For a flavoured drink alongside TV-night snacks, no-added-sugar squash is an option when replacing sugary squash; the NHS includes no-added-sugar drinks among its suggested swaps. Compare nutrition for the drink as prepared, follow the bottle’s dilution instructions and check total sugars and ingredients: ‘no added sugar’ does not guarantee zero sugars.
If you want a flavoured drink with crisps or popcorn, compare energy per 100ml of squash as prepared. Robinsons and Waitrose product information shows why the stated serving and dilution basis matters more than bottle size.
The NHS suggests sugar-free, diet or no-added-sugar drinks as alternatives to sugary squash. Check total sugars on the particular bottle rather than treating its front-of-pack claim as a zero-sugar figure.
Sweeteners and other ingredients vary by product. Read the current pack if you need to avoid a particular ingredient or allergen; the NHS notes that aspartame is unsuitable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU).
Start with what will be in the glass, then check how to mix it and whether its ingredients suit the people drinking it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | Read the total-sugars figure and its serving basis. A no-added-sugar label does not establish that the finished drink contains zero sugars. | I want a flavoured alternative to sugary squash, without assuming the front-of-pack wording tells me everything about the drink. |
| Energy in the glass | Compare kcal per 100ml of prepared drink with the same measure on another bottle. Robinsons states 1 kcal per 100ml for Summer Fruits Mini prepared as directed; Waitrose lists 2 kcal per 100ml diluted for Vimto No Added Sugar Squash. | When I pour a drink alongside snacks, I want to compare what is in the diluted glass, not unlike figures for concentrate and prepared squash. |
| Dilution | Follow the exact bottle’s mixing instructions. Concentrate strength and bottle size alone do not tell you the nutrition of a prepared serving. | A clear mixing guide helps me make each glass on the basis used for its nutrition information. |
| Ingredients | Check sweeteners and allergen information on the current pack. The NHS says aspartame is unsuitable for people with PKU; ingredient lists differ between squashes. | Someone drinking it may need to avoid a particular sweetener or ingredient, so I need to check the exact flavour and bottle. |
Figures for concentrate and prepared drink describe different amounts of squash in a serving, so a direct calorie or sugar comparison can mislead.
Look for values on the same prepared-drink basis and mix each squash according to its own bottle.
A no-added-sugar squash can still have a total-sugars value. Waitrose, for example, lists 0.80g sugars per 100ml diluted Vimto No Added Sugar Squash.
Check the nutrition panel and its dilution basis as well as the claim on the front.
No-added-sugar products can use different sweeteners or contain ingredients that matter to someone drinking them. The NHS specifically advises that people with PKU avoid aspartame.
Check the current pack for sweeteners and allergens, especially when changing flavour, size or brand.
These examples show different formats and label details to compare; they do not establish what every product in a range contains.
Robinsons offers no-added-sugar squash in formats including Summer Fruits Mini.
Tesco Groceries lists own-label, no-added-sugar quadruple-strength squash in several flavours, including apple and blackcurrant, lemon and orange.
M&S describes its no-added-sugar Orange Squash as double strength and made with 20% orange from concentrate.
Waitrose lists branded no-added-sugar squashes, including Vimto and Ribena, with product-specific ingredients and dilution directions.
These Joybuy listings are no-added-sugar squash concentrates in orange, lemon, summer-fruit, blackcurrant and pineapple-and-passion-fruit flavours. Check each bottle’s prepared-drink nutrition and mixing directions before comparing what you would pour for a TV night.
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An orange squash option for a flavoured drink alongside snacks. Check this bottle’s dilution instructions before using its prepared-drink nutrition to compare servings, and read the current ingredients if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.
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A blackcurrant concentrate for mixing a drink at home. Use this bottle’s dilution directions and check its prepared-drink nutrition before comparing calories; read the current ingredients if aspartame, sulphites or PKU are relevant to your household.
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A lemon-flavoured option if you prefer it to fruit blends with TV-night snacks. Check the current pack for a consistent prepared-drink energy figure and mixing ratio before comparing calories; also read its sweetener information if you need to avoid aspartame.
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A summer-fruit flavour for a drink alongside snacks. Check this 1L bottle’s own prepared-drink nutrition and dilution directions; do not apply the figures for Robinsons Summer Fruits Mini to this variant. Read the current ingredients if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.
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A pineapple-and-passion-fruit choice if you want a different flavour with your snacks. Check the bottle for nutrition on a prepared-drink basis and its dilution instructions rather than comparing an undiluted figure with another finished drink. Read the current ingredients if aspartame or sulphites matter to you.
No. A no-added-sugar claim is not a zero-total-sugars figure. Check the sugars value on the nutrition panel and whether it describes the concentrate or the drink as diluted.
Compare kcal per 100ml of prepared drink, following each bottle’s mixing instructions. Robinsons lists 1 kcal per 100ml for Summer Fruits Mini prepared as directed, while Waitrose lists 2 kcal per 100ml diluted for Vimto No Added Sugar Squash; those figures apply to those specific products.
Read the ingredients on the exact bottle before serving it. The NHS says aspartame is unsuitable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), and no-added-sugar squashes do not all use the same sweeteners.
Use the directions for the bottle you have. Waitrose lists one part Vimto No Added Sugar Squash to four parts water; its Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar listing says one part squash to at least four parts water. More concentrate changes what is in the glass.
Follow the instructions on the particular bottle. Waitrose’s Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar listing says to refrigerate it after opening and drink it within 21 days; do not assume that instruction applies to every squash.