For a TV dinner, choose plain sparkling water if you want an unsweetened drink. If you want flavour without sweeteners, S.Pellegrino describes its Essenza range as containing neither sugars nor sweeteners; a flavoured drink labelled ‘no added sugar’ can still contain sweeteners. Check the ingredients and sugars per 100ml, then choose a bottle size that fits one meal or the number of people sharing it.
If you want something sparkling with dinner, the distinction between plain water, a sugar-free drink and a no-added-sugar drink matters more than the word ‘diet’ on its own. The NHS suggests diet, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks as alternatives to sugary drinks.
A fruit flavour does not tell you whether a drink contains a sweetener. Compare the ingredients of the exact variant if you prefer flavour without sucralose, steviol glycosides or other sweeteners.
A smaller bottle may suit one drink, while a larger bottle or multipack may fit shared and repeat meals. Consider how much you will use after opening as well as how many bottles come in the pack.
Start with the kind of drink you want—plain, flavoured without sweeteners, or sweetened without added sugar—then compare the label and bottle format.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read sugars per 100ml and the ingredients on the exact bottle. Plain sparkling water and flavoured drinks do not necessarily have the same formulation. | I want a sparkling alternative to a sugary fizzy drink with dinner. The NHS suggests swapping sugary drinks for diet, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks. |
| Sweeteners | Check the full ingredients list, not just a ‘sugar-free’ or ‘no added sugar’ claim. Sainsbury’s Lemon & Lime lists sucralose; M&S Lemon & Lime lists steviol glycosides. | If I prefer an unsweetened drink, a low-sugar claim alone will not answer my question about sweeteners. |
| Flavour | Identify the exact range and flavour. According to S.Pellegrino, its Essenza range contains no sugars or sweeteners; that description does not cover every flavoured sparkling water. | I would like fruit flavour with my meal, but I do not want to assume that every flavoured option uses the same ingredients. |
| Bottle format | Compare bottle volume, bottles per pack and the after-opening instructions. The options here include 500ml bottles and 1L bottles in multipacks. | For one dinner, I may prefer a smaller bottle. If we are sharing or having sparkling water at several meals, a larger format may be more practical. |
The claims answer different questions: Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar Lemon & Lime drink lists sucralose, while M&S sugar-free Lemon & Lime lists steviol glycosides.
If avoiding sweeteners matters to you, read the ingredients of the current variant. Plain sparkling water is another option if you do not need fruit flavour.
The instructions for an opened bottle can differ between products, which matters if you plan to drink the remainder at another meal.
Check the label on the bottle you buy for ingredients, nutrition information and what to do after opening.
These references help distinguish plain water from flavoured and sweetened ranges; a brand name alone does not identify the ingredients of every variant.
A plain sparkling spring-water option for a meal without fruit flavour or sweetness.
Its plain sparkling natural mineral water and flavoured Essenza range answer different preferences.
A carbonated mineral-water brand with plain and flavoured variants described on its international site.
Own-label options include plain sparkling mineral water and flavoured no-added-sugar drinks.
Its no-added-sugar Lemon & Lime sparkling drink is a sweetened flavoured option, not plain water.
Its 500ml Lemon & Lime Sparkling Water is a sugar-free flavoured drink with a sweetener.
These packs suit the plain-water route for a TV dinner. Choose between 500ml bottles for individual drinks and 1L bottles for sharing or repeat meals; check each bottle’s label if you need to confirm its ingredients.
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The 500ml bottles offer an individual-sized plain sparkling drink alongside dinner. This pack contains eight bottles; Highland Spring describes its sparkling water as having nothing added but bubbles. Follow the bottle’s instructions after opening.
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Six 500ml bottles provide a smaller-bottle format for individual dinners. This is the plain sparkling natural mineral water, not the separate Essenza flavoured range; check the exact bottle’s ingredients and after-opening instructions.
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Six 1L bottles give you more in each bottle if you are sharing sparkling water or using it across several dinners. The Joybuy product information identifies natural sparkling mineral water; check and follow the instructions for an opened bottle.
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This six-bottle 1L pack is a plain option for sharing or repeat dinners. The Joybuy listing gives natural mineral water and carbon dioxide as ingredients and states 0g sugars per 100ml. Check the bottle for after-opening instructions.
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Eight 500ml bottles offer a smaller-bottle format for individual meals. If avoiding sugars or sweeteners is your deciding factor, check the ingredients and sugars per 100ml on the exact bottle, along with its storage instructions.
Yes, if you want a sparkling drink without sweetness. Highland Spring describes its sparkling water as having nothing added but bubbles, while the San Pellegrino 6x1L listing gives natural mineral water and carbon dioxide as ingredients and 0g sugars per 100ml. Check the label of the bottle you choose.
No. Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar Lemon & Lime drink lists sucralose, and M&S sugar-free Lemon & Lime lists steviol glycosides. Read the ingredients as well as the sugars declaration if sweeteners affect your choice.
Yes. According to S.Pellegrino, its Essenza range contains no sugars or sweeteners. Confirm the exact range and current ingredients rather than applying that description to every flavoured sparkling drink.
Compare the ingredients, sugars per 100ml, bottle volume and instructions for storage after opening. The ingredients tell you whether a flavoured drink contains a sweetener; the sugars figure alone does not answer that question.
Follow the instructions on that bottle. The product information for Sainsbury’s 1L Lemon & Lime and M&S 500ml Lemon & Lime says to refrigerate after opening and consume within 3 days; do not assume the same timeframe applies to other drinks.