For a child’s regular lunch drink, choose still water or milk: the NHS recommends these for children and advises avoiding sugary fizzy drinks. If you want sparkling water alongside a family lunch, check whether it is plain or flavoured, read the ingredients and sugars information, and choose a bottle size you can use conveniently. Fizz is a separate consideration from sugar, particularly if a child has dental concerns.
Keep the child’s regular drink in mind when choosing something fizzy for a holiday lunch. NHS guidance recommends water or milk for children and advises avoiding sugary fizzy drinks; ingredients and sugars information help distinguish plain water from fruit-based drinks.
Individual bottles are easier to hand out on an outing, while larger bottles can be shared at a family table. Check how you will carry, reseal and store any bottle left open.
Plain sparkling water and flavoured sparkling drinks are different purchases. If avoiding sugars or sweeteners matters to you, check the current label rather than relying on fruit imagery or a “no added sugar” claim.
Decide who will drink it, check what is in the bottle, then choose a format that fits the lunch.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Children’s drinks | The NHS recommends water or milk for children and advises avoiding sugary fizzy drinks. NHS oral-health guidance also cautions that many fizzy drinks, including sugar-free ones, can be acidic. | For a child’s regular lunch drink, I’ll offer still water or milk. If I also serve fizz, I’ll consider how often and ask a dental professional about any specific concerns. |
| Ingredients and sugars | Read the ingredients and the sugars value, paying attention to the unit shown. “No added sugar” does not mean sugar-free: a Marks & Spencer fruit-based sparkling drink lists 7.3g sugars per 100g. | I want to know whether I’m buying plain sparkling water, a flavoured water or a fruit-based fizzy drink—not assume they contain the same ingredients. |
| Bottle format | Compare the number and size of bottles with the people drinking them. Check the pack’s instructions for storing an opened bottle. | For an outing, I may prefer a bottle for each person; at home, I may want one larger bottle to share. |
| Small parts | Read bottle warnings and keep loose caps away from small children. Sainsbury’s specifically warns that the cap on its 12x500ml sparkling spring water can be a choking hazard. | With younger children at lunch, I need to manage the caps as well as the drinks. |
A fruit-based or flavoured fizzy drink may have different ingredients and sugars information from plain sparkling water.
Read the ingredients and nutrition panel when the distinction matters to your lunch choice.
Fruit ingredients can contribute sugars without sugar being added. A Marks & Spencer fruit-based sparkling drink labelled “no added sugar” lists 7.3g sugars per 100g.
Check both the sugars value and the ingredients, including juice or purée.
The NHS recommends water or milk for children and advises avoiding sugary fizzy drinks. NHS oral-health guidance notes that many fizzy drinks can be acidic even when they are sugar-free.
Offer still water or milk as the regular choice, and seek individual dental advice if frequent fizzy drinks or tooth wear are a concern.
Opened-bottle instructions differ by product. Sainsbury’s tells buyers of its 12x500ml sparkling spring water to refrigerate it after opening and use it within three days; its cap also carries a warning for small children.
Check the instructions on your chosen bottle and keep loose caps away from young children.
These examples show why the exact drink and pack label matter more than the name on the front.
The brand lists plain sparkling spring water in 500ml and 1.5L bottles and a 6x1L multipack, covering individual and sharing formats.
The brand offers sparkling natural mineral water and a separate Essenza flavoured range.
Its British bottled sparkling spring water comes in a 12x500ml multipack for individual portions.
M&S lists a 750ml Collection Sparkling Natural Mineral Water as well as separate fruit-based fizzy drinks.
These plain sparkling-water packs offer individual 500ml bottles or larger 1L bottles for sharing at a holiday lunch. They do not replace the choice of still water or milk as a child’s regular drink.
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Eight individual 500ml bottles offer a separate serving for each person on an outing. For children, keep NHS advice on regular drinks and fizzy drinks in mind.
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Six 0.5L bottles suit lunches where each person needs an individual bottle. Check the current pack for opened-bottle handling if any is left unfinished.
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Six 1L bottles provide a sharing format for meals at home. Plan how you will store a bottle once opened, and check its label for the instructions.
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Six 1L bottles fit a shared family lunch rather than a single packed portion. Read the current pack’s storage instructions before opening a bottle you may not finish.
Offer still water or milk as the regular choice: the NHS recommends these for children and advises avoiding sugary fizzy drinks. NHS oral-health guidance also cautions that many fizzy drinks can be acidic, including sugar-free ones, so seek individual dental advice if frequent fizz or tooth wear is a concern.
No. Check the sugars value and ingredients: an M&S fruit-based sparkling drink labelled “no added sugar” lists 7.3g sugars per 100g and contains apple juice from concentrate.
Read the ingredients rather than relying on the front label. Sainsbury’s lists spring water and carbon dioxide for its plain 12x500ml sparkling spring water; check other products individually for juice, flavourings or sweeteners.
A 500ml bottle provides an individual portion for an outing, while 1L or 1.5L bottles can be shared at a family meal. If you expect leftovers, check the chosen product’s instructions for storing it after opening.