If reducing sugar is your priority, start with a no-added-sugar cordial or squash, but compare sugars in the drink as diluted: the claim does not mean the finished drink is sugar-free. A sugar-containing cordial remains an option if you prefer its particular flavour; check its prepared-drink nutrition, and make sure you can mix and store your choice conveniently at work.
If you usually pack a sweet drink, compare no-added-sugar cordial with your usual choice using the nutrition values for each prepared drink. The NHS suggests sugar-free, diet or no-added-sugar drinks as alternatives to sugary squash.
Access to water makes a concentrate practical. Check the dilution directions and whether the opened bottle can be stored as its label requires between lunches.
Sweeteners vary between cordials. The NHS says aspartame, also labelled E951, is unsuitable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), so check the ingredients on the particular bottle.
For a lower-sugar lunch drink, compare cordials as prepared rather than relying on the words on the front of the bottle.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars in the drink | Compare sugars per 100ml of prepared drink at the stated dilution. Check whether a product says no added sugar or contains sugar; the claims do not tell you that two finished drinks have the same sugar content. | I want a sweet drink at lunch while paying attention to its sugar content. Tesco lists 0.1g sugars per 100ml of its diluted no-added-sugar lime cordial; Sainsbury's lists 10g per 250ml diluted serving for Robinsons Crushed Lime & Mint Fruit Cordial, which contains sugar and sweetener. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredient list for the named sweeteners and any ingredients relevant to you. For PKU, check specifically for aspartame or E951; the NHS says it is unsuitable for people with PKU. | If I am buying for someone with PKU, the word ‘diet’ is not enough to establish whether a cordial is suitable. |
| Mixing at work | Check the bottle's dilution directions, access to water and how you will carry the drink. Use the stated mixing ratio when interpreting prepared-drink nutrition. | I can mix a glass at work, or prepare a drink to carry, provided I can follow the bottle's directions. |
| Storage after opening | Check whether the bottle needs refrigeration and its use-within instructions. Consider whether the bottle size fits how often you will make a drink. | I may use one bottle across several packed lunches, so I need somewhere appropriate to keep it after opening. |
A no-added-sugar cordial can still contain sugars from its ingredients. Waitrose lists 1.1g sugars per 100ml for its Cherries & Berries cordial diluted 1:6.
Check sugars in the prepared drink, not just the front-of-pack claim.
Labels may give values for different serving sizes or mixing ratios. A stronger mix also changes what goes into your glass.
Follow each bottle's dilution directions and compare prepared-drink figures per 100ml where available.
Sweetener choice differs by product. The NHS says aspartame, or E951, is unsuitable for people with PKU.
If buying for someone with PKU, read the current ingredients rather than relying on ‘diet’ or ‘no added sugar’ wording.
An opened bottle may need fridge space and have a limited use period. Waitrose instructs shoppers to refrigerate its listed Cherries & Berries and Belvoir Apple & Blackcurrant cordials after opening and use them within three weeks.
Check the bottle's instructions and choose a size you expect to use within its stated period.
Check individual bottles within a range: a familiar brand name does not establish whether a particular cordial has added sugar.
The brand has both no-added-sugar squash and sugar-containing fruit cordial products.
Tesco's own-label Lime Cordial 1L is labelled no added sugar.
Its Robinsons Crushed Lime & Mint listing provides an example of a cordial containing sugar and sweetener.
Its listings include no-added-sugar Cherries & Berries cordial and Belvoir Apple & Blackcurrant No Added Sugar Cordial.
M&S describes a range of cordials intended for dilution with still or sparkling water.
These squash concentrates offer no-added-sugar flavours to consider if you can mix a drink with water for lunch. Compare their current labels for prepared-drink sugars, ingredients and storage directions before choosing.
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An orange squash to dilute for lunch at work. Check sugars in the prepared drink and the current bottle's storage directions if using the 1L concentrate across several days.
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A lemon squash for a drink mixed with water. If buying for someone with PKU, check its current ingredients for aspartame or E951; the NHS says aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU.
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A summer-fruits choice if you want to mix your packed-lunch drink at work. Follow the current label's dilution and opened-bottle storage instructions, and compare sugars for the prepared drink.
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A blackcurrant concentrate to mix with water for lunch. If you expect to use the 1.5L bottle over several working days, check its opened-bottle storage instructions and whether nutrition values refer to the concentrate or the prepared drink.
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A pineapple-and-passion-fruit squash to dilute with water. Check the current label for its mixing directions and prepared-drink sugars before comparing it with another flavour; for PKU, also check the ingredients for aspartame or E951.
No. A no-added-sugar cordial can still contain sugars from ingredients such as fruit juice. Check sugars for the diluted drink: Waitrose lists 1.1g per 100ml for its Cherries & Berries cordial diluted 1:6.
Compare the drink as you intend to prepare it. Follow each product's stated dilution directions, then use prepared-drink values on the same per-100ml basis where available; values for concentrate and diluted cordial are not directly comparable.
Check the particular product's ingredients rather than judging it by the word ‘diet’. The NHS says aspartame, also labelled E951, is unsuitable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU); cordials can use different sweeteners.
Follow the current bottle's opened-bottle instructions. For example, Waitrose says to refrigerate its listed Cherries & Berries and Belvoir Apple & Blackcurrant cordials after opening and use them within three weeks.