People replacing sugary fizzy drinks
Plain sparkling water offers fizz without choosing a sweet soft drink. The NHS includes sparkling water among alternatives for people who do not like still water; check the label if choosing a flavoured version.
Who is choosing a breakfast drink?
Shoppers avoiding sugar and sweeteners
Check the nutrition panel for sugars and the ingredients list for sweeteners. A “no added sugar” label does not answer both questions, particularly on a fruit-based drink.
Parents choosing drinks for children
The NHS identifies water and milk as children’s preferred drinks. Its guidance for babies and young children says fizzy drinks are acidic and should not be given to them, regardless of a no-added-sugar claim.
What should you check before choosing?
Decide whether you want plain fizz, flavour without sugars or sweeteners, or a fruit-based drink; then check the exact pack rather than relying on its front label.
Plain sparkling water
Choose it when: You want fizz without a sweet or fruit-led drink.
Bear in mind: It will not provide the fruit flavour you may be looking for.
Flavoured water without sugars or sweeteners
Choose it when: You want flavour but also want to avoid both sugars and sweeteners; S.Pellegrino describes its Essenza line this way.
Bear in mind: Check the particular flavour and pack, rather than assuming every flavoured water has the same formulation.
No-added-sugar fruit drink
Choose it when: Fruit flavour matters more to you than avoiding sugars altogether.
Bear in mind: M&S lists over 60% juice and 6.6g sugars per 100g for its no-added-sugar Juicy Apple and Elderflower Sparkling Water. The NHS says sugars in unsweetened fruit juice count as free sugars.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar content | Read “of which sugars” per 100ml and for the amount you plan to drink. Check whether juice is an ingredient. | I want fizz at breakfast without choosing a drink that contributes sugars from juice. |
| Label wording | Do not read “no added sugar” as “zero sugar”. Compare the claim with the nutrition panel on that product. | A front-of-pack claim is not enough for me if I specifically want a sugar-free drink. |
| Sweeteners | Read the full ingredients list and check any “no sweeteners” statement on the exact flavour. | I would like some flavour, but I also want to avoid non-sugar sweeteners. |
| Bottle size | Compare bottle count and volume. For Highland Spring’s 6 x 1L pack, Joybuy advises refrigeration and use within 7 days of opening. | Smaller bottles suit my individual breakfast servings; larger bottles make sense if we will finish them after opening. |
| Children’s drinks | Consider the drinker’s age. NHS guidance says fizzy drinks should not be given to babies and young children. | When choosing for a young child, I should not treat a no-added-sugar fizzy drink as equivalent to still water. |
Where can labels and formats mislead?
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Reading “no added sugar” as “no sugar”
A fruit-based drink can make a no-added-sugar claim and still contain sugars. M&S lists 6.6g sugars per 100g for its Juicy Apple and Elderflower Sparkling Water.
If sugar content is decisive, compare the nutrition panel and the amount you expect to drink, not just the claim on the front.
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Assuming a drink without sugars has no sweeteners
Sugars and non-sugar sweeteners are separate things to check. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition notes that sweeteners are used in a range of UK foods and drinks.
If you want neither, read the ingredients list and check any no-sweeteners statement for the specific flavour.
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Choosing large bottles without considering when they will be finished
A larger home-use bottle may remain open across several breakfasts. Joybuy’s Highland Spring 6 x 1L listing says to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days.
Match bottle size to how much the household will drink within the pack’s storage guidance.
An unfinished opened bottle may go to waste.
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Using the sugar label as the only check for a young child
The NHS says fizzy drinks are acidic and should not be given to babies and young children.
For this age group, follow the NHS guidance on drinks rather than choosing a fizzy product because it says no added sugar.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why it matters to distinguish a plain water, a flavoured water and a juice-based sparkling drink; the product label remains the check for the pack you choose.
Highland Spring
Highland Spring describes its sparkling range as water from the Ochil Hills with bubbles added. Joybuy’s 6 x 1L listing identifies natural sparkling mineral water as its ingredient.
- Plain sparkling water is an option for those who do not want fruit flavour or sweeteners.
- For the 6 x 1L pack, allow for refrigeration and use within 7 days after opening.
San Pellegrino
Joybuy’s plain 6 x 500ml sparkling mineral water lists natural mineral water and carbon dioxide, with 0g sugars per 100ml. Separately, S.Pellegrino describes its Essenza flavoured line as having no sugars or sweeteners.
- The plain 500ml bottles provide an individual-serving format.
- Check an Essenza flavour’s current pack rather than applying its description to every flavoured drink.
Perrier
Perrier describes its original carbonated mineral water as having no sugar and zero calories.
- Its original product is another plain carbonated-water option to consider.
- Check the ingredients and nutrition information on the UK pack you intend to buy.
Tesco
Tesco lists plain sparkling-water formats, including its own British Natural Mineral Water Sparkling, alongside other brands.
- Bottle sizes can be compared within its sparkling-water range.
- Do not assume products in a flavoured-water category have the same sugar or sweetener ingredients.
M&S
M&S’s Juicy Apple and Elderflower Sparkling Water illustrates a fruit-led, no-added-sugar drink rather than plain sparkling water.
- Its product information states both the juice content and sugars figure for comparison.
- It contains over 60% juice and lists 6.6g sugars per 100g, so the no-added-sugar claim does not make it sugar-free.
Plain sparkling water options on Joybuy
These packs are plain sparkling-water options for a weekday breakfast. Compare bottle size for your routine, and use the current pack label when you need a particular sugars declaration.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, 6 x 500ml
The 500ml bottles offer individual servings for breakfast. Joybuy lists natural mineral water and carbon dioxide as ingredients and 0g sugars per 100ml.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, 6 x 1L
The 1L bottles provide a larger home-use format for breakfasts shared across the household. Check the current pack’s ingredients and sugars declaration if either is essential to your choice.
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Buxton Sparkling, 8 x 500ml
This pack offers eight 500ml bottles for individual servings. Check the ingredients and nutrition panel on the current pack against your sugar and sweetener preferences.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water, 8 x 500ml
The eight 500ml bottles suit a routine built around individual servings. If you need a stated sugars figure, check the nutrition panel on the current pack.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water, 6 x 1L
These 1L bottles suit home breakfasts if they can be finished after opening. Joybuy lists natural sparkling mineral water as the ingredient and advises refrigeration and use within 7 days of opening; check the current pack’s nutrition panel if you need a stated sugars figure.
Frequently asked questions
Does “no added sugar” mean a sparkling drink has no sugar?
No. A fruit-based sparkling drink can say “no added sugar” and still contain sugars from juice. M&S’s Juicy Apple and Elderflower Sparkling Water, for example, lists 6.6g sugars per 100g. Read the nutrition panel if the amount of sugar matters to your choice.
Can flavoured sparkling water contain neither sugars nor sweeteners?
Yes, but check the exact product. S.Pellegrino describes its Essenza line as having no sugars or sweeteners; that description should not be assumed to apply to every flavoured water. Read the current ingredients and nutrition panel for the flavour you choose.
Should I choose 500ml or 1L bottles for weekday breakfasts?
Choose according to how much you will use after opening: 500ml bottles are an individual-serving format, while 1L bottles can serve more than one breakfast drinker. For its Highland Spring 6 x 1L pack, Joybuy advises refrigeration and use within 7 days after opening.
Is a no-added-sugar fizzy drink suitable for a young child?
Do not use the sugar claim alone to decide. NHS guidance identifies water and milk as children’s preferred drinks and says fizzy drinks are acidic and should not be given to babies and young children.