Offer water as the default drink at a children’s party; NHS-linked Healthier Together guidance favours water for children. If you also want a flavoured option, a no-added-sugar cordial or squash can be served diluted according to its bottle instructions, provided you check the prepared-drink nutrition, sweeteners and allergens against the needs of the children attending. No added sugar does not mean zero sugar or suitability for every guest.
Start with water rather than assuming every child wants the same flavoured drink. If you offer squash as well, check the bottle’s age-related directions and ask about relevant dietary needs before serving it.
If you want a no-added-sugar option alongside water, compare the nutrition for the drink as prepared, the dilution directions and the ingredients. The words on the front of the bottle do not tell you all three.
Read the exact bottle before serving. Some of the cordial and squash examples below declare sulphites. The NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU).
Decide whether you need a flavoured drink alongside water, then compare bottles using the drink you will actually serve—not the concentrate on its own.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink choice | Keep water available. If offering cordial or squash, check whether its flavour, ingredients and serving directions suit the guests. | I want children to have a straightforward choice, with a flavoured drink available only where it suits them. NHS-linked Healthier Together guidance favours water for children and describes well-diluted sugar-free squash as an option. |
| Sugar information | Read the no-added-sugar claim alongside sugars per prepared serving. Check that the nutrition values refer to the dilution you plan to use. | I want to know what is in the drink once it has been mixed, rather than assume that no added sugar means zero sugar. |
| Dilution | Follow the current bottle’s ratio and serving directions. Retailer listings for Robinsons Orange, Sainsbury’s Lime and ASDA Lime specify one part concentrate to four parts water; ASDA Groceries lists Belvoir Sicilian Lemon & Lime at one to six. | I am preparing drinks for a group and need to work out quantities from the instructions for the bottle I buy. |
| Sweeteners | Identify the sweeteners on the ingredient list. Check for aspartame or E951 if a guest has PKU; the NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU. | A child attending may need to avoid a particular ingredient, so I cannot choose by the no-added-sugar wording alone. |
| Allergens | Check the current bottle for declared allergens and retain it while serving. The Robinsons Orange, Sainsbury’s Lime and ASDA Lime listings from Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury’s and ASDA Groceries declare sulphites. | I need to be able to check the drink against each guest’s declared allergy or intolerance before pouring it. |
A no-added-sugar cordial can still contain sugars occurring in its ingredients. ASDA Groceries lists sugars in the prepared serving of its Belvoir Sicilian Lemon & Lime cordial, despite the product’s no-added-sugar claim.
Compare the claim with sugars per prepared serving, and mix the drink as directed if you use those nutrition figures.
No-added-sugar concentrates do not all use the same sweeteners. The NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU; a no-added-sugar label does not settle that question.
Read the exact bottle’s ingredients and check for aspartame or E951 when PKU is relevant.
The Robinsons Orange, Sainsbury’s Lime and ASDA Lime products listed by Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury’s and ASDA Groceries declare sulphites. A familiar product name is not a substitute for checking the bottle being served.
Ask about relevant allergies where practical, keep the original bottle available and choose another ingredient-checked drink for anyone who must avoid a declared ingredient.
These examples illustrate differences between particular drinks and listings; check the current bottle rather than extending one product’s ingredients to a whole range.
Robinsons describes its Family Favourites range as containing fruit and no added sugar. For a specific comparison, Tesco Groceries lists Robinsons Orange No Added Sugar Squash in a 1L bottle.
ASDA Groceries lists Belvoir Sicilian Lemon & Lime No Added Sugar Cordial as a 500ml cordial diluted one part concentrate to six parts water.
Sainsbury’s lists its Lime Cordial No Added Sugar as a 1L concentrate with 20 stated servings when diluted one part cordial to four parts water.
ASDA Groceries lists its Lime Cordial as a 1L concentrate with 20 suggested servings and a direction to mix one part concentrate with four parts water.
Waitrose & Partners lists no-added-sugar high-juice options, including Apple & Elderflower and Blackcurrant, in its squash and cordial category.
These concentrates are options for offering a no-added-sugar flavoured drink alongside water. Bottle sizes and flavours vary; check each bottle’s mixing directions and ingredients against your guest list.
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An orange-flavoured concentrate to consider when offering diluted squash alongside water. The listing identifies sweeteners and sulphites; check the current bottle for guests who need to avoid an ingredient. It also states that the drink is not suitable for children under 36 months. Follow the bottle’s dilution directions when planning servings.
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A summer-fruits option if you want a different flavour to offer alongside water. The listing identifies sucralose, acesulfame K and sulphites, so check the current bottle against guests’ needs. Follow its dilution directions; the listing advises extra water for toddlers.
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The 1.5L bottle may suit a host preparing several servings of blackcurrant-flavoured squash. Its listing identifies sodium bisulphite and aspartame; the NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU. The listing does not recommend this drink for children under 3. Check the bottle’s mixing and serving directions before preparing it.
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Six 1L bottles offer a multipack format for a larger gathering, but plan the number of drinks using the directions on the bottles. The product information identifies sulphites and aspartame. Check the current label for guests with relevant dietary needs; the NHS states that aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU.
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This 850ml concentrate offers a pineapple and passion-fruit flavour alongside water. The listing identifies sulphites and aspartame, so check the current bottle against guests’ dietary needs; aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU, according to the NHS. Mix it using the bottle’s directions rather than treating nutrition for undiluted concentrate as nutrition for the served drink.
Offer water as the default and treat diluted cordial or squash as an optional flavoured drink. NHS-linked Healthier Together guidance favours water for children and describes well-diluted sugar-free squash as an option; check any concentrate’s current label before serving it.
No. A no-added-sugar claim does not rule out sugars occurring in the ingredients. Read the sugars figure for the prepared serving and use the stated dilution when comparing bottles.
Use the directions on the bottle you are serving, because ratios differ. Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury’s and ASDA Groceries list one part concentrate to four parts water for the Robinsons Orange, Sainsbury’s Lime and ASDA Lime examples; ASDA Groceries lists one to six for Belvoir Sicilian Lemon & Lime. A bottle’s stated servings and prepared-drink nutrition assume its specified preparation.
Check the current bottle’s ingredients before serving and keep it available for the child’s parent or carer to inspect. The Robinsons Orange, Sainsbury’s Lime and ASDA Lime examples declare sulphites in their retailer listings. The NHS states that products containing aspartame are unsuitable for people with PKU; choose a separately checked drink when an ingredient conflicts with a guest’s requirements.