For a child’s routine school-day drink, the NHS recommends water or milk. If fizz is the preference, plain sparkling water offers an unflavoured option; a no-added-sugar flavoured drink calls for a closer look at its sugars, juice, acids and sweeteners. A no-added-sugar claim does not mean the drink is sugar-free or unsweetened.
The useful distinction is whether you want plain fizz, fruit flavour or a drink without sweeteners as well as added sugar.
Start with the drink your child will take to school, then check the exact variant rather than relying on a front-of-pack claim. The NHS recommends water and milk for children and advises avoiding sugary fizzy drinks; a flavoured sparkling drink may also contain juice, acids or sweeteners.
Plain sparkling water provides carbonation without choosing a fruit-flavoured formulation. If flavour matters more, compare the sugars line and ingredients on the particular bottle: no-added-sugar drinks do not all use the same ingredients.
Look beyond “no added sugar”. Highland Spring describes its plain sparkling range as having nothing added but bubbles, and S.Pellegrino says its Essenza range contains no sugars or sweeteners. By contrast, the Tesco and Sainsbury’s flavoured examples listed below contain sucralose.
Choose the type of drink first, then check the exact pack for ingredients, nutrition information and a format that works for its intended use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Plain or flavoured | Check whether the bottle is plain carbonated water or a flavoured drink. For a flavoured option, read the full ingredients list rather than assuming it matches plain water. | I want fizz without fruit flavour or sweeteners; plain sparkling water is the route I would look at first. |
| Sugars and sweeteners | Read sugars per 100ml and per serving where shown, then check for juice concentrate and named sweeteners. Tesco lists 0.2g sugars per 100ml and sucralose in its no-added-sugar Apple & Raspberry drink. | Flavour matters to me, but I want to know whether it comes with naturally occurring sugars or a sweetener before choosing a bottle. |
| Frequent sipping | Check whether the drink is fizzy and whether acids are listed. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust notes that sugar-free fizzy drinks can still be acidic and contribute to tooth erosion. | For a drink that may be sipped throughout the school day, I want to consider still water as well as a fizzy option. |
| Bottle format | Compare the stated bottle size and pack quantity with how the drink will be carried or shared. Check the exact pack’s instructions for storage after opening. | A smaller bottle may be easier for me to pack individually; a larger bottle is for sharing at home rather than assuming it will fit a lunchbox. |
| School rules | Check the school’s written drinks policy, particularly for flavoured products. The Department for Education’s April 2026 consultation describes still and carbonated water as permitted under England’s school food standards, but that does not establish a rule for every flavoured drink or packed lunch. | I need to know whether the particular drink fits my school’s arrangements, not just whether its label says “no added sugar”. |
The Tesco Apple & Raspberry example lists 0.2g sugars per 100ml and sucralose. Sainsbury’s Blackcurrant & Cherry also lists sucralose, while M&S Lemon and Lime uses steviol glycosides. These are different from an unsweetened drink.
Read the sugars line and ingredients together. If avoiding sweeteners matters, check for an explicitly unsweetened product rather than relying on the no-added-sugar claim.
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust explains that sugar-free fizzy drinks can still be acidic and contribute to tooth erosion. The absence of sugar does not settle that consideration.
For a drink likely to be sipped repeatedly, keep still water among the options, particularly if dental erosion is a concern.
England’s school food standards address drinks provided at state-funded schools. The Department for Education’s April 2026 consultation describes still and carbonated water as currently permitted, but this does not settle an individual packed-lunch policy or the status of every flavoured product.
Check the school’s written policy before buying drinks for school, and check the relevant nation’s rules where school-provided drinks are concerned.
Ingredients and nutrition information can change when a drink is reformulated. M&S advises customers to check the current product label.
Before choosing a multipack, confirm the current pack’s ingredients, sugars and instructions for storage after opening.
These examples show why a brand name alone cannot tell you whether a particular sparkling drink contains juice or sweeteners.
The manufacturer describes its plain sparkling spring water as having nothing added but bubbles.
Perrier states that its plain carbonated mineral water has no sugar and zero calories.
S.Pellegrino describes Essenza as flavoured sparkling mineral water with no sugars or sweeteners.
Tesco labels its Apple & Raspberry sparkling flavoured water no added sugar; the listed format is 4 × 500ml.
Sainsbury’s lists a no-added-sugar Blackcurrant & Cherry sparkling flavoured water in a 1L bottle.
M&S describes its Lemon and Lime Sparkling Water as sugar-free.
These products represent the plain sparkling-water route for shoppers who want fizz rather than a flavoured school-day drink. Choose the bottle format for how you plan to carry or share it, and check the current pack for the details that matter to you.
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A plain sparkling-water option in eight 500ml bottles for planning individual portions. Check the current pack’s nutrition and storage information when selecting it for school-day use.
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Six 0.5L bottles provide a plain sparkling mineral-water format for individual portions. Check the bottle dimensions against a lunchbox or bag rather than assuming a fit.
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This eight-pack of 500ml bottles offers individual portions of plain sparkling spring water. Highland Spring describes its plain sparkling range as having nothing added but bubbles; check the exact pack for nutrition and storage instructions.
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Six 1L bottles suit pouring plain sparkling water at home. A larger bottle is a different choice from an individual school-day portion; follow the current pack’s instructions after opening.
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This six-pack of 1L bottles is a plain sparkling-water format for sharing rather than carrying as an individual portion. Highland Spring describes its plain sparkling range as having nothing added but bubbles; check the current pack before use.
No. Check the total sugars in the nutrition information as well as the no-added-sugar claim. Tesco lists 0.2g sugars per 100ml and fruit juice concentrate in its no-added-sugar Apple & Raspberry sparkling drink.
Yes. Tesco Apple & Raspberry and Sainsbury’s Blackcurrant & Cherry list sucralose. If you also want to avoid sweeteners, check the ingredients of the exact variant; plain sparkling water and S.Pellegrino Essenza offer different routes to consider.
The NHS recommends water and milk as drinks for children. Plain sparkling water is an option when fizz is wanted, but Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust notes that sugar-free fizzy drinks can still be acidic and contribute to tooth erosion. Consider how often the drink will be sipped when choosing between sparkling and still water.
For drinks provided at state-funded schools in England, the Department for Education’s April 2026 consultation describes still and carbonated water as permitted under the current school food standards. That does not establish that every flavoured or sweetened sparkling drink qualifies, or determine a school’s packed-lunch policy. Check the school’s policy and the rules relevant to its UK nation.