Choose plain sparkling water if you want fizz without sweetness, or an unsweetened flavoured variety if you want flavour without sugar or sweeteners. A no-added-sugar flavoured drink containing sweeteners is a different choice when a sweeter taste matters. Check juice-based drinks’ nutrition labels: no added sugar does not necessarily mean no sugar.
If sweetness is important with your afternoon snack, compare no-added-sugar flavoured drinks that contain sweeteners. Tesco and Sainsbury’s list examples, but they are not the same choice as unsweetened sparkling water.
Plain sparkling water suits a preference for bubbles without a sweet taste. Perrier and Highland Spring describe plain options; S.Pellegrino describes its Essenza flavoured range as containing no sugars or sweeteners.
A juice-containing sparkling drink may appeal if you want a more pronounced fruit flavour. Sanpellegrino says its Zero Added Sugar range contains naturally occurring sugar, so compare the sugar figure on the nutrition label rather than treating it as sugar-free.
Choose it when: You want bubbles without a sweet or fruit-flavoured drink.
Bear in mind: It will not provide the sweet taste you may want when replacing a fizzy soft drink.
Choose it when: You want flavour but prefer to avoid both sugars and sweeteners; S.Pellegrino describes Essenza this way.
Bear in mind: Check the exact range and flavour, as a brand’s juice-based drinks may have different ingredients.
Choose it when: A sweeter taste matters more to you than avoiding sweeteners.
Bear in mind: Tesco and Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar flavoured-water examples declare sweeteners, unlike plain water or S.Pellegrino Essenza.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar | Check for a no-added-sugar claim or choose plain sparkling water. Do not treat a lower-sugar claim as the same thing. | I want a fizzy drink with my snack without choosing one with added sugar. |
| Total sugar and juice | For juice-containing drinks, read the sugars figure per 100ml and the container size. Sanpellegrino says its Zero Added Sugar range contains naturally occurring sugar. | A fruitier drink appeals to me, but I want to know how much sugar is in the amount I will drink. |
| Sweeteners | Read the ingredient list, not just the front label. Tesco and Sainsbury’s list sweeteners in their cited no-added-sugar flavoured waters; S.Pellegrino describes Essenza as having none. | I may welcome a sweet taste, or I may prefer flavour without sweeteners. |
| Bottle format | Check the bottle volume and number in the pack against where you will drink it. The Joybuy options below include 500ml bottles and 1L bottles. | A smaller bottle would suit an individual snack break; a larger bottle may suit drinks poured at home. |
A juice-containing sparkling drink can have no added sugar and still contain naturally occurring sugar. Sanpellegrino explicitly makes this distinction for its Zero Added Sugar range.
If you want no sugars, look for that specific statement on the drink. Otherwise, compare the sugars figure per 100ml and the amount in the container.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s describe their cited no-added-sugar flavoured waters as containing sweeteners. That matters if you want an unsweetened drink rather than simply one with no added sugar.
Check the ingredients of the exact flavour. Plain sparkling water and S.Pellegrino’s Essenza range offer different routes for avoiding sweeteners.
Its plain sparkling mineral water and Essenza flavoured range are distinct choices.
An example of plain sparkling mineral water for shoppers who do not want a sweet flavour.
A plain sparkling spring-water option shown in both 500ml-bottle and 1L-bottle packs.
Its cited own-label sparkling waters include Apple & Raspberry and Lemon & Lime flavours.
Its cited own-label flavoured sparkling waters include Apple & Elderflower, Blackcurrant & Cherry, and Mango & Passionfruit.
Its cited sparkling-drink examples include juice-led and diet-style flavours.
These options mainly cover plain sparkling water in different bottle sizes, alongside one peach-flavoured fizzy drink to check separately if you want a sweeter-tasting option.
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A plain sparkling-water option if you want fizz rather than a fruit-flavoured drink with your snack. The pack contains six 1L bottles.
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A plain sparkling option in eight 500ml bottles if you prefer a smaller bottle for an individual snack break. Choose a flavoured drink instead if plain fizz is not what you want.
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A peach-flavoured 500ml option to consider if you want something other than plain sparkling water. Before choosing it for a no-added-sugar snack drink, check the pack’s drink description, ingredients and sugars figure; “Zero” in the name does not settle those details.
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Plain sparkling spring water for a snack-time drink without a sweet flavour. This pack has eight 500ml bottles; Highland Spring describes its sparkling water as spring water with bubbles added.
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The plain Highland Spring route in six 1L bottles if you would rather pour a drink at home than open a 500ml bottle. It is not a fruit-flavoured option.
No. It does not rule out naturally occurring sugar: Sanpellegrino says its Zero Added Sugar drinks contain it. If the drink contains juice, check the sugars figure on the nutrition label.
Choose plain sparkling water or check that the exact flavoured product states it has no sweeteners. S.Pellegrino describes Essenza that way, whereas the cited Tesco and Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar flavoured waters declare sweeteners.
Yes, if bubbles without sweetness suit your snack. NHS guidance advises drinking regularly throughout the day and identifies water as a way to replace fluids; choose the bottle size that fits how you plan to drink it.
Check the juice ingredients, sugars figure and amount you intend to drink, rather than relying on “no added sugar” alone. NHS guidance advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to one small 150ml glass a day with a meal because they are high in sugar; a sparkling drink’s juice content makes its label particularly relevant.