Households comparing sugars in the glass
If you want a flavoured drink without added sugars, read the nutrition for the drink as prepared. A front-of-pack claim alone does not tell you how much sugar a diluted serving contains.
Who is choosing the drink?
The useful distinction at breakfast is whether you need several prepared glasses, prefer a fruit-juice cordial, or are choosing a drink for a young child.
Families making several drinks
A concentrate with a stated mixing ratio and serving yield makes it easier to plan a breakfast jug. Check ingredients for everyone who will drink it; NHS advice is to offer babies and toddlers water with meals rather than diet or reduced-sugar drinks.
Shoppers considering a fruit-juice cordial
If fruit content or a particular flavour matters to you, compare the ingredients, sugars in the prepared drink and number of servings. Fruit juice can contribute sugars even when none have been added.
What should you check?
Start with the intended drinker, then compare labels using each product’s own dilution instructions and prepared-serving basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars in the drink | Read sugars per prepared serving and note its size and dilution. Tesco Groceries lists 0.5g per prepared 300ml glass for its Quadruple Strength Orange Squash; Sainsbury’s lists less than 0.5g per prepared 250ml serving for its Lime Cordial. | I want to know what will be in the glass, not assume that “no added sugar” means no sugars. |
| Dilution and yield | Follow the bottle’s ratio and check its stated servings. Tesco Groceries lists 1 part concentrate to 19 parts water and 100 servings for its 1.5L orange squash; Sainsbury’s lists 1 part to 4 parts water and 20 servings for its 1L lime cordial. | Several people may want a drink at breakfast, so I need a bottle that suits the number of glasses we make. |
| Fruit content and flavour | Check the named juice and its percentage. Sainsbury’s lists 30% lime juice from concentrate in its Lime Cordial; Marks & Spencer lists 50% fruit juice in its Apple and Elderflower High Juice. Check sugars separately rather than treating fruit content as a prepared-drink measure. | Perhaps lime or apple and elderflower appeals more than orange; I still want to compare what the finished drink contains. |
| Who will drink it | Check age guidance as well as the product label. The NHS says diet or reduced-sugar drinks are not recommended for babies and toddlers and advises offering sips of water from a cup with meals. | If a baby or toddler joins breakfast, I need a different drink for them. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current bottle’s sweetener and allergen statements. The Tesco, Robinsons, Sainsbury’s and M&S examples described by their retailers contain sweeteners and list sulphites. | Someone at the table may need to avoid an ingredient, so I will check the pack before serving. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “contains no sugar”
Juice or concentrate can contribute sugars, and products report nutrition for different prepared serving sizes.
Read the ingredients and compare sugars in drinks mixed according to their respective bottles.
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Judging yield by bottle size alone
Tesco Groceries specifies 1:19 dilution for its quadruple-strength orange squash, while Sainsbury’s specifies 1:4 for its lime cordial. The same volume of concentrate would therefore make different amounts of drink.
Use each bottle’s dilution instructions and stated serving count when planning a breakfast jug.
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Assuming the drink suits every child
The NHS says diet or reduced-sugar drinks are not recommended for babies and toddlers, even if a product gives directions for making a weaker drink.
Offer babies and toddlers water with meals, as the NHS advises.
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Overlooking sweeteners or sulphites
A no-added-sugar claim does not describe every ingredient. The retailer listings for the Tesco, Robinsons, Sainsbury’s and M&S examples include sweeteners and sulphites.
Check the physical bottle’s current ingredients and allergen statement, particularly when buying again after a recipe change.
Brand and product-line references
These examples show different concentrations and fruit-juice formulations; the details apply to the named products, not every drink under each brand.
Robinsons
Tesco Groceries lists Robinsons Double Strength Orange No Added Sugar Squash 1.75L with a 1:9 dilution and 70 servings.
- Its label gives 0g sugars per prepared 250ml serving.
- It contains sucralose, acesulfame K and sulphites; check the current pack if these ingredients matter to you.
