Parents comparing sugary and no-added-sugar drinks
If cordial is offered alongside school holiday snacks, compare sugars in the prepared drink rather than assuming every fruit-flavoured or no-added-sugar bottle has the same composition.
Who is choosing the drink?
Families with children aged 4 or younger
A diet label does not settle the age question. The NHS advises avoiding food and drink containing sugar or sweeteners for this age group and recommends water and milk as children’s regular drinks.
Households choosing a drink for a shared meal
A standard fruit cordial may be chosen for its particular flavour, while a no-added-sugar option changes the sugar and sweetener considerations. Check the individual bottle rather than treating either type as suitable for frequent sipping.
What matters when choosing?
Start with the child’s age and how often the drink will be offered. Then compare nutrition on the same prepared-drink basis and read the ingredients.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars after dilution | Find the sugars figure per 100ml of prepared drink. Check each concentrate’s dilution instructions before comparing figures. | I want to compare what will be in the glass, especially if drinks are offered alongside several snacks. Waitrose & Partners lists 4.2g sugars per 100ml diluted for Robinsons Elderflower Cordial and 1.1g on that basis for its no-added-sugar Cherries & Berries Cordial. |
| Age and sweeteners | Read the ingredients for sweeteners as well as the front-of-pack sugar claim. The NHS advises avoiding food and drink with sugar or sweeteners for children aged 4 or younger. | For a younger child, I need a regular drink that fits the NHS age guidance; switching to a diet cordial is not a workaround. For an older child, I still want to know what sweetens it. |
| Drinks between snacks | Consider when and how often cordial will be served. St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises keeping sugary and acidic drinks to mealtimes and offering water or plain milk between meals. | Water needs to remain an easy option throughout the day, rather than replacing it with repeated servings of cordial. |
| Ingredients and pack details | Check the current bottle’s ingredients, allergen information, preparation directions and storage instructions. Do not assume two no-added-sugar flavours use the same recipe. | If an ingredient matters to someone in the household, I need to check this particular flavour and bottle before serving it. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Reading “no added sugar” as “no sugar”
A cordial made with fruit ingredients can still contain sugars. Waitrose & Partners lists 1.1g sugars per 100ml diluted for its no-added-sugar Cherries & Berries Cordial.
Compare the sugars row for the prepared drink and follow the bottle’s dilution instructions.
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Using a diet cordial as the default for a toddler
No-added-sugar products can contain sweeteners. The NHS advises avoiding food and drink with sugar or sweeteners for children aged 4 or younger.
Choose water or milk as the regular drink for this age group rather than relying on a diet claim.
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Offering cordial for sipping between snacks
Choosing a lower-sugar product does not answer how often to serve it. St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises keeping sugary and acidic drinks to mealtimes and offering water or plain milk between meals.
Keep water available between snacks and prepare any cordial according to its label.
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Assuming a familiar flavour has an unchanged recipe
Sweeteners and other ingredients differ between products, even within no-added-sugar ranges. Robinsons Lemon No Added Sugar Squash, for example, lists aspartame and saccharin and carries a phenylalanine warning on the Waitrose & Partners listing.
Check the current bottle’s ingredients, allergen information and storage directions each time they matter to your household.
Brand and retailer references
A brand name alone does not identify the sugar content or sweeteners: compare the particular cordial or squash and its preparation instructions.
Robinsons
Robinsons sells both no-added-sugar squash and fruit cordials with sugar; these are different product lines.
- Waitrose & Partners lists Robinsons Lemon No Added Sugar Squash as containing aspartame and saccharin.
- The same retailer lists 4.2g sugars per 100ml diluted for Robinsons Elderflower Cordial and 4.0g for Crushed Lime & Mint Fruit Cordial. Check the exact flavour rather than applying the squash label to the cordials.
Tesco
Tesco lists a no-added-sugar lime cordial made with sweeteners.
- Its Lime Cordial listing provides a sugars figure of 0.1g per 100ml.
- Check the bottle’s preparation directions and the basis of its nutrition figures before comparing a prepared glass with another cordial.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a no-added-sugar lime cordial made with sweetener and 30% fruit juice from concentrate.
- The listing states less than 0.5g sugars per 100ml.
- Check the current pack’s ingredients and dilution directions before choosing it for a particular drinker.
M&S
M&S describes its cordial range as made with natural flavourings and intended for dilution with still or sparkling water.
- Natural flavourings do not establish a cordial’s sugar content. Read the individual bottle’s nutrition and ingredients if you are seeking a no-added-sugar option.
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners lists both standard and no-added-sugar cordials from different product lines.
- Its listings give prepared-drink figures of 4.2g sugars per 100ml diluted for Robinsons Elderflower Cordial and 1.1g for no-added-sugar Cherries & Berries Cordial.
- The Cherries & Berries product still lists sugars and is made with sweeteners; its no-added-sugar claim does not mean unsweetened.
No-added-sugar squash options on Joybuy
These Joybuy options are no-added-sugar squash concentrates for shoppers considering a flavoured drink. Check each bottle’s diluted-drink nutrition and ingredients before comparing it with a cordial or serving it to a child.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
An orange squash concentrate to consider when choosing a no-added-sugar flavour. Check the current bottle for its dilution ratio, sugars in the prepared drink, sweeteners and sulphites.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash 1L
A Summer Fruits squash concentrate for those considering a no-added-sugar flavour. Use the pack’s dilution instructions and check its sugars per 100ml prepared drink, sweeteners and sulphites.
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Ribena Pineapple and Passion Fruit Squash No Added Sugar 850ml
A pineapple and passion fruit squash concentrate for shoppers looking beyond citrus flavours. The product information’s sugars figure relates to undiluted squash, so check the bottle for a prepared-drink comparison; also check its sweeteners and sulphites.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Real Fruit Lemon Juice Squash 1L
A lemon squash concentrate for a no-added-sugar choice. Check the current bottle for its sweeteners, any phenylalanine warning, dilution ratio and sugars in the prepared drink before choosing it for the intended drinker.
Questions about cordial for children
Is no-added-sugar cordial the same as sugar-free cordial?
No. A no-added-sugar cordial can still contain sugars from its ingredients. Waitrose & Partners lists 1.1g sugars per 100ml diluted for its no-added-sugar Cherries & Berries Cordial. Check the sugars figure for the prepared drink rather than relying on the front-of-pack wording.
Should I choose diet cordial for a child under 5?
Not as their regular drink. The NHS advises avoiding food and drink containing sugar or sweeteners for children aged 4 or younger and recommends water and milk as children’s regular drinks. A no-added-sugar claim does not mean a cordial contains no sweeteners.
Can children sip no-added-sugar cordial throughout the day?
It should not replace water between snacks. The NHS recommends water and milk for children, while St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises keeping sugary and acidic drinks to mealtimes and offering water or plain milk between meals. Check the particular cordial’s ingredients rather than assuming its sugar claim answers every serving question.
How can I compare sugars in two concentrates?
Compare figures for the drinks made according to their respective dilution instructions, using the same volume, such as per 100ml prepared drink. A figure for undiluted concentrate is not directly comparable with one for diluted cordial; check the bottle before making that comparison.
Do I need to recheck ingredients on a familiar cordial?
Yes, if an ingredient matters to someone drinking it. Check the current bottle’s ingredients and allergen information rather than assuming all flavours or repeat purchases have the same recipe. The same check can identify sweeteners or a phenylalanine warning relevant to the intended drinker.