Parents packing everyday lunches
Plain water is a straightforward starting point. The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks to give children; choose an individual container size that fits the lunch bag.
Who is each format for?
Families considering small cans
A 330ml can may suit a child who will finish it at lunch, provided the school permits cans. Check whether it contains plain water or a flavoured sparkling drink with additional ingredients.
Parents who need a drink for later
If an unfinished drink must go back in the school bag, look for a small bottle with a suitable closure. Check the closure on the exact pack rather than assuming every bottle is resealable.
What should you check before buying?
Decide what the child will drink, then check the container and pack format against the school day. A can preference need not determine the choice if the drink will be carried after opening.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type | Read the ingredients and check whether the drink is plain, flavoured, still or sparkling. The NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks for children. | I want plain water for a routine lunch, or I need to know exactly what is in a flavoured option before choosing it. |
| Container and closure | Check the individual volume, whether a bottle can be resealed, and whether the school permits cans. An opened can cannot be resealed. | If the drink might come home unfinished, I need a closure that suits carrying it in a school bag. |
| Pack format | Confirm both the unit count and container type on the exact product. Volvic UK describes 4 × 330ml can multipacks for its Mango Passion and Strawberry sparkling drinks; a single-can listing does not establish a multipack. | I’m buying several lunch portions, so the number and size of the individual containers matter more than the pack description alone. |
| After-lunch disposal | Check the school’s bin arrangements and the applicable local collection guidance. Evian says its aluminium cans are recyclable, but that does not establish which bins a school provides. | Where will the empty container go after lunch if it cannot come home? |
Common packed-lunch mistakes
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Assuming every drink labelled as water is plain water
Volvic’s Mango Passion and Strawberry canned drinks are flavoured and sparkling, with sweeteners, rather than plain still water.
Read the ingredients as well as the front of the pack. If plain water is the aim, do not treat a flavoured variant as interchangeable with it.
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Choosing a can without planning for an unfinished drink
An opened can cannot be resealed for the journey home. Whether a can belongs in a packed lunch also depends on the individual school’s rules.
Check the school’s policy and whether the child is likely to finish the drink at lunch. If not, check a bottle’s closure.
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Checking the pack count but not the containers
Volvic UK’s 4 × 330ml cans, a listed Highland Spring 6 × 330ml sports-cap bottle pack and Evian’s individual 33cl can are different formats.
Confirm the container, individual volume, pack count and current stock on the exact product page before ordering.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why a familiar water brand does not, by itself, establish whether the drink is plain or sold in the container and pack size you need.
Volvic
Volvic UK describes 4 × 330ml can multipacks for its Mango Passion and Strawberry Touch of Fruit Sparkling drinks.
- The manufacturer identifies a specific can size and multipack count for both flavours.
- These are flavoured sparkling drinks containing sweeteners, not plain water; check the ingredients if that distinction matters for lunch.
Highland Spring
Sainsbury’s lists a Highland Spring still-water sports-cap pack of 6 × 330ml bottles.
- The listed bottle format offers a small still-water alternative to cans.
- Check current stock and the product’s cap warning before ordering, particularly for a young child.
Evian
Evian describes a 33cl sparkling-water can on its UK product page.
- The can provides a plain sparkling-water format; Evian says its aluminium cans are recyclable.
- Check an exact retailer listing if a multipack is essential; the individual can format does not establish a pack count.
Buxton
Buxton lists 500ml among its still-water formats, while Sainsbury’s lists an 8 × 500ml Buxton still-water pack.
- The listed pack offers a still-water bottle option when cans are not essential.
- Its 500ml individual bottles are a different size from the 330ml options considered for a compact lunch portion.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists own-brand still spring water in a 12 × 500ml pack alongside branded bottle formats.
- Its listings let shoppers distinguish pack counts and individual bottle sizes.
- Check the exact item’s current stock rather than treating a category listing as availability for a particular pack.
Joybuy water multipacks
These options include two 330ml can multipacks and a 330ml still-water bottle pack for lunches where cans are not essential. Check the school’s rules and the exact drink and closure before choosing.
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Icelandic Glacial Natural Mineral Water, 10 × 330ml cans
A small-can mineral-water multipack for a lunch that permits cans. Check whether this variant is still or sparkling if carbonation matters; an opened can cannot be resealed.
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FIJI Water Natural Artesian Still Water, 24 × 330ml bottles
A still-water bottle pack if cans are not essential. The individual bottles are 330ml; check the closure if the child may carry an unfinished drink.
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DASH Water Orange-Infused Sparkling Water, 12 × 330ml cans
An orange-infused sparkling option for a child who wants that flavour and will finish a can at lunch. It is not plain water; check the ingredients and the school’s rules before packing it.
Questions about school-lunch drinks
Are flavoured sparkling-water cans the same as plain water?
No. Volvic’s Mango Passion and Strawberry canned drinks contain flavourings, citric acid and sweeteners. If plain water is the aim for a routine lunch, check the ingredients rather than relying on the word “water” on the front of the pack; the NHS identifies water and milk as the best drinks for children.
Does a 330ml can necessarily come in a multipack?
No. Check the pack count on the exact product. Volvic UK describes 4 × 330ml multipacks for its Mango Passion and Strawberry sparkling drinks, while Evian’s 33cl sparkling-can product description establishes the individual can format, not a multipack.
Can my child take a can in a school packed lunch?
Check the individual school’s packed-lunch and safety policy before packing one. The Department for Education’s school-food guidance concerns food and drink provided in state-funded schools in England; it is not a substitute for checking the school’s arrangements for parent-packed lunches.
What should happen to an empty can after lunch?
Check whether the school has a suitable recycling bin or expects containers to come home. Evian says its aluminium cans are recyclable, and Western Riverside Waste Authority accepts aluminium cans through its relevant collections, but a school’s bins and local collection arrangements may differ.