Workers choosing a zero-sugar lunch drink
If you want an energy drink with your packed lunch, check sugar and caffeine separately. Red Bull Sugarfree and Monster Ultra are both zero-sugar options, but their stated full-can caffeine amounts differ.
Who is this choice for?
Workers who also drink coffee or tea
A lunchtime can adds to caffeine from drinks and other sources throughout the day. Compare its full-can amount with what else you expect to consume.
People who want to avoid caffeine
A zero-sugar energy drink is not necessarily caffeine-free. If avoiding caffeine is the priority, check for an explicit caffeine-free claim on the particular drink.
What should you check?
Start with the exact can you plan to pack, then consider the rest of your workday’s drinks.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | Read the sugar declaration for the exact variant and can size. Check ingredients if the choice of sweeteners matters to you. | I want a zero-sugar drink, but I do not want to mistake that claim for caffeine-free. |
| Full-can caffeine | Compare caffeine in mg for the whole can, not just per 100 ml. Red Bull states 80 mg per 250 ml Sugarfree can; Monster Energy states 150 mg per 500 ml Ultra can. | A smaller can may fit my lunch better if I am also having coffee or tea during the day. |
| Caffeine avoidance | Look for both zero-sugar and caffeine-free claims if you need both. The NHS advises no more than 200 mg caffeine a day during pregnancy, counting all sources. | If I want no caffeine with lunch, I would choose a clearly labelled caffeine-free soft drink rather than assume a zero-sugar energy drink has none. |
| Serving size | Check whether the container is 250 ml, 330 ml or 500 ml and whether the nutrition and caffeine figures refer to the whole container or to 100 ml. | I want to compare the amount I would actually drink with lunch, not two figures based on different serving sizes. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading ‘zero sugar’ as ‘low caffeine’
Monster Energy states that its 500 ml Ultra can has 0 g sugar and 150 mg caffeine. The sugar claim does not describe its caffeine content.
Read caffeine in mg for the full can and include other caffeine you expect to have that day.
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Comparing figures without checking can size
A per-100-ml figure alone does not tell you how much caffeine you will consume if you drink the whole can.
Check the container size and calculate or read the full-can amount before comparing a 250 ml can with a 500 ml can.
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Choosing an energy drink when you want to avoid caffeine
Sugar-free energy drinks can still contain caffeine. During pregnancy, the NHS advises keeping caffeine from all sources to no more than 200 mg a day.
If you want to avoid caffeine altogether, select a drink explicitly labelled caffeine-free as well as zero-sugar, if both claims matter to you.
Brand and retailer references
Check the individual range and variant: a brand name alone does not establish sugar or caffeine content.
Red Bull
Red Bull Sugarfree is a zero-sugar energy-drink line that includes a 250 ml can.
- Red Bull states that the 250 ml Sugarfree can contains 80 mg caffeine and uses sucralose and acesulfame K in place of sugars.
- Sugarfree does not mean caffeine-free.
Monster
Monster Energy identifies Ultra as a zero-sugar energy drink sold in a 500 ml can.
- Monster Energy states 0 g sugar and 150 mg caffeine per 500 ml Ultra can.
- The full Ultra can contains more caffeine than the cited 250 ml Red Bull Sugarfree can, according to the brands’ stated figures.
Lucozade
Lucozade Alert and Lucozade Zero Sugar are different ranges; check the particular drink rather than relying on the brand name.
- Lucozade describes Alert as a high-caffeine drink containing vitamin B3.
- A Zero Sugar soft drink should not be treated as a caffeine-containing energy drink without checking its label.
Relentless
Relentless is an energy-drink brand; its retailer list includes Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
- Relentless warns that its drinks are not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, or pregnant or nursing women. Check the exact variant’s sugar and caffeine label before choosing it for lunch.
Tesco
Tesco is a retailer, not an energy-drink manufacturer. Its sugar-free energy-and-stimulant-drink category lists products from several brands.
- The category includes Red Bull and Monster zero-sugar lines.
- A product’s category placement does not establish its caffeine content; check the individual product label.
Joybuy drinks for a packed lunch
These options include zero-sugar energy drinks in 250 ml and 500 ml cans, plus a zero-sugar soft drink for a caffeine-free lunch.
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Monster Energy Ultra Zero Sugar, 4 × 500 ml
A larger-can zero-sugar energy-drink option for lunch. Monster Energy states 0 g sugar and 150 mg caffeine per 500 ml Ultra can; include the full can in your day’s caffeine total.
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Red Bull Sugarfree Energy Drink, 250 ml 4-pack
A 250 ml zero-sugar can if you prefer that serving size with lunch. Red Bull states 80 mg caffeine per can; it is not a caffeine-free drink.
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7UP Zero, 330 ml 24-pack
A non-energy soft drink for a packed lunch when you want to avoid caffeine. The listing identifies 330 ml cans and states zero sugar and zero caffeine; check the ingredients if phenylalanine is relevant to you.
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Red Bull Zero, 4 × 250 ml
A zero-sugar energy drink in 250 ml cans. Check this Zero variant’s full-can caffeine declaration before adding it to your day’s intake; do not substitute the figure for Red Bull Sugarfree.
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Monster Energy Original Green Zero Sugar, 4 × 500 ml
A zero-sugar energy drink in 500 ml cans. Check the caffeine amount for this Original Green Zero Sugar variant on the can before comparing it with Monster Ultra or other lunch drinks.
Frequently asked questions
Does a zero-sugar energy drink contain caffeine?
It can. Red Bull states that its 250 ml Sugarfree can contains 80 mg caffeine, while Monster Energy states that its 500 ml Ultra can contains 150 mg caffeine and 0 g sugar. Check the caffeine amount for the exact variant and can size.
How do I compare two drinks for an office packed lunch?
Compare sugar and caffeine for the amount you would drink, then consider caffeine from coffee, tea and other sources that day. The European Food Safety Authority’s 2015 assessment found that up to 400 mg caffeine a day from all sources does not raise safety concerns for healthy adults in the general population, excluding pregnant women; it is not an individual recommendation.
What should I consider about caffeine during pregnancy?
The NHS advises no more than 200 mg caffeine a day during pregnancy. That total includes caffeine from energy drinks, coffee, tea, cola and other sources, so check the full-can amount or choose a clearly labelled caffeine-free drink if you want to avoid caffeine at lunch.
Which label details matter before I pack a can?
Check the exact variant, container size, ingredients, nutrition information and caffeine declaration. UK government food-labelling guidance requires a high-caffeine warning on drinks containing more than 150 mg caffeine per litre; read that warning alongside the amount you expect to drink.