We all love cracking open a cold soft drink as a tasty treat now and then. But why is it so hard to find one that’s healthy? Many drinks on the market are packed full of sugar and preservatives, making it hard to incorporate them into a balanced diet. 

Here at DASH, we’re passionate about the no sugar, no sweetener, no calorie drinks we sell. All of our sparkling water is made with just three simple ingredients; water, bubbles and wonky fruit. That way, there are no nasty flavourings or preservatives! 

To help you understand more about sugar free drinks and spot those that are healthier, we’ve answered some of your most-asked questions and have put together a list of the best sugar free drinks. 

Are sugar free drinks bad for you?

Sugar free drinks are a lot better for you than full fat, but that doesn’t always mean they’re healthy. Many sugar free drinks are substituted with sweetener which may contribute to increased appetite (NHS), while additives might not be too good for your gut (National Library of Medicine). For a healthier option, try to look out for sugar and sweetener free drinks with simple ingredients you recognise. 

The Best Sugar Free Drinks 

For help choosing a sugar and sweetener free drink, browse our list of healthier soft drinks: 

1. DASH Water 

Healthy, sugar free fizzy drinks are hard to come by. But that’s where we come in! We use natural, simple ingredients in all of our water so you know exactly what you’re getting. Try some of our best sellers like lemon sparkling water, peach sparkling water and raspberry sparkling water. 

2. Tea and Coffee 

A staple in everyone’s cupboard, a good old cuppa is a sugar free, low calorie drink that always feels like a treat. However, while caffeine is completely safe and easily incorporated into a balanced diet, it is, of course, not the best drink to have later in the day.

Green teas and flavoured teas are a great option because, not only are they sugar free, they have lots of additional health benefits as they’ve been found to boost immune systems and fight off inflammation (National Library of Medicine).

3. Fruit Water 

Water: The healthiest, most sugar free drink of them all. If you’d prefer to spruce up your water, add slices of fresh fruit such as apple, orange, lemon, lime or cucumber. Not only will this help you up your water intake, the fresh fruit will provide antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. 

4. Milk 

An ice cold glass of milk is a delicious sugar-free drink and is a great source of vitamins and minerals. It’s packed full of calcium, B12 and potassium so you’re left feeling nourished and refreshed. 

What drinks are low in sugar?

As long as your sugar intake does not make up more than 5% of your total daily calories, it’s fine to consume sugar on occasion (NHS). Especially if the drink has other nutritional benefits. Here are some healthier soft drinks that contain very small amounts of sugar:

1. Coconut water

Natural, unsweetened coconut water is a tasty, healthy drink with a small amount of natural occurring sugar. It’s a good source of vitamins, filled with potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium, and may have antioxidant properties (BBC). 

2. Kombucha

Sugar is a key ingredient in Kombucha’s fermentation process because it’s what the cultures consume to make the drink. By the time it’s fermented, there’s only a tiny amount of sugar left, just a fraction of what you’d find in fruit juice. 

3. Fruit Juice

Sugar found in fresh fruit juice isn’t as good for you as the sugar in whole fruit, because it detaches from the fibre and becomes a ‘free sugar’. However, there are still plenty of other nutritional benefits to make it worthwhile and it’s still one of your five a day. Just try to limit yourself to one small glass a day (NHS). 

What alcohol drinks are sugar free?

Pure alcohol drinks such as vodka, tequila, whisky, rum and gin are all sugar free. In alcoholic drinks, it’s usually the mixers that have the highest sugar content, so be sure to keep an eye out. 

Pairing your spirit with sparkling water is the best sugar free alcohol drink. DASH’s infused sparkling water is especially tasty because it’s naturally flavoured with real, wonky fruit, with no sugar, sweetener or calories. 

Read our story to find out more about DASH Water’s simple, sugar-free production process or shop your sugar free drinks today. You can also keep browsing our blog to find everything from healthy sugar swaps to easy mocktail recipes.