For a regular after-school flavoured drink, start by comparing no-added-sugar squash or cordial using the sugars figure for the drink as prepared. A standard sugar-sweetened cordial is a different choice if flavour takes priority, but its concentrate nutrition cannot be compared directly with diluted-drink figures. Check the mixing instructions, sweeteners, allergens and storage directions on the particular bottle: no added sugar does not necessarily mean zero sugar.
The useful starting point is the drink you intend to serve, rather than the wording on the front of the concentrate bottle.
If you want a flavoured option while paying attention to free sugars, compare the sugars in a prepared serving and measure the concentrate according to its label. The NHS identifies snacks and sugary drinks as contributors to children's sugar intake.
A no-added-sugar claim does not establish that the finished drink contains zero sugar. Fruit ingredients and different mixing ratios make the diluted nutrition figure especially useful when comparing bottles.
Sweeteners and ingredients such as sulphites or barley vary between products. If a child has an allergy, intolerance or medically directed diet, check the exact pack rather than assuming that a familiar brand or flavour has the same recipe.
Decide whether the drink is intended for regular use or an occasional flavour-led choice, then compare the prepared serving, ingredients and bottle instructions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars in the glass | Look for sugars per 100ml or per serving after dilution. Follow the stated concentrate-to-water ratio; do not compare an undiluted figure directly with a prepared-drink figure. | For a regular after-school drink, I want to know how much sugar is in the glass I actually pour, not just whether the bottle says no added sugar. |
| Recipe and claim | Check whether sugar, fruit juice and sweeteners appear in the ingredients. Waitrose & Partners lists 0.4g sugars per 100ml diluted for Belvoir Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar and 1.1g for its Cherries & Berries cordial, both at 1:6 dilution. | I might choose a fruit-flavoured no-added-sugar cordial, but I do not want to mistake that claim for a zero-sugar result. |
| Ingredient requirements | Read the sweetener and allergen statements on the exact pack, including any phenylalanine warning. Check a new flavour separately, even when its brand is familiar. | If an ingredient matters in our household, the particular recipe matters more to me than the broader label “diet”. |
| After-opening use | Check refrigeration and use-within instructions, then consider whether the bottle size fits your household's likely use. Waitrose & Partners says its Belvoir no-added-sugar examples should be refrigerated after opening and used within three weeks. | A bottle we are unlikely to finish within its stated period may not suit our after-school routine. |
Fruit-containing recipes can still have sugars in the diluted drink, and no-added-sugar products may contain sweeteners. The claim alone cannot answer either question.
Read the ingredients alongside the sugars value for the drink prepared as directed.
Marks & Spencer lists 4.9g sugars per 100g for its Sicilian Lemon and Mexican Lime cordial as sold. That is a different measurement basis from a squash label giving sugars per 100ml after dilution.
Use each bottle's mixing directions to establish a comparable prepared serving. If that cannot be established, leave the figures as separate descriptions rather than declaring a lower-sugar winner.
Product labels differ: Waitrose & Partners lists sulphites for Robinsons Orange, barley malt for Vimto No Added Sugar and a phenylalanine warning for its aspartame-containing Ribena Blackcurrant squash.
Check the current ingredients and warnings for each flavour and pack, particularly where an allergy or medically directed diet applies.
Some cordials require refrigeration after opening and have a stated use-within period. Belvoir's no-added-sugar examples specify three weeks, according to Waitrose & Partners.
Choose a size you expect to use within the particular bottle's instructions, and follow its storage directions after opening.
An oversized bottle may leave drink unused when its stated use-within period ends.
These examples show why the recipe and prepared-drink label are more informative than a brand name alone.
Robinsons distinguishes its no-added-sugar squash from its classic Cordials and Barley Waters, which the brand says contain added sugar.
Its no-added-sugar fruit cordials offer citrus and berry recipes with nutrition stated for diluted drinks.
Vimto No Added Sugar Squash is a mixed-fruit option for comparing with citrus or blackcurrant recipes.
Ribena's no-added-sugar Blackcurrant squash is a blackcurrant-flavoured alternative.
M&S Food offers flavour-led cordials, including a Sicilian Lemon and Mexican Lime recipe containing added sugar.
These are no-added-sugar squash concentrates in orange, lemon, summer-fruit, blackcurrant and tropical-fruit flavours. Compare the exact pack's prepared-drink nutrition and ingredients before choosing one for an after-school glass.
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For an orange-flavoured prepared drink, Tesco Groceries lists 0g sugars per 250ml when this squash is mixed one part concentrate to four parts water. It contains sweeteners and sulphites; check the pack's serving guidance before giving it to a child.
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A blackcurrant squash concentrate for households considering a no-added-sugar flavour. Check the pack's dilution and prepared-drink nutrition before comparing it with another bottle, and read its sweetener and sulphite information.
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A lemon option if citrus flavour is the deciding factor. Check its preparation instructions when comparing prepared servings; its ingredient information identifies aspartame, saccharin and a phenylalanine warning.
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A summer-fruit alternative to orange or lemon squash. Check the current pack for its mixing ratio, sugars in the prepared drink and post-opening directions; its ingredient information flags sweeteners and sulphites.
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A pineapple-and-passion-fruit choice when that flavour appeals. Check the pack for prepared-drink sugars and mixing directions rather than comparing a concentrate figure with another drink; its ingredient information flags sweeteners, sulphites and phenylalanine.
No. A fruit-containing cordial can still have sugars in the prepared drink. Waitrose & Partners lists 0.4g sugars per 100ml diluted for Belvoir Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar and 1.1g for Cherries & Berries, each prepared at 1:6. Check the sugars figure as well as the claim.
Compare the drink as prepared, using each product's mixing instructions and the same serving volume where possible. Tesco Groceries gives Robinsons Orange's 0g sugars figure per 250ml diluted at 1:4; a sugars figure for an undiluted cordial cannot be treated as an equivalent serving.
Not automatically: ingredients and serving directions differ by product. Check the exact pack for sweeteners, allergens, age-related instructions and warnings such as phenylalanine; for a diagnosed allergy or medically directed diet, follow the child's healthcare professional's advice.
Follow the directions on the bottle you buy. Waitrose & Partners states that its Belvoir no-added-sugar Lemon & Lime and Cherries & Berries cordials should be refrigerated after opening and used within three weeks. Check the period before choosing a bottle size.