For a quick desk lunch, compare the sugars figure on the exact drink, decide whether you want caffeine, and choose a portion and pack size you will use. Pepsi UK lists 0g sugars per 330ml can for both Pepsi MAX and Pepsi MAX No Caffeine; standard Pepsi MAX contains caffeine, while the No Caffeine variant is labelled caffeine-free. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Cream Soda is a vanilla-flavoured, six-can alternative with 0g sugars per 330ml can, rather than a cola substitute.
If you want a familiar cola with lunch but are choosing an alternative to a sugary fizzy drink, compare the sugars per can as well as the ingredients. Pepsi UK lists 0g sugars per 330ml can for Pepsi MAX and Pepsi MAX No Caffeine, but the two differ on caffeine.
A zero-sugar label alone does not tell you whether a cola contains caffeine. Pepsi UK identifies Pepsi MAX No Caffeine as the caffeine-free variant and lists 0g sugars per 330ml can.
A multipack keeps individual cans available for more than one lunch. Tesco sells its vanilla-flavoured No Added Sugar Cream Soda as six 330ml cans and lists 0g sugars per can; choose it for that flavour rather than expecting cola.
Start with the sugars shown for the serving you will drink, then narrow the choice by caffeine, ingredients, flavour and pack format.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read ‘of which sugars’ per 100ml and per serving on the exact drink. Check the serving size rather than treating ‘no added sugar’ as a statement that the drink contains 0g sugars. | I want to compare what is in the can I will drink, not rely on the wording on its front. The NHS suggests sugar-free, diet or no-added-sugar drinks as alternatives to sugary fizzy drinks when reducing sugar. |
| Caffeine | Check the variant name and ingredients. Pepsi UK lists caffeine for standard Pepsi MAX and identifies Pepsi MAX No Caffeine as caffeine-free; both list 0g sugars per 330ml can. | If I do not want caffeine with lunch, I need an explicitly caffeine-free variant, even when choosing a zero-sugar cola. |
| Ingredients and flavour | Compare the named sweeteners and any phenylalanine statement on the chosen drink. Pepsi UK lists aspartame and acesulfame K for its two MAX variants; Tesco lists sucralose and acesulfame K for its vanilla-flavoured Cream Soda. | I may want cola, or I may prefer another flavour. When I change drinks, I want to know which sweeteners the new one contains. |
| Can and pack size | Check the volume of each can and the number of cans in the pack. Tesco lists six 330ml Cream Soda cans; the size of a multipack is a separate decision from the size of one serving. | A single can suits my lunch, but I only want a multipack if I expect to use the remaining cans. |
The front-of-pack wording does not replace the nutrition panel: it does not, by itself, tell you the total sugars listed for a serving.
Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100ml and per serving on the exact can or bottle, particularly when switching flavours.
Pepsi UK lists caffeine in standard Pepsi MAX, while Pepsi MAX No Caffeine is a separate variant.
If avoiding caffeine matters, choose a drink explicitly labelled caffeine-free and check the current pack.
Sweeteners differ between drinks. Pepsi UK lists aspartame and acesulfame K in its MAX variants and states that they contain a source of phenylalanine; Tesco lists sucralose and acesulfame K in its No Added Sugar Cream Soda.
Read the ingredients and any phenylalanine statement whenever you change brand or variant.
A 330ml can is one defined serving, but a multipack leaves you with more cans for later. A larger bottle may be less convenient if you only want a drink with one lunch.
Compare the serving size and number of drinks you expect to use before choosing between cans, multipacks and larger bottles.
These brand examples show different flavours and formats to compare; check the details of the particular variant you choose.
Pepsi UK provides product information for standard Pepsi MAX and Pepsi MAX No Caffeine, making caffeine preference a clear way to distinguish the two colas.
Tesco’s No Added Sugar Cream Soda is a vanilla-flavoured own-label option supplied as six 330ml cans.
Tesco lists Diet Coke among its sugar-free fizzy drinks. Compare the particular can or bottle if you want a cola other than Pepsi MAX.
Tesco lists Sprite Zero Sugar products, including a mint lemon-lime variant, for shoppers considering a non-cola flavour.
Tesco lists Fanta Zero Orange and Fanta Zero Fruit Twist multipacks among its sugar-free fizzy drinks.
Tesco lists Dr Pepper Zero in an 8 × 330ml format for shoppers considering its distinct flavour.
These Joybuy multipacks offer individual 330ml cans for repeat desk lunches, with cola, caffeine-free and lemonade-labelled options. Choose the drink by its current label as well as the number of cans you will use.
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The lemonade-labelled option comes in individual cans for repeat lunches rather than one bottle to open. Check the current sugars, caffeine and ingredient information against your preferences; a 24-can pack is more than one occasional lunch requires.
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The No Caffeine variant offers individual cola cans when that distinction matters at lunch. Compare sugars and sweeteners on the current label; the 24-can format makes more sense for repeated lunches than for one drink.
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For a cola at lunch without caffeine, this pack contains 24 individual 330ml cans. The Joybuy product information lists 0g sugars per can; Pepsi UK lists aspartame and acesulfame K for the No Caffeine variant and states that it contains a source of phenylalanine.
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This 24-can cola pack suits repeat lunches if caffeine is acceptable. Pepsi UK lists 0g sugars per 330ml can for standard Pepsi MAX, along with caffeine, aspartame and acesulfame K; it also states that the drink contains a source of phenylalanine.
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This cola comes in 18 individual 330ml cans, a format to consider if you expect to use them across several lunches. Check sugars, caffeine and ingredients on the current pack before choosing it over a No Caffeine variant.
No. Check ‘of which sugars’ on the nutrition panel for the exact drink and serving rather than using the front claim as a total-sugars figure. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Cream Soda, for example, separately lists 0g sugars per 330ml can.
Choose an explicitly caffeine-free variant and check its current label. Pepsi UK lists caffeine in standard Pepsi MAX, whereas Pepsi MAX No Caffeine is identified as caffeine-free and lists 0g sugars per 330ml can.
Drinks can use different sweeteners even when their sugars figures are the same. Pepsi UK lists aspartame and acesulfame K for its MAX variants, while Tesco lists sucralose and acesulfame K for its No Added Sugar Cream Soda. The Pepsi variants also carry a source-of-phenylalanine statement.
If your aim is to reduce sugar, the NHS suggests sugar-free, diet or no-added-sugar drinks as alternatives to sugary fizzy drinks. Compare the sugars per serving on the drink you choose, then decide whether its caffeine, ingredients, flavour and can size fit your lunch.