Choose a no-added-sugar squash if you want a flavoured drink without adding sugar through the squash itself; the NHS lists no-added-sugar drinks as an alternative to sugary squash. Compare the drink after dilution and check its ingredients, rather than assuming every no-added-sugar squash contains zero sugars. The drink choice does not change the takeaway: the NHS notes that sweet-and-sour dishes, sweet-chilli dishes and some curry sauces can be high in sugar.
If you usually have a sugary drink with a Chinese takeaway, no-added-sugar squash offers a flavoured alternative. The NHS recommends sugar-free, diet or no-added-sugar drinks instead of sugary squash, while advising separate attention to sugary takeaway sauces.
Check the dilution directions and prepared serving before comparing bottles. The Robinsons Orange and Waitrose Essential Summer Fruits examples use different mixing ratios, so concentrate volume alone does not tell you how many glasses you can prepare.
Read the label if sweeteners, allergens or ingredient warnings affect your choice. The selected squash examples differ in their sweeteners and include declarations concerning sulphites, barley or phenylalanine.
Start with the prepared drink, then check whether its ingredients and mixing directions suit the people sharing the takeaway.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars in the drink | Check the no-added-sugar claim and sugars per prepared serving. No added sugar does not necessarily mean zero total sugars. | I want a flavoured drink without adding sugar through the squash, but still need to know what is in the diluted glass. |
| Dilution and servings | Follow each bottle’s concentrate-to-water ratio; compare nutrition at the stated prepared serving. Tesco Groceries lists Robinsons Orange at 1:4, while Waitrose & Partners suggests 1:9 for Essential Summer Fruits. | If several people are having a drink, I need to know how many servings the bottle makes at its stated strength. |
| Ingredients and warnings | Read the current ingredients, allergen statement and warnings. The selected examples include different sweeteners, sulphites and, in the Vimto example, barley. | Some ingredients matter to my household, so a similar front-of-bottle claim is not enough to choose between flavours. |
| The rest of the meal | Consider the drink separately from the food. The NHS identifies sweet-and-sour dishes, sweet-chilli dishes and some curry sauces as takeaway items that can be high in sugar. | I can change what I drink without assuming that the takeaway dish or sauce has changed. |
| Drinking occasion | Consider how often you sip the drink. Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust notes that sugar-free and no-added-sugar soft drinks can be acidic and can cause tooth wear. | If I want something to drink repeatedly beyond the meal, plain water is another option. |
Prepared drinks can still contain naturally occurring sugars, and products with the same front-label claim can have different ingredients.
Compare sugars on the prepared-drink nutrition panel and read the full ingredients and allergen statement.
Tesco Groceries lists a 1:4 mixing ratio for Robinsons Orange, while Waitrose & Partners suggests 1:9 for Essential Summer Fruits. The concentrate volume alone does not describe a prepared glass.
Use each bottle’s directions, serving size and stated number of servings when comparing drinks for a group.
A no-added-sugar drink does not alter the takeaway recipe. The NHS notes that sweet-and-sour dishes, sweet-chilli dishes and some curry sauces can be high in sugar.
If reducing sugar is your aim, consider the sauce or dish separately from the drink.
Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust advises that no-added-sugar and diet soft drinks can be acidic and can cause tooth wear.
If choosing squash with the meal, consider plain water rather than repeatedly sipping a flavoured drink between meals.
These examples show why the exact bottle and its prepared-drink label matter more than a brand-wide assumption.
The Orange No Added Sugar example listed by Tesco Groceries is mixed at one part concentrate to four parts water.
Waitrose & Partners suggests mixing its No Added Sugar Summer Fruits squash at one part squash to nine parts water.
The No Added Sugar mixed-fruit squash listed by Tesco Groceries is prepared at one part concentrate to four parts water.
The Blackcurrant No Added Sugar product listed by Waitrose & Partners is mixed with at least four parts water to one part concentrate.
These orange, blackcurrant, tropical-fruit, summer-fruits and lemon squashes offer different flavours for a takeaway-night drink. Check each bottle’s prepared-drink figures and ingredient warnings before choosing.
No image available
An orange-flavoured option if you want squash without added sugar alongside the takeaway.
Tesco Groceries lists 0g sugars and 3 kcal per 250ml diluted serving for this Robinsons Orange product, mixed at one part concentrate to four parts water. It contains sweeteners and sulphites and is not suitable for children under 36 months; dilute before drinking.
No image available
A blackcurrant concentrate for a no-added-sugar flavoured drink with the meal.
Its directions specify at least four parts water to one part concentrate. Check the prepared-drink nutrition on the current bottle when comparing it with other squash; this product contains sweeteners and sodium bisulphite and carries a warning against use by children under three. Dilute before drinking.
No image available
A pineapple-and-passion-fruit option if you prefer a tropical flavour with the takeaway.
Check the bottle’s dilution directions and sugars for the prepared drink before comparing it with other flavours. This product contains aspartame, acesulfame K and sulphites and carries a phenylalanine warning; its instructions say to refrigerate after opening and consume within 21 days.
No image available
A summer-fruits option for anyone choosing a no-added-sugar squash with the meal.
The product information lists 2 kcal per 100ml diluted drink and declares vegan and vegetarian suitability. Check the current bottle for its dilution ratio and prepared-drink sugars; it contains sucralose, acesulfame K and sulphites.
No image available
A lemon-flavoured no-added-sugar squash if you want a citrus option with the takeaway.
Use the current bottle to check its mixing directions, prepared-drink nutrition and sweeteners before comparing it with other products. The product information carries a phenylalanine warning and says to refrigerate after opening.
No. A prepared drink can still contain naturally occurring sugars. Waitrose & Partners lists 0.5g sugars per 250ml serving for its Essential No Added Sugar Summer Fruits squash, while Tesco Groceries lists 0.8g per 250ml diluted serving for Vimto No Added Sugar. Check the figures for the drink as prepared.
No: choosing a no-added-sugar drink does not change the food. The NHS notes that sweet-and-sour dishes, sweet-chilli dishes and some curry sauces can be high in sugar, so consider the drink and dish separately.
Compare their nutrition after following each bottle’s dilution directions. Tesco Groceries lists one part concentrate to four parts water for the selected Robinsons Orange and Vimto products; Waitrose & Partners suggests one part squash to nine parts water for Essential Summer Fruits.
Read the current bottle’s ingredients, allergen information and warnings. The selected Robinsons Orange example declares sulphites, the Vimto example contains barley, and the Ribena Blackcurrant example contains sodium bisulphite and carries a phenylalanine warning.
Not necessarily. Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust advises that no-added-sugar and diet soft drinks can be acidic and can cause tooth wear. Plain water is an alternative if you want a drink beyond the meal.