Parents packing lunch for pupils aged 11 and over
Check the school's packed-lunch policy and the sugar in the amount the pupil will drink. The NHS gives a maximum recommended daily sugar limit of 30g for children aged 11 and over.
Who is choosing the drink?
Shoppers looking specifically for cordial
Check the product category before choosing a pack format. Tesco and Sainsbury's list bottled cordial or squash separately from ready-to-drink canned J2O.
Families considering a different lunch drink
If cordial flavour or cans are not essential, the NHS suggests water or no-added-sugar juice drinks as alternatives to juice pouches and fizzy drinks.
What should you check before buying?
Bottled cordial or squash
Choose when: You want a cordial or squash drink and can prepare it for a reusable bottle.
Bear in mind: It needs diluting and packing; a bottle of concentrate is not a multipack of ready-to-drink cans.
Ready-to-drink cans
Choose when: Individual cans matter more than buying cordial, and the school permits the drink.
Bear in mind: Tesco and Sainsbury's list J2O canned multipacks as ready-to-drink soft drinks, not bottled cordial.
Water or a no-added-sugar drink
Choose when: You want to follow the NHS lunchbox suggestion to replace juice pouches or fizzy drinks.
Bear in mind: This may not meet a preference for cordial flavour or a canned drink.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar per drink | Read the label's sugar figure for one can or a prepared serving of squash. Check the serving size before comparing figures. | I want to know how much sugar the lunch drink contributes. The NHS gives a maximum recommended daily limit of 30g for children aged 11 and over. |
| Drink format | Check whether the name says cordial, squash or ready-to-drink soft drink; then confirm the bottle volume or can count and size. | If cordial is the point, I can prepare it in a bottle. If I need a sealed portion for each lunch, I'll check ready-to-drink options without assuming they are cordial. |
| School policy | Read the school's current packed-lunch policy and identify whether the drink is still, fizzy, concentrated or ready to drink. | Before buying several drinks, I want to check that this particular one can go in the pupil's packed lunch. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming fruit-flavoured cans are cordial
Tesco and Sainsbury's list J2O canned multipacks separately from bottled cordial and squash. A can can meet a need for an individual portion without being the drink category you intended to buy.
Read the product name and category first. If you want cordial or squash, plan how you will dilute and pack it; if you want cans, compare them as ready-to-drink drinks.
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Treating a supermarket listing as school approval
The Department for Education's school food guidance for England concerns food and drink provided in state-funded schools. It does not establish whether a particular drink is accepted in a pupil's packed lunch.
Check the individual school's current packed-lunch policy before choosing a canned, sugary or fizzy drink.
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Comparing a squash bottle with a single can as though both were servings
Squash is prepared before drinking, whereas a ready-to-drink can is an individual drink. Bottle volume and can volume therefore describe different things when you assess what the pupil will consume.
Use the label's instructions to identify a prepared serving of squash, then compare its sugar figure with the figure for the amount consumed from a can.
Brands and drink formats
Robinsons
Tesco lists Robinsons bottled fruit cordial and squash products.
- An option to examine when choosing squash or cordial to prepare at home.
- Check the exact variant's label and plan for dilution rather than assuming it comes in cans.
Belvoir
Tesco lists Belvoir Elderflower Cordial in a 500ml bottle.
- A bottled cordial option if that drink format and flavour suit the lunch plan.
- A bottle of cordial needs preparing; it is not an individual ready-to-drink can.
Bottlegreen
Tesco lists Bottlegreen Elderflower Cordial in a 50cl bottle.
- A bottled cordial to compare by flavour and preparation instructions.
- Check the specific product if a multipack of individual drinks is essential.
J2O
Tesco and Sainsbury's list J2O ready-to-drink cans in multipacks, including 250ml cans.
- An individually portioned format to consider when a ready-to-drink option is wanted.
- Do not treat the canned soft drink as cordial; check its label and the school's policy.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label no-added-sugar squash, including quadruple-strength lemon squash in a 1.5L bottle.
- A bottled squash format to consider if you are willing to prepare the drink.
- Check the variant's dilution instructions rather than treating the bottle as ready to drink.
Joybuy options by drink format
These options cover a ready-to-drink canned fruit blend and a bottled squash to prepare at home. Check the school's packed-lunch policy before choosing either drink.
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J2O Apple & Raspberry Fruit Blend Cans 4x250ml
Four 250ml cans suit a choice of individually portioned, ready-to-drink fruit blend rather than cordial. Check the label's sugar figure for one can and the school's packed-lunch policy.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
This 1L squash suits a prepared drink rather than an individual canned portion. Dilute it as directed, pack it in a suitable bottle and check the current ingredient label and school policy.
Questions about packed-lunch drinks
Are canned drink multipacks the same as bottled cordial or squash?
No. Tesco and Sainsbury's list J2O canned multipacks as ready-to-drink drinks, separately from bottled cordial and squash. Check the product name and category if cordial is what you intend to buy.
Does England's school food guidance settle what can go in a packed lunch?
No. The Department for Education's guidance on school food in England concerns food and drink provided in state-funded schools. For a drink brought from home, check the individual school's current packed-lunch policy.
How should I compare sugar in a can and prepared squash?
Use the label's sugar figure for the amount actually consumed: one can or a prepared serving of diluted squash. The NHS gives a maximum recommended daily sugar limit of 30g for children aged 11 and over.
What alternatives does NHS lunchbox guidance suggest?
The NHS suggests water with berries and chopped fruit, or no-added-sugar juice drinks, in place of juice pouches and fizzy drinks. Check the chosen drink against the school's packed-lunch policy.