Riders on easier or shorter journeys
If you mainly want orange flavour in a bottle, a diluted squash may suit the drink you have in mind. Check its prepared-serving nutrition rather than treating it as ride fuel.
Who is this choice for?
Riders planning longer events
For a sportive or other demanding ride, distinguish a flavoured drink from the carbohydrate and fluids in your wider plan. British Cycling advises steady intake during sportives.
Riders checking ingredients
If sweeteners, sulphites or barley matter to your choice, read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact drink, as well as its dilution instructions.
What should you check?
Start with what the drink needs to do on your ride, then compare nutrition at the strength you will actually drink.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Ride fuel | Compare carbohydrate per prepared serving and the amount you expect to drink. For a long ride, consider carbohydrate from food or another drink as part of the same plan. | I need to know whether this bottle contributes carbohydrate or mainly adds flavour. British Cycling advises steady carbohydrate intake for sportives. |
| Sugars | Read sugars as well as carbohydrate per prepared serving. A no-added-sugar label does not mean the drink contains no sugars: Sainsbury's lists 6.7g sugars per 150ml of its Stamford Street Co. orange juice drink. | I want to compare what I will actually drink, rather than choose by the front-of-pack wording alone. |
| Preparation | Check whether the product is ready to drink or concentrated. Tesco and Sainsbury's specify one part squash to four parts water for their no-added-sugar high-juice orange products. | If I am filling a cycling bottle, I want to prepare the squash at its stated dilution and compare the resulting serving. |
| Ingredients | Read the sweeteners and allergen information on the current pack. The cited orange squashes include products listing sulphites, while Sainsbury's fruit-and-barley version lists barley extract. | Sweeteners or particular ingredients may affect which drink I choose to take on a ride. |
| Fruit juice | Identify whether the product is fruit juice, a juice drink or a diluted squash. The NHS counts sugars naturally present in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. | For an everyday drink, I want to understand what kind of orange product I am buying, not just whether sugar was added. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘sugar-free’
Orange drinks bearing a no-added-sugar claim can still list sugars. Tesco lists 2.2g sugars per prepared 250ml glass of its high-juice orange squash; Sainsbury's lists 6.7g per 150ml of its Stamford Street Co. orange juice drink.
Compare sugars and carbohydrate for the serving you will drink, alongside the ingredients and product type.
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Relying on squash to fuel a long ride
Tesco and Sainsbury's no-added-sugar high-juice orange squashes list 2.2g and 2.4g sugars respectively per prepared 250ml serving. British Cycling advises steady carbohydrate intake during sportives.
If your ride calls for on-bike fuelling, plan its carbohydrate sources separately rather than assuming a flavoured squash covers them.
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Overlooking dilution and ingredients
The strength at which you prepare a squash affects what is in your bottle. Some of the cited products also list sweeteners, sulphites or barley extract.
Follow the pack’s preparation instructions and check its current ingredients and allergen information before taking a new drink on a ride.
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Treating unsweetened fruit juice as free of free sugars
The NHS counts sugars naturally present in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. A juice, juice drink and diluted squash should not be treated as interchangeable products.
Identify the exact drink type and serving size when choosing an everyday orange drink.
Relevant brand references
Tesco
Tesco No Added Sugar High Juice Orange is a concentrated squash prepared at one part squash to four parts water.
- Tesco lists 2.2g sugars per prepared 250ml glass.
- Check the current pack for its sweeteners and sulphite ingredient if either matters to you.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists both a no-added-sugar high-juice orange squash and a Stamford Street Co. orange juice drink. Their serving sizes differ, so compare the labels before choosing between them.
- The squash lists 2.4g sugars per prepared 250ml; the juice drink lists 6.7g per 150ml.
- Both cited products contain sweeteners. Check the squash’s current allergen information if sulphites matter to you.
M&S
M&S Mediterranean Orange High Juice is a concentrated drink that M&S describes as made with 50% fruit juice.
- M&S lists 1.1g sugars per 100g of the product and names sucralose as a sweetener.
- Check its preparation instructions before comparing that figure with nutrition stated for a prepared glass of another squash.
Orange squash option on Joybuy
This orange squash fits the flavour-led side of the cycling decision. If you need carbohydrate during a longer ride, consider it alongside a separate fuelling plan rather than as a substitute.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
A squash option when you want orange flavour in water rather than relying on the drink for ride fuel. Check the pack for dilution instructions, sugars and carbohydrate per prepared serving, and ingredients if you avoid sweeteners or sulphites.
Questions about orange drinks for cycling
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean an orange drink has no sugar?
No. Products labelled no added sugar can still contain sugars, including sugars from fruit. Read the sugars figure for the serving you will drink rather than treating the claim as a zero-sugar statement.
Can no-added-sugar orange squash be my main drink on a long ride?
It can provide flavour in your bottle, but do not assume it covers fuelling. Tesco and Sainsbury's list 2.2g and 2.4g sugars respectively per prepared 250ml of their high-juice orange squashes; British Cycling advises steady carbohydrate intake for sportives.
Should I compare the concentrate or the prepared drink?
Compare nutrition for the drink at the dilution you intend to use. Tesco and Sainsbury's specify one part squash to four parts water for their cited high-juice orange products, so their prepared-serving figures are the relevant starting point.
What ingredients should I check before taking orange squash cycling?
Check the current pack for sweeteners and allergen information. The cited orange squashes include products listing sulphites, and Sainsbury's fruit-and-barley orange squash lists barley extract.
Is fruit juice the same choice as diluted orange squash?
No. They differ in preparation and serving nutrition, so compare the exact products rather than relying on their orange flavour. The NHS also counts sugars naturally present in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars; identify the drink type when applying its general dietary advice.