Families wanting fizz without added sugar or sweeteners
Plain soda water is worth considering if an unsweetened taste suits the household. Fentimans lists carbonated water, salt and sodium bicarbonate for its Soda Water, with 0g sugars per 100ml.
Who is each option for?
Families considering a flavoured occasional drink
A no-added-sugar label does not mean the drink is unsweetened. Tesco describes its No Added Sugar Cream Soda as a vanilla-flavour fizzy drink with sweeteners, so read the ingredients if particular sweeteners matter to you.
Households comparing light tonic and zero-sugar drinks
Check the exact product rather than treating these labels as interchangeable. Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic lists fructose, Fentimans Naturally Light Tonic lists sugar, and Pepsi MAX lists sweeteners and flavourings including caffeine.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the type of drink you want alongside the snack, then read the claim, ingredients and nutrition information on that specific pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar | Look for the exact no-added-sugar wording and read the ingredients. A light label alone is not enough: Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic lists fructose, while Fentimans Naturally Light Tonic lists sugar. | I want a fizzy option without added sugar, rather than choosing on the basis of a light label. |
| Sweeteners | Check the full ingredient list if you want to avoid sweeteners. Tesco No Added Sugar Cream Soda is described as containing them; Fentimans Soda Water lists only carbonated water, salt and sodium bicarbonate. | A flavoured drink appeals to us, but I want to know whether its sweetness comes from added sweeteners. |
| Children’s drinks | The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks for children. Decide whether a fizzy drink is an occasional accompaniment to a snack, rather than the usual drink. | For everyday drinks, I’ll offer water or milk; I’m choosing a fizzy option for a particular snack occasion. |
| Caffeine | Read the ingredients on cola-style and other flavoured drinks. Pepsi UK lists flavourings including caffeine in Pepsi MAX. | If the drink is for a child, I want to check for caffeine as well as sugar and sweeteners. |
Common label mistakes
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Reading ‘light’ as ‘no added sugar’
Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic lists fructose, and Fentimans Naturally Light Tonic lists sugar. Neither label establishes a strict no-added-sugar choice.
If that distinction matters, check the exact claim and ingredients on the product you are buying.
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Assuming no added sugar means no sweeteners
Tesco No Added Sugar Cream Soda is described as containing sweeteners. The front-of-pack claim does not tell you everything in the drink.
Read the ingredient list if your household avoids particular sweeteners.
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Making a fizzy drink the everyday option
The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks for children. A fizzy drink chosen for a snack serves a different purpose from an everyday drink.
Keep water and milk available, and treat the fizzy choice as occasional.
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Overlooking caffeine in a zero-sugar drink
Pepsi UK lists flavourings including caffeine in Pepsi MAX. A sugar claim does not answer the caffeine question.
Check the ingredients when choosing a cola-style drink for a child.
Brand and retailer examples
These examples show why the exact variety matters: a brand’s soda water, light tonic and flavoured soft drink can have different ingredients.
Fentimans
Its Soda Water provides an unflavoured option, while its Naturally Light Tonic Water has a different ingredient list.
- Fentimans Soda Water lists carbonated water, salt and sodium bicarbonate, with 0g sugars per 100ml.
- Fentimans Naturally Light Tonic Water lists sugar, so do not treat the two varieties alike.
Fever-Tree
Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic Water is a light-tonic example, not a substitute for checking a no-added-sugar claim.
- Fever-Tree lists fructose among this tonic’s ingredients.
Britvic Mixers
Britvic Limited announced classic and zero-sugar Indian Tonic Water in 330ml cans for UK grocery retail in September 2023.
- If an explicit no-added-sugar claim is essential, check the current zero-sugar pack and ingredients rather than relying on the variant name.
Tesco
Tesco No Added Sugar Cream Soda is a flavoured fizzy soft drink rather than a neutral soda-water mixer.
- Tesco describes the drink as no added sugar and vanilla flavoured.
- It is also described as containing sweeteners, so it will not suit a preference for an unsweetened drink.
Joybuy drink options
These options cover a slimline tonic mixer and a citrus-flavoured fizzy drink. If an explicit no-added-sugar claim is essential, check the current pack before choosing either one.
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Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water 12x150ml
A tonic-water option if you want a mixer in 150ml servings. Check the current pack for its ingredients and an explicit no-added-sugar claim if either is important to your choice.
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7UP Zero 330ml 24Pk
A fizzy-drink option if you prefer this named variant to plain soda water. Check the current pack for the exact no-added-sugar wording, sweeteners and caffeine information before choosing it for a snack.
Frequently asked questions
Do ‘no added sugar’ and ‘zero sugar’ tell me the same thing?
No. A no-added-sugar claim concerns what has been added, while a zero-sugar description concerns sugar content; neither tells you on its own whether a drink contains sweeteners. For example, Tesco describes its No Added Sugar Cream Soda as containing sweeteners. Read the claim, nutrition information and ingredients together.
Is light tonic a no-added-sugar choice?
Not necessarily. Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic lists fructose, and Fentimans Naturally Light Tonic lists sugar. Check the particular tonic’s claim and ingredients rather than relying on ‘light’ in its name.
What should children usually drink during the school holidays?
The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks for children. If you choose a fizzy drink to accompany a snack, keep it occasional rather than making it the everyday drink.
What else should I check on a flavoured fizzy drink?
Check the ingredients for sweeteners and caffeine, as well as reading any sugar claim. Tesco No Added Sugar Cream Soda is described as containing sweeteners, while Pepsi UK lists flavourings including caffeine in Pepsi MAX.