For a picnic lunch, choose plain sparkling water if you want to avoid both sugar and sweeteners. If you want fruit flavour, check whether a flavoured water uses sweeteners or a juice-based drink contains naturally occurring sugars: “no added sugar” does not make those options interchangeable. Then choose between individual bottles or cans and a larger bottle for sharing.
Plain sparkling mineral or spring water keeps the ingredient choice simple. For a picnic, decide whether everyone needs their own bottle or whether a larger bottle can be shared. Perrier describes its plain mineral water as containing no sugar; check the label of the pack you choose.
A no-added-sugar flavoured water may contain sweeteners. Tesco’s Apple & Raspberry and Lemon & Lime examples list sucralose, so read the ingredients if a particular sweetener affects your choice.
A juice-based sparkling drink offers a different choice from plain water or sweetened flavoured water. M&S Apple & Elderflower is labelled no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners, but its nutrition information lists 6.6g sugars per 100g.
Start with the sugar and ingredient information, then match the pack to how you will serve drinks at the picnic.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read the “of which sugars” figure and its per-100ml or per-100g basis. Do not treat “no added sugar” as a statement that the drink contains no sugar: M&S Apple & Elderflower lists 6.6g sugars per 100g. | I want to know how much sugar is in the drink, including sugar from juice, rather than choose by the front-of-pack claim alone. |
| Sweeteners | Check the ingredient list for named sweeteners. Tesco’s no-added-sugar Apple & Raspberry and Lemon & Lime waters list sucralose; Waitrose’s San Pellegrino Essenza Cherry & Pomegranate listing says no sweetener. | Fruit flavour appeals to me, but whether the drink contains sweeteners changes which type I would pick. |
| Serving format | Compare the number and size of containers with your serving plan. Examples include 330ml cans, 500ml bottles and a 1.32L sharing bottle. | Does each person need an individual drink, or can we bring cups and share a larger bottle? |
| Outdoor storage | Follow the directions on the chosen pack. The Waitrose listing for San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water specifies a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and freezing temperatures. | I need a practical place to keep the drinks during the journey and lunch, especially if a bottle will be opened and kept for later. |
A juice-based drink can carry a no-added-sugar claim while still listing sugars. M&S Apple & Elderflower, for example, declares 6.6g sugars per 100g.
If the amount of sugar matters to your choice, check the nutrition panel rather than relying on the claim alone.
Flavour and sweetener content are separate questions. Tesco’s no-added-sugar Apple & Raspberry and Lemon & Lime examples both list sucralose.
Read the ingredients of the particular flavour and pack you plan to buy. Plain sparkling water is another option if you want to avoid flavoured-water ingredients.
A 1.32L bottle calls for a different serving plan from a pack of 330ml cans or 500ml bottles.
Count the people who need a drink and decide whether to take individual containers or bring cups for a shared bottle.
The pack is the practical reference for the drink you will serve, particularly when someone needs to check an ingredient.
Check its ingredients, nutrition information, best-before date and storage directions before the picnic.
These examples show how the plain-water, flavoured-water and juice-based choices differ; check the specific product rather than assuming every drink from a brand has the same ingredients.
The plain sparkling mineral water and Essenza Cherry & Pomegranate cans illustrate two distinct choices within the brand.
Perrier’s plain carbonated mineral water is a reference point for choosing an unflavoured drink with lunch.
Plain sparkling-water multipacks provide an individual-bottle option alongside larger bottles for sharing.
Its Apple & Raspberry and Lemon & Lime examples are no-added-sugar flavoured sparkling-water drinks in 4 x 500ml packs.
The Apple & Elderflower juice-based sparkling drink offers a sharing-bottle route for people who prefer fruit flavour without artificial sweeteners.
These plain sparkling mineral and spring waters suit the unflavoured route. The 500ml bottles are individual portions; the 1L bottles call for a sharing plan.
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Six 500ml bottles provide individual drinks for a picnic lunch.
The Joybuy product information lists natural mineral water and carbon dioxide as ingredients and 0g sugars per 100ml. Follow the storage directions on the pack.
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This eight-bottle pack gives each person a separate 500ml drink without needing cups for a shared bottle.
Check the current pack label if its ingredients or nutrition information are important to your choice.
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Eight 500ml bottles offer individual portions of plain sparkling spring water for lunch outdoors.
The Joybuy product information lists naturally sourced water as the ingredient. Check the current pack’s nutrition information if you need a product-specific sugars figure.
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The six 1L bottles suit a picnic where people can share, rather than each needing a sealed individual serving.
Plan for cups and check the pack’s directions for storing an opened bottle.
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This six-bottle 1L pack is a plain sparkling-water option when sharing drinks at the picnic is practical.
Bring cups if needed, and check the current pack’s nutrition information and storage directions.
No. A no-added-sugar juice drink can still contain sugars from its ingredients. M&S Apple & Elderflower, for example, lists 6.6g sugars per 100g, so read the nutrition panel if the amount matters to you.
Yes. Tesco’s no-added-sugar Apple & Raspberry and Lemon & Lime sparkling waters both list sucralose. Check the ingredient list of the flavour you intend to take.
Plain sparkling mineral or spring water is the simplest route to check. If you prefer flavour, look for a product whose own label confirms both requirements; Waitrose describes San Pellegrino Essenza Cherry & Pomegranate cans as having no sugar and no sweetener.
Follow the directions on your pack. The Waitrose listing for San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water specifies a clean, cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and freezing temperatures; check the instructions for any bottle you open and keep for later.