Choose plain sparkling water if you want fizz without added flavour or sweetness. If flavour matters, distinguish water labelled as having no sugar or sweeteners from a no-added-sugar drink that contains a sweetener, and check both the ingredients and nutrition panel. For a drink you sip throughout a TV session, bear in mind that Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust identifies fizzy and fruit-flavoured drinks as acidic-drink categories relevant to enamel erosion.
If you want to keep the fizz, start with plain sparkling water or check the sugar declaration on a flavoured option. Decide separately whether you want sweetness: a no-added-sugar label does not tell you whether a drink contains a sweetener.
Look for an explicit no-sweeteners statement and read the ingredients. S.Pellegrino describes its Essenza range as containing no sugars or sweeteners; the Sainsbury's Lemon & Lime and M&S Lemon and Lime examples instead name sweeteners in their ingredients.
Sugar is not the only consideration for a drink consumed repeatedly through the evening. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust identifies fizzy and fruit-flavoured drinks as acidic-drink categories relevant to enamel erosion.
Start with the flavour and sweetness you actually want, then compare labels and pack sizes for the way you drink at home.
Choose it when: You want fizz alongside snacks without added flavour or sweetness.
Bear in mind: It will not provide the fruit flavour you may want from a soft-drink swap.
Choose it when: Flavour helps you make the switch, but you do not want a sweetener; S.Pellegrino states that Essenza contains neither sugars nor sweeteners.
Bear in mind: Flavouring does not necessarily make the drink sweet, so check that this is the taste you want.
Choose it when: You want a sweetened flavoured drink and are comfortable with its named sweetener.
Bear in mind: No-added-sugar products can use different sweeteners: Sainsbury's lists sucralose in its Lemon & Lime drink, while M&S lists steviol glycosides from stevia.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar declaration | Compare sugars per 100 ml on drinks labelled in millilitres, and check the serving size before comparing portions. Read the ingredients as well as front-of-pack wording. | I want a fizzy drink with my snacks without choosing a sugar-sweetened soft drink simply out of habit. |
| Sweetener and flavour | Look for an explicit no-sweeteners statement if that matters to you. Otherwise, check the named sweetener: Sainsbury's Lemon & Lime lists sucralose, while M&S Lemon and Lime lists steviol glycosides from stevia. | Flavour appeals to me, but I want to know whether the taste comes with a sweetener before I choose a bottle. |
| Length of the session | Consider how often you will sip a fizzy drink over the evening. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust identifies fizzy and fruit-flavoured drinks as acidic-drink categories relevant to enamel erosion; zero sugar does not remove that consideration. | My drink may last through a whole film, so its sugar label is not my only consideration. |
| Pack format | Check the volume of each container and the number in the pack. Highland Spring lists 500 ml bottles, 1.5 L bottles and a six-pack of 1 L bottles for its sparkling water. | A separate bottle suits my own TV-night serving; for a shared evening or repeat use, I would consider a larger format. |
The claims answer different questions. Sainsbury's describes its Lemon & Lime sparkling drink as having no added sugar, but its ingredients list sucralose; M&S lists steviol glycosides from stevia in its sugar-free Lemon and Lime drink.
If you want to avoid sweeteners, read the ingredients and look for an explicit no-sweeteners statement rather than relying on the sugar claim alone.
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust identifies fizzy and fruit-flavoured drinks as acidic-drink categories relevant to enamel erosion. A zero-sugar label addresses sugar, not whether a drink is acidic.
If you tend to sip throughout an evening, take that distinction into account when choosing what to drink and how often.
An individual bottle and a larger shared bottle fit different TV-night routines. Highland Spring, for example, lists 500 ml and 1.5 L bottles as well as a six-pack of 1 L bottles.
Check both the container size and pack count so the format suits the number of people drinking and how you intend to use it.
These brand examples illustrate the difference between plain, unsweetened flavoured and sweetened flavoured drinks; check the label of the particular product you choose.
Its Essenza range is a flavoured sparkling mineral-water option for shoppers who want flavour without a sweetener.
A plain sparkling-water option with formats for individual servings and shared use.
A plain carbonated mineral-water reference for shoppers considering an unflavoured drink.
An own-label example of flavoured sparkling water labelled as having no added sugar.
An own-label flavoured option for shoppers who want to identify the sweetener used.
An own-label plain sparkling-water reference for shoppers considering larger packs.
These packs are plain sparkling-water choices for a TV-night drink, with individual-bottle and larger formats. If you want flavoured water, use the label checks above to distinguish drinks without sweeteners from those containing them.
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Six 0.5 L bottles offer separate servings of plain sparkling water for a TV night.
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The six 1 L bottles provide a larger plain sparkling-water format to consider for sharing or repeat evenings.
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Eight 500 ml bottles provide individual portions if you prefer a separate bottle for each TV-night serving.
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This eight-pack has 500 ml bottles for individual servings of plain fizz. If you need a stated sugar figure, check the nutrition panel on the pack.
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Six 1 L bottles are a plain sparkling-water format to consider when drinks will be shared or used across several evenings. Check the pack's nutrition panel if a stated sugar figure matters to you.
No. Sainsbury's describes its Lemon & Lime sparkling drink as having no added sugar, but lists sucralose in the ingredients. M&S lists steviol glycosides from stevia in its sugar-free Lemon and Lime drink, while S.Pellegrino states that its Essenza range has no sugars or sweeteners. Check both the nutrition panel and ingredients for the particular drink.
A sugar-free label alone does not answer that question. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust identifies fizzy and fruit-flavoured drinks as acidic-drink categories relevant to enamel erosion, so consider how often you sip a fizzy drink during a long TV session.
Choose by the number of servings you expect to use: an individual bottle may suit one person, while a larger bottle may fit a shared evening. Check the volume of each container as well as the pack count; Highland Spring, for example, lists 500 ml and 1.5 L bottles and a six-pack of 1 L bottles.