Students comparing sugars and energy
If you want a flavoured drink with lunch, read the sugars and energy values per 100ml after dilution. A no-added-sugar cordial can still contain sugars naturally present in fruit.
Who is this for?
The useful checks depend on whether your main concern is the prepared drink’s nutrition, its ingredients or how you drink it during the day.
Students checking ingredients
If you avoid a particular sweetener or need to check for sulphites, read the ingredients on the exact bottle. The Food Standards Agency identifies sulphites in drinks as a concern for people with a sensitivity.
Students planning a drink for lectures
If you prepare a drink to take with lunch, follow its dilution directions and consider when you will drink it. NHS oral-health guidance notes that even sugar-free and no-added-sugar soft drinks can be acidic and contribute to tooth wear.
What should you check?
Start with the prepared-drink nutrition, then check the ingredients and dilution directions on the product you intend to use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Prepared-drink nutrition | Compare energy and sugars per 100ml of the diluted drink. Check that the figures use the preparation you intend to follow. | I want to know what is in the drink I will actually take to lunch, not just the concentrate in the bottle. |
| Label wording | Read the sugars line even when the front says “no added sugar”. Check the ingredient list for fruit juice and sweeteners. | A no-added-sugar label matters to me, but I also want to see whether the prepared drink contains sugars from fruit. |
| Ingredients | Check the named sweeteners and any sulphite declaration on the current label. Sainsbury’s and Waitrose list sodium metabisulphite in their no-added-sugar lime cordials. | I need to avoid a particular ingredient, so the exact formulation matters more than the flavour or front-of-pack claim. |
| Dilution | Follow the bottle’s ratio when preparing and comparing drinks. The Sainsbury’s and Waitrose lime cordials describe a 1:4 dilution; Waitrose’s Cherries & Berries cordial lists nutrition when diluted 1:6. | Before filling a lunch bottle, I want to know how much concentrate to use and which prepared-drink figures apply. |
| Drinking pattern | Consider how often you sip the drink, not only its sugars. NHS oral-health guidance says diet and no-added-sugar soft drinks can be acidic and contribute to tooth wear. | I want something flavoured with lunch without assuming that a lower-sugar drink is the same as plain water throughout lectures. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming “no added sugar” means no sugars
Fruit-based cordials can contain naturally occurring sugars even when no sugar has been added. The front label alone does not tell you the sugars in your prepared drink.
Read the sugars value for the diluted drink and check which claim the bottle actually makes.
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Comparing bottle sizes instead of drinks
Concentrates can have different dilution directions, so bottle volume alone does not tell you the nutrition of a serving or how much prepared drink you will make.
Compare values per 100ml after the stated dilution, then use each bottle’s instructions when planning your lunch drink.
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Skipping the ingredients on a no-added-sugar drink
Some no-added-sugar lime cordials list sweeteners and sodium metabisulphite. The Food Standards Agency identifies sulphites as a possible risk for people with a sensitivity.
Check the current ingredient and allergen information if a sweetener or sulphite is relevant to you.
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Sipping a diet drink throughout lectures
Lower sugar does not remove the acidity concern: NHS oral-health guidance says sugar-free, no-added-sugar and diet soft drinks can contribute to tooth wear.
Keep plain water available between meals rather than treating cordial as an all-day drink.
Brand references for cordial and squash
These examples show different flavours and formulations to investigate; a brand name alone cannot establish the nutrition or ingredients of an individual bottle.
Robinsons
Tesco and Waitrose list Robinsons varieties within their no-added-sugar squash ranges.
- The listed range includes several fruit flavours and squash formats.
- Check the exact variety’s diluted nutrition and ingredients; they need not be the same across the range.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label Quadruple Strength no-added-sugar squash in several fruit flavours.
- Its own-label range offers another squash format to compare by flavour and dilution instructions.
- Use the individual product label to check sugars, sweeteners and allergens.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a 1L no-added-sugar lime cordial made with 30% lime juice from concentrate.
- Its listing gives prepared-drink nutrition and a 1:4 dilution direction.
- The listed ingredients include sucralose and sodium metabisulphite; check the current bottle if either matters to you.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists an own-label no-added-sugar lime cordial alongside other no-added-sugar squash and cordial options.
- The lime cordial lists 2 kcal per 100ml and suggests one part cordial to four parts water.
- Its listed ingredients include sucralose and sodium metabisulphite; check the current label for the bottle you choose.
M&S
M&S describes its cordials as concentrates made with natural flavourings for dilution with still or sparkling water.
- Flavour may be the deciding factor if you are considering a cordial rather than a particular no-added-sugar squash.
- Check an individual bottle’s sugars and prepared-drink nutrition before treating it as a lower-sugar option.
Joybuy squash options
These are no-added-sugar squash concentrates to consider for a prepared lecture-lunch drink. Compare their flavours and current labels; their inclusion does not make their prepared-drink nutrition interchangeable.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
An orange squash concentrate to dilute for a lunch drink. Check the bottle’s preparation directions and diluted sugars figure when comparing it with other flavours; inspect the ingredient list if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash 1L
A summer-fruits squash concentrate for a flavoured lunch drink. Its Joybuy product information states 2 kcal per 100ml diluted and lists sulphites; follow the bottle’s dilution directions and check its current sugars and ingredients before choosing.
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Ribena Pineapple and Passion Fruit No Added Sugar Squash 850ml
A pineapple and passion-fruit squash if you prefer those flavours with lunch. Use the bottle’s dilution directions and compare nutrition for the prepared drink, rather than treating figures for undiluted concentrate as ready-to-drink values; check the current ingredient list for sweeteners and sulphites.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Real Fruit Lemon Juice Squash 1L
A lemon squash concentrate to consider for a prepared lunch drink. Check the current bottle for the applicable energy and sugars values after dilution before comparing it with another squash, and read the ingredients if particular sweeteners matter to you.
Questions about cordial and squash
Does “no added sugar” mean a cordial contains no sugars?
No. Fruit-based no-added-sugar drinks can still contain naturally occurring sugars. Read the sugars value for the diluted drink as well as the ingredient list; Waitrose’s no-added-sugar range includes fruit-based squash for which that distinction matters.
What if I need to avoid sulphites?
Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the exact cordial. Sainsbury’s and Waitrose list sodium metabisulphite in their no-added-sugar lime cordials, and the Food Standards Agency identifies sulphites as a possible risk for people with a sensitivity.
Can I sip diet cordial throughout a lecture?
A lower-sugar label does not remove the acidity concern. NHS oral-health guidance says sugar-free, no-added-sugar and diet soft drinks can contribute to tooth wear, so consider plain water between meals rather than sipping cordial throughout lectures.
How can I compare two concentrated cordials?
Compare energy and sugars per 100ml of the prepared drink, following each bottle’s dilution directions. Product listings for the lime cordials and Waitrose’s Cherries & Berries cordial use different dilution ratios, so concentrate volume alone is not a like-for-like comparison.