Choose plain sparkling water if you want a fizzy drink with no sugar or sweeteners alongside gaming snacks. For fruit aroma, S.Pellegrino says its Essenza range has no sugars or sweeteners. A drink labelled “no added sugar” is a different choice: M&S Juicy Rhubarb carries that claim but lists 6.7g sugars per 100g, so check the nutrition panel and ingredients if total sugars or sweeteners matter to you.
If you want fizz with your snacks but neither sugar nor sweeteners, start with plain sparkling water. For a flavoured option, S.Pellegrino says Essenza contains no sugars or sweeteners; check the label of the flavour you choose.
If naturally occurring sugars are acceptable to you, a fruit-based drink labelled “no added sugar” may suit your taste. Read the “of which sugars” figure rather than treating that front-of-pack claim as a zero-sugar statement.
Think about whether smaller bottles or a larger bottle are more convenient to keep nearby. Tesco lists plain sparkling-water multipacks and larger-bottle formats, so check the quantity and bottle size of the particular pack.
Decide whether you mean no added sugar, zero total sugars, or no sweeteners as well. Then compare the label and pack format against that choice.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | Read “of which sugars” per 100ml or 100g, using the unit printed on the pack. “No added sugar” does not establish zero total sugars: M&S lists 6.7g sugars per 100g for its no-added-sugar Juicy Rhubarb drink. | I want to know how much sugar is in the drink, including sugar from fruit juice, before choosing something to have with snacks. |
| Sweeteners | Check the ingredients separately from the sugar claim. M&S lists steviol glycosides in its sugar-free Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water; S.Pellegrino says Essenza has no sweeteners. | Fruit flavour appeals to me, but I also want to avoid sweeteners, not just sugar. |
| Plain or fruit-based | Check whether the ingredients describe plain sparkling water, fruit aroma or fruit juice. A fruit-based drink can have naturally occurring sugars even when no sugar has been added. | For a drink to keep beside me throughout a session, I might choose plain water; if I prefer a fruit-based flavour, I will compare its sugar figure. |
| Pack format | Check bottle size, bottle count and the total quantity you will need to store. Tesco lists plain sparkling water in both multipacks and larger bottles. | Smaller bottles would be convenient to keep nearby, or I may prefer a larger bottle rather than opening several. |
Fruit ingredients can contribute sugars. M&S Juicy Rhubarb is labelled no added sugar but lists 6.7g sugars per 100g.
If zero total sugars is your aim, compare the “of which sugars” figure and ingredients on the pack rather than relying on the front label.
A sugar-free flavoured drink can contain a sweetener: M&S Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water lists steviol glycosides.
If you avoid sweeteners, read the ingredient list. S.Pellegrino states that Essenza contains neither sugars nor sweeteners, but check the particular product you buy.
These examples show why the distinction between plain water, flavoured water and fruit-based drinks matters; a brand name alone does not tell you the contents of every product.
Tesco lists plain British Natural Mineral Water Sparkling in larger bottles and multipacks, as well as a separate No Added Sugar Apple & Raspberry flavoured multipack.
A plain sparkling-water option listed by Tesco in several bottle and multipack formats.
Offers plain sparkling mineral water and the separate fruit-aroma Essenza range.
A plain carbonated mineral-water option.
Its flavoured drinks illustrate two different label decisions: a sugar-free drink with a sweetener and a no-added-sugar fruit-based drink with sugars.
These options include plain sparkling-water multipacks in different bottle sizes and one apple-flavoured case. For the flavoured drink, check the pack label against your sugar and sweetener preferences.
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A larger-bottle multipack for a plain drink beside your snacks. The listed ingredients are natural mineral water and carbon dioxide, and the nutrition panel lists 0g sugars per 100ml; no fruit flavour is listed.
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Smaller bottles in a multipack if you would rather keep one nearby at a time. The ingredients identify carbonated natural mineral water, and the listed nutrition table gives 0g sugars per 100ml; no fruit flavour is listed.
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A six-bottle, 1L plain sparkling-water pack for those who prefer larger bottles. Highland Spring’s published factsheet describes plain sparkling water as containing no sugar or calories; check this pack’s nutrition label if you need its exact values.
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This plain sparkling-water case contains 16L across 500ml bottles, so check that the quantity suits your storage space. Highland Spring’s general guidance describes plain sparkling water as containing no sugar or calories; consult the pack for exact product values.
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An apple-flavoured sparkling-water case for shoppers who prefer smaller bottles. Check the pack’s “of which sugars” value and complete sweetener list before choosing it for a zero-sugar or no-sweetener preference.
No. It does not rule out sugars naturally present in ingredients such as fruit juice. M&S Juicy Rhubarb is labelled no added sugar but lists 6.7g sugars per 100g, so read the nutrition panel if total sugars are your concern.
Check that the particular flavoured product addresses both requirements. S.Pellegrino states that Essenza has no sugars or sweeteners; by contrast, M&S Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water is described as sugar-free but lists the sweetener steviol glycosides.
Yes. NHS guidance says water and lower-sugar drinks count towards daily fluid intake. It gives 6 to 8 cups or glasses a day as a general guide for most people, while individual needs vary.