-Cola GB and Pepsi UK list caffeine in Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Pepsi Max; Sainsbury’s lists Fanta Orange Zero as caffeine-free.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Pepsi Max and Sprite Zero list aspartame and carry a warning that they contain a source of phenylalanine. Read the ingredients and warning on the specific can if either matters to you.
Plan the water you will carry first. Then compare fizzy drinks by their sugars figure, ingredients and the individual cans you would pack for a snack stop.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Water for the walk | Plan water separately from any fizzy can. The NHS says extra fluids may be needed after sweating and that water is the best way to replace fluid lost through physical activity. | I want a flavoured drink at a snack stop, but I also need water for the walk, particularly if it is hot or I will be active for longer. |
| Sugars on the label | Read the sugars figure per 100ml and per serving on the exact product. Coca-Cola GB lists 0g per 100ml for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, whereas Joybuy’s Fanta Orange Zero Sugar listing gives 0.4g per 100ml. | If I want 0g sugars rather than simply a drink labelled ‘zero’ or ‘no added sugar’, the nutrition panel needs to confirm it. |
| Caffeine and sweeteners | Check the ingredients for caffeine and named sweeteners, plus any phenylalanine warning. Sainsbury’s identifies Fanta Orange Zero as caffeine-free; Coca-Cola GB and Pepsi UK list caffeine in their respective Zero Sugar and Max colas. | I might prefer a caffeine-free orange drink, or a cola if its caffeine and sweeteners fit what I am looking for. |
| Flavour and format | Choose between cola, orange, lemon-lime and ginger flavours after checking the label. Compare the number and size of cans in a multipack with the individual cans you intend to carry. | A single can may be enough for my break even if I buy a multipack to keep at home. |
A sugars claim does not tell you how much water to carry. The NHS says water is the best way to replace fluid lost through physical activity, and extra fluids may be needed after sweating.
Pack water for the hike; treat a fizzy can as an optional drink with your snack.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Pepsi Max list caffeine, while Sainsbury’s identifies Fanta Orange Zero as caffeine-free. A no-sugar label does not settle the caffeine question.
If you are limiting caffeine, look for a specific caffeine-free statement and check the current ingredients.
Coca-Cola GB and Pepsi UK list aspartame in their Zero Sugar and Max colas; Coca-Cola GB also lists it in Sprite Zero. Their product information states that the drinks contain a source of phenylalanine.
Check the ingredients and warning on the exact product rather than relying on ‘diet’, ‘zero’ or ‘no added sugar’ wording.
Multipacks contain more cans than most people would take to a single snack stop. Pack size matters for storage at home as well as for what goes in your bag.
Check the can size and pack count, then choose the number of individual cans you intend to take alongside your water.
Taking unnecessary cans adds weight to your bag.
These label details concern the named drinks, not every product made by each brand. Check the current pack when ingredients or sugars are decisive.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is a cola option for a snack stop when you want a drink listed with 0g sugars per 100ml.
Pepsi Max offers a no-sugar cola flavour for those choosing a fizzy drink with a snack.
Sprite Zero is a no-sugar lemon-lime option if you would rather have citrus flavour than cola.
Fanta Orange Zero is an orange-flavoured choice for someone specifically seeking a caffeine-free fizzy drink.
Dr Pepper Zero is another no-sugar flavour option to consider for a snack stop.
Tesco No Added Sugar Ginger Beer offers a ginger-flavoured alternative to the cola, citrus and orange options.
These multipacks offer lemon-lime, cola and orange-flavoured cans from which to take a drink for a hiking snack. Choose the individual can by its current label and carry water separately.
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A lemon-lime option for a snack stop if you prefer it to cola. The pack contains 24 cans of 330ml; check the current can for its sugars figure, caffeine statement, sweeteners and warnings.
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A cola choice for a snack stop if caffeine and aspartame fit your requirements. The pack contains 24 cans of 330ml; Pepsi UK lists 0g sugars for Pepsi Max and identifies caffeine, aspartame and a phenylalanine-source warning.
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A cola-format option if you want to take one can with a hiking snack. This pack contains 18 cans of 330ml; check the exact can’s sugars figure, caffeine, sweeteners and warnings before choosing it.
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A cola option for an occasional snack stop if caffeine and aspartame fit your requirements. The pack contains 24 cans of 330ml; Coca-Cola GB lists 0g sugars per 100ml and a warning that the drink contains a source of phenylalanine.
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An orange-flavoured option for a snack stop if avoiding caffeine is the deciding factor: Sainsbury’s lists Fanta Orange Zero as caffeine-free. This pack contains eight 330ml cans. Joybuy lists 0.4g sugars per 100ml, so check the nutrition panel if you require 0g sugars.
Pack water rather than relying on a fizzy can for the walk. The NHS says water is the best way to replace fluid lost through physical activity and that extra fluids may be needed after sweating; a fizzy drink can be an optional choice at a snack stop.
Sainsbury’s lists Fanta Orange Zero as caffeine-free. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Pepsi Max list caffeine in their ingredients, so check the current label rather than assuming all no-sugar drinks are alike.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Pepsi Max and Sprite Zero list aspartame and state that they contain a source of phenylalanine. If you need to avoid aspartame or account for that warning, read the ingredients and warning on the exact pack before buying.