For a first food shop, plain sparkling water is a straightforward choice if you want to avoid both added sugar and sweeteners. If you prefer flavour, check the ingredients and the ‘of which sugars’ figure: a sugar-free drink may contain sweeteners, while a no-added-sugar fruit drink may still contain sugars from juice. The NHS notes that carbonated drinks are associated with dental erosion regardless of their sugar content.
If you want a fizzy drink without added sugar, the choice is not limited to one label. Plain water, sweetened sugar-free drinks and juice-containing drinks labelled no added sugar have different ingredients and sugar figures.
Start with plain sparkling water, or check the ingredients of an exact flavoured product. A sugar-free claim alone does not tell you whether sweeteners are present.
Consider the sugar figure alongside how often you choose carbonated drinks. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion due to their acid content, including drinks without sugar.
For your first shop, decide whether you want plain water, flavour without sweeteners or a sweeter fruit drink; then check the exact bottle’s label and a pack size you will use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | Read the front-of-pack claim alongside ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table. Check juice-containing drinks in particular: M&S lists 6.6g sugars per 100g for its no-added-sugar apple and elderflower drink. | I want to avoid added sugar, but I also need to know how much sugar is in the drink altogether. |
| Sweeteners | Read the ingredients list rather than relying on ‘sugar-free’. The M&S lemon and lime sparkling water lists the sweetener steviol glycosides; S.Pellegrino describes its Essenza range as having no sugars or sweeteners. | A flavoured drink appeals to me, but I would rather avoid sweeteners as well as sugar. |
| Drink type | Distinguish plain sparkling water from flavoured water and juice-led sparkling drinks. Check the exact flavour’s ingredients; a claim about one product does not establish the formulation of a whole range. | For meals, I may want plain water. If I choose a fruit flavour, I want to know whether it comes with juice, sweeteners or neither. |
| Carbonation | Do not use a sugar claim as a dental-risk claim. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content, regardless of whether they contain sugar. | I drink fizzy drinks often, so the absence of added sugar is not my only consideration. |
| Pack format | Check bottle size, the number of bottles and whether the format suits drinking at home or carrying one with you. | A larger bottle may suit meals at home; smaller bottles may be easier to take out. I want a pack size I am likely to use. |
Juice can contribute sugars even when a drink is labelled no added sugar. M&S lists 6.6g sugars per 100g for its apple and elderflower sparkling drink.
For a fruit-containing drink, read the ‘of which sugars’ figure as well as the claim on the front.
The sugar-free M&S lemon and lime sparkling water lists steviol glycosides among its ingredients.
If you want to avoid sweeteners, check the ingredients of the exact flavour or choose plain sparkling water.
The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion due to acid content, regardless of sugar or sweetener content.
Do not use a no-added-sugar or sugar-free label as a measure of dental suitability; consider still water when you do not want fizz.
These examples show why the exact product and flavour matter; a statement about one range need not apply to every drink under the same brand.
An unflavoured sparkling-water option for stocking at home or choosing smaller bottles.
A plain carbonated mineral-water option.
A mineral-water range with plain and flavoured products to distinguish.
An own-label reference when comparing plain sparkling-water pack formats.
Its flavoured drinks illustrate the difference between a sugar-free label and a no-added-sugar fruit drink.
These bottles represent the plain sparkling-water route for a first food shop. Choose between smaller bottles and larger home-use packs, and check the exact label if avoiding particular ingredients matters to you.
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This plain sparkling mineral water comes in six 0.5L bottles if you prefer individual bottles for your first shop. Check the current label for the ingredients and nutrition figures that matter to you.
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This plain sparkling spring water comes in eight 500ml bottles, a format to consider if you want smaller bottles for home or to carry. Highland Spring describes its sparkling-water range as having nothing added but bubbles.
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Six 1L bottles provide a larger-bottle format for drinking at home. The Joybuy product information identifies the ingredient as natural sparkling mineral water; check that this pack size suits how much you expect to use.
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This plain sparkling mineral water comes in six 1L bottles for those who prefer a larger bottle at home. Compare that format with smaller bottles and check the exact product label before choosing.
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This eight-pack offers 500ml bottles if you want smaller servings rather than a larger bottle. Check the exact label for ingredients, nutrition and storage instructions.
No. The claim does not mean sugars naturally present in ingredients are absent. Read ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table: M&S lists 6.6g sugars per 100g for its no-added-sugar apple and elderflower sparkling drink.
Yes. M&S describes its lemon and lime sparkling water as sugar-free, and its ingredients list includes steviol glycosides. If you want to avoid sweeteners, check the ingredients of the exact drink.
No. The NHS associates carbonated drinks with dental erosion because of their acid content, regardless of whether they contain sugar. A no-added-sugar claim does not address that consideration.
Choose a pack you expect to use: smaller bottles may suit carrying or individual servings, while larger bottles may suit drinking at home. Check the bottle size and quantity together rather than comparing pack counts alone.