For a fizzy drink alongside a night-shift snack, choose plain sparkling water if you want to avoid added flavourings and sweeteners; Highland Spring describes its plain version as having nothing added but bubbles. If you prefer flavour, check the ingredients and sugars per 100ml: sugar-free flavoured water, no-added-sugar water with sweeteners and juice-containing sparkling drinks are different choices.
If you want a fizzy drink with your break, compare plain, sugar-free and no-added-sugar options rather than assuming they contain the same ingredients. The NHS includes sugar-free and no-added-sugar drinks among its suggested swaps for sugary drinks.
Check the ingredient list even when the front label says no added sugar. Tesco and Sainsbury's describe flavoured examples that contain sweeteners, while Sanpellegrino says its S.Pellegrino Essenza range contains neither sugars nor sweeteners.
A bottle can be packed for a break alongside food. The British Dietetic Association discusses drinks and lighter food breaks during night shifts; the British Nutrition Foundation advises against large, heavy meals during a shift because they can make you feel drowsy.
Start with the sugar wording and ingredients, then choose a bottle size that works for your break and where you will keep it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar wording | Read the exact front-of-pack claim, then compare sugars per 100ml on the nutrition panel. Check for fruit juice in the ingredients. | I want to know the drink's total sugars, not just whether sugar was added. M&S describes its no-added-sugar Apple & Elderflower drink as containing over 60% juice, so I would read its nutrition panel before choosing it. |
| Sweeteners | Look for named sweeteners in the ingredient list. Tesco's no-added-sugar Apple & Raspberry drink and Sainsbury's Apple & Elderflower drink both declare sweetener. | Flavour appeals to me, but I would rather avoid sweeteners. Sanpellegrino says S.Pellegrino Essenza has no sugars or sweeteners; I would check the label of the flavour I buy. |
| Break-time drink | Decide whether you want plain or flavoured water and whether the bottle can be packed or kept where you take breaks. | I want a fizzy drink ready when I stop for a lighter snack, rather than relying on the drink as the whole break. The British Dietetic Association discusses taking drinks with lighter food breaks during night shifts. |
| Bottle format | Compare the stated volume per bottle as well as the number of bottles in a pack. Consider the space available to carry and store them. | A 500ml bottle may be easier for me to pack for one break; a 1L bottle may suit a place where I can leave it during the shift. |
| Fizz and acidity | Consider whether you enjoy carbonation. Highland Spring states that its sparkling water has a pH between 4 and 5 because carbon dioxide is added. | If fizzy drinks feel uncomfortable, I would choose still water for that break rather than assuming sparkling water will suit me. |
A drink containing fruit juice can say no added sugar without being the same choice as plain water or a drink labelled sugar-free. M&S describes its Apple & Elderflower sparkling drink as no added sugar and over 60% juice.
Compare the declared sugars per 100ml and read the ingredients if total sugars matter to your choice.
Tesco and Sainsbury's describe no-added-sugar flavoured waters that contain sweetener. A front-of-pack sugar claim alone will not tell you whether a drink uses one.
Read the ingredient list for named sweeteners, or choose a plain variety if you prefer water without added flavouring.
A sparkling drink serves a different purpose from the food you plan to have with it. The British Nutrition Foundation advises avoiding large, heavy meals during a shift because they can make you feel drowsy.
Pack a drink alongside the lighter food you intend to eat during your break.
A sugar-related label does not tell you whether you will enjoy a fizzy drink throughout a shift. Highland Spring attributes the acidity of its sparkling water to added carbon dioxide.
If carbonation does not suit you, keep still water as an alternative.
These examples illustrate different ingredient routes; check the label of the particular drink and flavour you choose.
A plain sparkling spring-water option for shoppers who prefer an unflavoured drink.
Its sparkling mineral-water and flavoured ranges call for different label checks.
A carbonated mineral-water reference for the plain-water route.
An own-label example of flavoured, no-added-sugar sparkling water.
An own-label example for comparing a flavoured drink with plain sparkling water.
A fruit-led sparkling-drink example rather than a plain-water choice.
These plain sparkling waters represent the unflavoured route for a drink alongside a night-shift snack. Compare the bottle sizes with what you can carry and store during your shift.
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A plain sparkling mineral water in six 0.5L bottles; consider this format if you want to pack one bottle for a shift break rather than carry a larger bottle.
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A plain sparkling spring water in eight 500ml bottles. Highland Spring describes its plain sparkling water as having nothing added but bubbles; the individual bottles can be packed for separate breaks.
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A plain sparkling-water option in eight 500ml bottles. Choose the individual-bottle format if it fits how you pack a drink for a night-shift break.
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A plain sparkling spring water in six 1L bottles. The larger individual bottle may suit a place where you can keep a drink during the shift; check that it fits your carrying and storage arrangements.
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A plain sparkling mineral water in six 1L bottles. Consider the larger bottle if you have somewhere suitable to keep it during your shift; it is less compact to carry than a 500ml bottle.
No. They are different label claims, and a no-added-sugar drink can contain sugars from ingredients such as fruit juice. Compare the declared sugars per 100ml with the drink's ingredient list.
Yes. Tesco's Apple & Raspberry and Sainsbury's Apple & Elderflower flavoured sparkling drinks are described as no added sugar and containing sweetener. Check the ingredients if you want to avoid sweeteners.
Look for a product whose own label states that it contains no sweeteners, and check the ingredients of the flavour you choose. Sanpellegrino describes its S.Pellegrino Essenza range as having no sugars or sweeteners; that does not describe every sparkling drink it makes.
Use it as a drink alongside the food you plan for your break, rather than as the food itself. The British Dietetic Association discusses drinks with lighter food breaks during night shifts, while the British Nutrition Foundation advises avoiding large, heavy meals that can make you feel drowsy.
Choose still water for those breaks instead. A no-added-sugar or sugar-free label does not change the fact that the drink is carbonated; Highland Spring says added carbon dioxide gives its sparkling water its bubbles.