Tesco
Tesco Quadruple Strength Orange Squash No Added Sugar 1.5L is labelled for 1:19 dilution and 100 servings.
- The stated prepared 300ml glass contains 0.5g sugars, giving a defined basis for comparing drinks.
- It contains sucralose, acesulfame K and sulphites; check the current pack.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Lime Cordial No Added Sugar 1L lists 30% lime juice from concentrate, 1:4 dilution and 20 servings.
- Its label gives less than 0.5g sugars per prepared 250ml serving.
- It contains sucralose and sulphites; its serving yield should not be compared with extra-concentrated squash by bottle size alone.
M&S
Marks & Spencer describes its Apple and Elderflower High Juice as no added sugar and made with 50% fruit juice.
- Its product page says it contains no artificial colours or flavourings.
- The page lists 1.0g sugars per 100g, sucralose and sulphites, and says the product is not suitable for babies.
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners lists several no-added-sugar squashes and cordials, including apple and elderflower and blackcurrant options.
- The range offers more than one flavour and format to consider.
- Check the individual product’s dilution, ingredients and prepared-drink nutrition before comparing it with another bottle.
No-added-sugar squash options on Joybuy
These concentrates offer blackcurrant, orange, summer-fruit and pineapple-and-passion-fruit options for mixing with water at breakfast. Follow the instructions on the particular bottle and check its current ingredients before serving.
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Ribena No Added Sugar Blackcurrant Concentrate 1.5L
A blackcurrant concentrate to consider for a shared breakfast drink. Check the bottle’s mixing directions and prepared-drink nutrition; its listed ingredients include sweeteners and sodium bisulphite.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
An orange squash for preparing with water at breakfast. Check the current pack for its dilution directions and prepared-drink sugars; the listed ingredients include sweeteners and sulphites.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Squash 1L
A summer-fruit alternative if the household prefers a mixed-fruit flavour. Use the current bottle to establish how to dilute it and compare prepared-drink sugars; it lists sweeteners and sulphites.
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Ribena Pineapple and Passion Fruit Squash No Added Sugar 850ml
A pineapple-and-passion-fruit squash to mix with water for breakfast. Check the current pack for dilution and prepared-drink nutrition; its listed ingredients include aspartame, sulphites and a source of phenylalanine.
Frequently asked questions
Does “no added sugar” mean a cordial contains no sugar?
No. Juice or concentrate can still contribute sugars. Compare the nutrition for the drink as prepared: Tesco Groceries lists 0.5g sugars per prepared 300ml glass for its Quadruple Strength Orange Squash, while Sainsbury’s lists less than 0.5g per prepared 250ml serving for its Lime Cordial.
Should I compare the concentrate or the mixed drink?
Compare the prepared drinks using each bottle’s dilution instructions, and keep serving sizes in view. Tesco Groceries specifies 1:19 dilution and a 300ml serving for its quadruple-strength orange squash; its Robinsons Double Strength Orange listing specifies 1:9 dilution and a 250ml serving. Those figures should not be treated as identical measures.
Can babies and toddlers have no-added-sugar squash at breakfast?
The NHS says diet or reduced-sugar drinks are not recommended for babies and toddlers. It advises offering sips of water from a cup with meals instead, even where a squash bottle gives directions for extra dilution.
What if someone needs to avoid sulphites?
Check the physical bottle’s current allergen statement before serving. The retailer listings for the Tesco and Robinsons orange squashes, Sainsbury’s Lime Cordial and M&S Apple and Elderflower High Juice all list sulphites; ingredients can change.
How should I choose between squash and a fruit-juice cordial?
Use the flavour you want and the number of drinks you plan to make, then compare dilution, yield and prepared-drink sugars. Tesco Groceries lists 100 servings at 1:19 dilution for its Quadruple Strength Orange Squash, while Sainsbury’s lists 20 servings at 1:4 dilution for its Lime Cordial. Those are product-specific examples, not a rule for every squash or cordial.