For an everyday fizzy drink, choose plain sparkling water if you do not need flavour; Diabetes UK advises choosing sugar-free alternatives to sugary fizzy drinks outside hypo treatment. If you prefer flavoured cans, check the sugars figure and ingredients on the exact pack. “No added sugar” does not mean zero total sugars, and a sugar-free drink may contain sweeteners.
If you want carbonation for an everyday drink, start with plain sparkling water or check that a flavoured option is sugar-free. Diabetes UK advises reserving sugary fizzy drinks for treating hypos rather than choosing them as an everyday alternative.
A multipack of 330ml cans may fit lunches, work or travel. Check the sugars figure for the exact flavour, along with its sweeteners and pack format; a flavour name alone does not establish what is in the drink.
If a sparkling drink says “no added sugar”, look at total sugars and the ingredient list too. Fruit juice can contribute sugars even when no sugar has been added.
Decide whether you want plain water or flavour, then compare the nutrition panel for the exact drink and serving size. Finally, confirm that the multipack contains the cans you intend to buy.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | Read “of which sugars” for the exact variant. Check whether the figure is per 100ml, per can or per serving before comparing drinks. | I want a fizzy everyday drink without choosing a sugary soft drink by mistake. Diabetes UK advises sugar-free alternatives to sugary fizzy drinks outside hypo treatment. |
| Fruit ingredients | Check the sugars figure as well as any “no added sugar” claim. M&S lists 7.3g sugars per 100g for its pineapple-and-passion-fruit sparkling drink, whose ingredients include apple juice concentrate. | If I choose a fruit-flavoured drink, I want to know how much sugar is in the serving, regardless of whether sugar was added. |
| Sweeteners | Read the named ingredients rather than assuming all sugar-free drinks use the same sweeteners. Tesco lists acesulfame K and sucralose in its Volvic Mango Passion Sparkling 4 × 330ml multipack. | I want flavour without overlooking ingredients that matter to me. Diabetes UK notes that polyols contain carbohydrate and calories, so I may need individual advice if my insulin plan requires carbohydrate assessment. |
| Can format | Confirm the can size, number of cans and current product label. A brand’s sparkling-water range may also include bottles or drinks with different ingredients. | Individual cans are useful for the occasions I have in mind, but I want the pack I receive to match the format and label I checked. |
Plain sparkling water, flavoured water and sparkling soft drinks can sit near one another in a shop. Tesco lists 14.7g sugars per 330ml can for San Pellegrino Limonata, a sparkling lemon soft drink.
Check the exact product description and sugars figure, rather than deciding from the brand or the word “sparkling”.
Fruit-based ingredients can contribute sugars. M&S describes its pineapple-and-passion-fruit sparkling drink as having no added sugar, while listing 7.3g sugars per 100g.
Compare “of which sugars” for the amount you plan to drink and check the juice ingredients.
Tesco lists 0g sugars per 330ml can for Volvic Mango Passion Sparkling, alongside acesulfame K and sucralose in its ingredients. Sweeteners are not all the same; Diabetes UK separately notes that polyols contain carbohydrate and calories.
Read the named sweeteners. If your treatment plan requires individual advice about carbohydrate and insulin, speak with your diabetes healthcare team.
Pack formats, stock and formulations can change. M&S advises shoppers to read the product label because food information may change as products are redeveloped.
Before buying, confirm the current pack count, can size, ingredients and nutrition panel for the exact variant.
These examples help distinguish plain water, flavoured water and fruit-based drinks; a brand name alone cannot establish a particular product’s ingredients or can format.
A plain sparkling-water option if you do not require cans.
A carbonated mineral-water reference for shoppers considering plain water.
Check the product type: sparkling natural mineral water and fruit soft drinks are different choices.
Its product listings illustrate why nutrition details must be checked for each flavoured multipack.
Its sparkling-water category includes plain water, mineral water and flavoured options in different pack sizes.
Its plain mineral water and fruit-flavoured sparkling drinks call for separate label checks.
The option below is an orange-infused sparkling-water can multipack for shoppers considering a flavoured drink. Compare the current pack label with your sugar and ingredient requirements.
Image unavailable
This orange-infused sparkling-water multipack offers individual 330ml servings. Check the current pack’s “of which sugars” value, serving size and ingredients before deciding whether it meets your requirements.
Plain sparkling water is a water option if you want carbonation without flavour. Diabetes UK describes water as an all-round drink and advises choosing sugar-free alternatives to sugary fizzy drinks outside hypo treatment. Follow any individual advice from your healthcare team about drinks.
No. M&S describes its pineapple-and-passion-fruit sparkling drink as having no added sugar, but lists 7.3g sugars per 100g and includes fruit juice ingredients. Check total sugars for the amount you intend to drink.
Check the number and size of the cans, sugars per serving, ingredients and any named sweeteners. For example, Tesco lists 0g sugars per 330ml can for Volvic Mango Passion Sparkling 4 × 330ml and names acesulfame K and sucralose; confirm the current label for the pack you buy.
Diabetes UK advises using sugary fizzy drinks to treat hypos and otherwise choosing sugar-free alternatives. Follow your own hypo-treatment plan and your diabetes team’s guidance for individual treatment decisions.
Not necessarily: read which sweeteners the exact drink contains rather than treating them as one ingredient. Diabetes UK notes that polyols contain carbohydrate and calories and advises people adjusting insulin doses to seek individual guidance from their healthcare team.