For a picnic drink with fizz and a straightforward ingredient list, choose plain sparkling water and check the label for the exact bottle. If you prefer flavour, compare sugar and energy for the amount you expect to drink, as well as any juice or sweeteners: “no added sugar” does not mean zero total sugar.
If you still want fizz with lunch, plain sparkling water offers an unflavoured option. A flavoured drink may suit your taste better, but check its sugar, energy and ingredients rather than relying on the wording on the front.
If juice, sweeteners or flavourings affect your choice, read the ingredient list for the particular drink. Products described as sparkling water can have different formulations.
Individual bottles let people open their drinks when they are ready. When packing for children, consider whether they will drink a plain sparkling option before choosing a whole multipack.
Check the formulation and the amount you expect to drink before deciding whether individual bottles or a sharing bottle fits the picnic.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar and energy | Compare sugars and energy per 100ml and for the amount you expect to drink. Check total sugars even when the pack says “no added sugar”. | I want a fizzy drink without overlooking what is in the whole bottle. Tesco lists 1.0g sugars and 8 kcal per 500ml bottle for its No Added Sugar Apple & Raspberry sparkling flavoured water. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredient list for juice, sweeteners, acids and flavourings. Distinguish plain sparkling water from flavoured sparkling drinks. | Flavour appeals to me, but I want to know how it is made. Tesco lists juice concentrate and sucralose in its Apple & Raspberry drink; M&S lists a sweetener in its Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water. |
| Portions | Check the number and size of bottles. Decide whether people need separate drinks or will share an opened bottle. | For separate lunch packs, I would choose bottles people can open individually. For a group sharing drinks, a larger bottle may be more convenient if we bring cups. |
A flavoured drink can contain juice, sweeteners or other ingredients that are not part of a plain water-and-carbon-dioxide formulation.
Start with the ingredient list, then use the nutrition panel to compare the exact flavour you are considering.
A bottle may contain several 100ml portions. The amount you drink matters when comparing its sugar and energy figures.
Check the bottle size and compare the figures for the quantity you expect to finish.
A drink with no added sugar may still list total sugars. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Apple & Raspberry sparkling flavoured water contains fruit juice and lists 1.0g sugars per 500ml bottle.
Check total sugars and ingredients on the exact pack, even if its front label highlights added sugar.
One opened bottle has to be passed around, while individual bottles can stay closed until each person wants a drink. An opened sparkling bottle can also lose fizz.
Match bottle size to how the group will serve the drinks, and follow the pack’s storage instructions after opening.
Brand names alone do not tell you whether a drink is plain or flavoured; check the particular product and pack.
Highland Spring describes its plain sparkling spring water as water with bubbles added.
Plain sparkling mineral water and Sanpellegrino’s flavoured Zero drinks are different products.
Perrier is a plain sparkling natural mineral-water option; Tesco describes its 1L product as mineral water with gas from the spring.
Tesco’s own-label Apple & Raspberry sparkling flavoured water is labelled no added sugar.
M&S offers a sugar-free Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water alongside plain sparkling-water options.
These Joybuy options are plain sparkling waters in individual-bottle multipacks or larger bottles for sharing. For a flavoured, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drink, compare that product’s own label instead.
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Six 500ml bottles allow for separate picnic drinks. Joybuy lists natural mineral water and carbon dioxide as the ingredients, with 0g sugars and 0 kcal per 100ml for this pack. Check the pack if you want its nutrition figures presented per bottle.
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Eight 500ml bottles provide separate portions for a picnic. Check the exact pack label for the ingredient list and nutrition figures when comparing it with a flavoured drink.
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Six 1L bottles are a sharing format for a group picnic; bring cups if people will drink from the same opened bottle. Check this pack’s label for its ingredients, nutrition figures and after-opening instructions.
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Eight 500ml bottles suit separate picnic portions. Highland Spring describes its plain sparkling-water range as water with bubbles added; check the exact pack label for nutrition figures if you are comparing drinks numerically.
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Six 1L bottles offer a sharing format rather than separate lunch portions. If sugar or energy figures are part of your comparison, read them on this pack’s label; follow its instructions after opening.
Yes. The NHS suggests sparkling water as an option for people who do not like the taste of plain water. To distinguish it from a flavoured drink, check the ingredients of the bottle you are buying.
No. Added-sugar wording does not tell you the total sugar figure. Check the nutrition panel and ingredients: Tesco’s No Added Sugar Apple & Raspberry sparkling flavoured water contains fruit juice and lists 1.0g sugars per 500ml bottle.
Compare the ingredients and the sugar and energy figures for the amount you expect to drink. The per-100ml panel helps compare products, while the bottle size shows how much you may consume at the picnic.
Choose individual bottles if people need separate drinks; consider a larger bottle when the group plans to share and has cups. Keep the bottle closed until it is needed and follow its after-opening storage instructions.