For babies and young children, choose still water or milk rather than a fizzy drink: the NHS says fizzy drinks are acidic and should not be given to them. For an older child who occasionally wants bubbles with a school holiday snack, plain unsweetened sparkling water is a straightforward option; if flavour matters, check both the sugar information and ingredients, because “no added sugar” does not necessarily mean “no sweeteners”. Keep still water available as the everyday drink.
A child’s age and the household’s approach to sweeteners matter more than the words “no added sugar” alone.
Plain sparkling water offers bubbles without a sweet flavour. For everyday drinking, the NHS identifies water and milk as the drinks to give children; sparkling water need not replace still water throughout the day.
Read beyond the front-of-pack claim. Tesco and Sainsbury’s list sucralose in the flavoured examples described below, while M&S lists steviol glycosides. S.Pellegrino says its Essenza range contains neither sugars nor sweeteners, although it is still fizzy.
Choose an age-appropriate still drink instead of sparkling water. The NHS says fizzy drinks are acidic and should not be given to babies and young children.
Start with the child’s age, then decide whether you want plain water, an unsweetened flavour or a drink containing a sweetener. Check the exact pack before choosing a bottle size.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Age and fizz | Check whether the drink is carbonated. The NHS says acidic fizzy drinks should not be given to babies and young children; it identifies water and milk as drinks to give children. | For a baby or young child, I need a still, age-appropriate drink. For an older child, I may want bubbles occasionally without making them the everyday choice. |
| Sugar and sweeteners | Read the sugars value per 100ml alongside the full ingredients. A “no added sugar” label does not rule out sweeteners: Tesco and Sainsbury’s list sucralose in the cited flavoured products, and M&S lists steviol glycosides. | I want to know whether the drink is unsweetened, not just whether sugar has been added. |
| Flavour | Compare the exact variety. S.Pellegrino describes Essenza as flavoured sparkling mineral water with no sugars or sweeteners; the cited supermarket flavours use sweeteners. | If plain water is not the flavour my older child wants with a snack, I can choose between an unsweetened flavoured option and one with a sweetener. |
| Pack and storage | Check bottle size, the number of bottles and the opened-bottle instructions on the pack. The Joybuy listing for Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6 x 1L says to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days; instructions can differ between products. | I would rather choose a pack whose opened bottles we can use within its stated storage period. |
Those claims answer different questions. Tesco’s cited Apple & Raspberry drink and Sainsbury’s cited Lemon & Lime drink list sucralose; M&S lists steviol glycosides in its Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water.
If you want an unsweetened drink, check the ingredient list for sweeteners rather than relying on the front label.
Plain sparkling water remains fizzy. The NHS says fizzy drinks are acidic, can damage tooth enamel and should not be given to babies and young children.
Choose still water or an age-appropriate milk drink for a baby or young child; consider sparkling options only for older children.
Removing sugar does not remove carbonation. Highland Spring reports a pH of 4 to 5 for its sparkling water, while the NHS identifies water and milk as drinks to give children.
Keep still water available throughout the day and, for an older child, make sparkling water an occasional choice with a snack or meal.
An opened bottle may have a shorter use period than an unopened one. Joybuy’s Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6 x 1L listing says to refrigerate it after opening and use it within 7 days.
Compare the pack size with how quickly your household will use opened bottles, and follow the instructions on the product you buy.
Bottles left open beyond their stated use period may go unused.
These examples show why the ingredients of a particular range matter more than the brand name alone.
Highland Spring describes its plain Sparkling Water as having nothing added but bubbles.
S.Pellegrino says its flavoured Essenza sparkling mineral-water range has no sugars or sweeteners.
Perrier states that its plain Carbonated Mineral Water contains no sugar and has zero calories.
Tesco’s No Added Sugar Apple & Raspberry Sparkling Flavoured Water is listed as a 4 x 500ml pack.
Sainsbury’s lists a No Added Sugar Lemon & Lime sparkling flavoured water in a 4 x 500ml pack.
M&S describes its Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water as sugar-free and lists a stevia-derived sweetener.
These three packs are plain sparkling-water options for an older child who occasionally wants fizz with a snack, rather than flavoured no-added-sugar drinks. They do not replace still water as the everyday choice for children or the NHS advice against fizzy drinks for babies and young children.
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A plain sparkling option for an older child who occasionally wants bubbles without a sweetener. The listed ingredients are natural mineral water and carbon dioxide, and the stated sugars value is 0g per 100ml.
The pack contains six 0.5L bottles. Check the current bottle for opened-product storage instructions.
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This plain sparkling mineral water is an option when an older child wants occasional fizz without a listed sweetener. Its stated sugars value is 0g per 100ml.
The pack contains eight 500ml bottles. The product information says to refrigerate after opening and consume within 3 days.
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For an older child who occasionally wants plain sparkling water, this listing describes the ingredients as naturally sourced water only. Highland Spring reports a pH of 4 to 5 for its sparkling water.
The pack contains eight 500ml bottles. The product information says to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days.
No. The cited Tesco and Sainsbury’s flavoured drinks list sucralose, while M&S lists steviol glycosides in its Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water. If you want an unsweetened option, read the ingredients; S.Pellegrino says its Essenza range contains no sugars or sweeteners.
Choose an age-appropriate still drink instead. The NHS says fizzy drinks are acidic, can damage tooth enamel and should not be given to babies and young children.
Keep still water available as the everyday drink. The NHS identifies water and milk as drinks to give children; for an older child who wants occasional fizz with a snack, check a sparkling drink’s sugar information and ingredients before choosing it.
Follow the instructions for the exact product. For example, Joybuy’s Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water 6 x 1L listing says to refrigerate after opening and use within 7 days. Check the pack you buy rather than applying that period to every sparkling water.