Shoppers checking sugar
If you want a fizzy drink with breakfast, compare the sugar information on plain and flavoured products rather than treating every sparkling water drink as the same.
Who is choosing?
Shoppers avoiding sweeteners
If you want fruit flavour but no sweeteners, read the ingredients as well as the front-of-pack sugar claim. Some flavoured drinks list sucralose or steviol glycosides.
Households serving breakfast together
If several people will share the drink, consider total volume, individual versus larger bottles, and how soon an opened bottle needs to be used.
What matters when choosing?
Plain sparkling water
Choose when: You want carbonation without added fruit flavour; check the exact bottle’s sugar information.
Consider: Flavour comes from the water and its carbonation rather than added flavouring.
Flavoured, without sweeteners
Choose when: You want fruit flavour but do not want a sweetener. Sainsbury’s lists Maison Perrier Forever Lime and San Pellegrino Essenza Tangerine & Strawberry as containing no sugar or sweeteners.
Consider: Those claims apply to the named products, not every drink in either brand’s range.
Flavoured, with a sweetener
Choose when: You want a sweeter fruit-style drink and are comfortable with the sweetener named on its label.
Consider: Sainsbury’s flavoured waters list sucralose, while M&S Lemon and Lime lists steviol glycosides; check the exact formulation.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar content | Read sugars per 100ml and per serving on the exact product. Check whether it is plain water or a flavoured water drink. | I want a fizzy breakfast drink with no listed sugar, rather than assuming every flavoured option has the same nutrition information. |
| Sweeteners and ingredients | Check for an explicit no-sweeteners statement and read the ingredient list. Look for named sweeteners such as sucralose or steviol glycosides. | Fruit flavour appeals to me, but I would rather avoid a sweetener; a “no added sugar” label does not settle that question. |
| Flavour | Decide between unflavoured water and the specific flavoured formulation. Check its flavour description and ingredients. | At breakfast, I might prefer plain fizz with food, or I might want fruit flavour without assuming it is sweetened. |
| Bottle size and storage | Compare total volume and individual bottle sizes. Read the exact pack’s refrigeration and use-within instructions for opened bottles. | Several of us will be drinking it, so I want a pack we can serve and finish within the bottle’s stated period after opening. |
What should you watch for?
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Assuming “no added sugar” means no sweetener
A drink can carry a no-added-sugar claim and still list a sweetener. Sainsbury’s flavoured waters, for example, list sucralose.
If you want to avoid sweeteners, check both the claim and the ingredients on the exact bottle.
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Treating all flavoured waters alike
Named flavoured products differ: Sainsbury’s lists Maison Perrier Forever Lime as having no sweeteners, while its own-label flavoured waters list sucralose.
Choose the flavour you want, then check that product’s sugar information and full ingredient list.
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Choosing bottle size without planning for leftovers
An opened bottle may need refrigeration and use within a stated period. Tesco Groceries gives seven days for Highland Spring’s 6 x 1L pack; Marks & Spencer gives three days for its Sparkling Scottish Mountain Water.
Choose a bottle size your household is likely to finish, and follow the instructions on the pack you buy.
Brand and range references
These examples show why the exact product label matters, particularly when moving between plain and flavoured ranges.
Highland Spring
A plain sparkling spring-water option available in a 6 x 1L pack.
- Tesco Groceries labels the 6 x 1L pack as having no sugar and no calories.
- For that pack, follow the stated refrigeration and seven-day use-within guidance after opening.
San Pellegrino
Its plain sparkling mineral water comes in a 6 x 1L format; San Pellegrino Essenza is a separate flavoured range.
- Sainsbury’s lists the Essenza Tangerine & Strawberry product as having no sugar or sweeteners.
- Do not apply a flavoured product’s ingredient claims to the plain water or the entire range.
Perrier
The referenced products include Perrier plain mineral water and Maison Perrier Forever flavoured sparkling water.
- Sainsbury’s lists Maison Perrier Forever Lime as having no sugar or sweeteners.
- That formulation is specific to the Lime product; check other flavours separately.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label plain sparkling mineral water in 2L and 6 x 2L formats.
- The larger format gives households a different bottle-size option to compare with 1L multipacks.
- Check whether a 2L bottle suits how much you will use after opening.
Sainsbury's
Its referenced own-label products include plain sparkling water and flavoured sparkling-water drinks.
- The ingredient lists identify the sweetener in the referenced lemon-and-lime and blackcurrant-and-cherry drinks as sucralose.
- Those flavoured drinks do not suit someone specifically avoiding sweeteners.
M&S
Its referenced range includes plain Sparkling Scottish Mountain Water and a Lemon and Lime flavoured drink.
- The separate plain and flavoured products offer a choice of formulations.
- M&S lists steviol glycosides in Lemon and Lime; read the current label if avoiding sweeteners.
Plain sparkling water on Joybuy
These plain sparkling-water packs offer 1L or 500ml bottles for a weekend breakfast table. If you want fruit flavour, use the label checks above when choosing a flavoured product.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6 x 1L
Six 1L bottles provide a plain sparkling-water option for a shared breakfast. Tesco Groceries labels the matching 6 x 1L pack as having no sugar and no calories; refrigerate opened bottles and use within seven days according to its listing.
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Buxton Sparkling 8 x 500ml
Eight 500ml bottles offer individual portions for a shared breakfast. Check the current nutrition and storage information on the pack if those details affect your choice.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6 x 1L
Six 1L bottles suit a table where several people will be drinking plain sparkling water. The Joybuy product information lists natural mineral water and carbon dioxide as ingredients; check the pack for after-opening instructions.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water 6 x 0.5L
Six 500ml bottles provide smaller individual portions than the 1L pack. Check the current label for its nutrition information and instructions after opening.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 8 x 500ml
Eight 500ml bottles offer individual servings of plain sparkling water. Check this pack’s own nutrition label rather than applying the sugar information from the separate 6 x 1L listing.
Common questions
Can plain sparkling water replace a sugary fizzy drink at breakfast?
It can be an option if you enjoy it and the product label meets your sugar preference. The NHS suggests swapping sugary drinks for diet, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks; Tesco Groceries labels Highland Spring’s plain 6 x 1L sparkling water as having no sugar and no calories.
Does “no added sugar” mean a flavoured water has no sweetener?
No. Sainsbury’s lemon-and-lime and blackcurrant-and-cherry flavoured waters list sucralose, while M&S Lemon and Lime lists steviol glycosides. If you want no sweetener, check for an explicit claim and confirm it against the ingredients.
Is every flavoured sparkling water sugar-free?
Do not assume so: check the nutrition panel on the flavour you intend to buy. Sainsbury’s lists Maison Perrier Forever Lime and San Pellegrino Essenza Tangerine & Strawberry as having no sugar or sweeteners, but those claims are specific to those products.
What should I do with an opened bottle after breakfast?
Follow that bottle’s storage and use-within instructions. Tesco Groceries says to refrigerate opened Highland Spring 6 x 1L bottles and use them within seven days; Marks & Spencer says to refrigerate its Sparkling Scottish Mountain Water after opening and consume it within three days.