Choose chilled 100% orange juice if you want juice and can keep it refrigerated; no added sugar does not mean no naturally occurring sugar. For a bag without refrigeration, check the storage instructions on an orange juice drink or take squash diluted in a reusable bottle, comparing juice content, sugars and sweeteners on the label. The NHS recommends water for replacing fluids after physical activity and limits fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day.
If your drink will spend time outside a fridge, check whether its unopened pack can be stored in a cool, dry place. The Tropicana and innocent 100% juices listed by Tesco Groceries require refrigeration; an insulated bag and ice pack are options if you choose chilled juice.
Read the sugars figure per 100ml alongside the ingredients and juice percentage. Tesco Groceries lists 8.6g and 8.8g sugars per 100ml for its Tropicana and innocent 100% juice examples, compared with 1.1g per 100ml for Tesco Fruit Splash, a drink containing 12% orange juice and sweeteners.
If you want 100% orange juice rather than an orange-flavoured drink, account for both the serving size and how you will keep it chilled. The NHS advises a combined maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day, preferably with a meal, and recommends water for replacing fluids after physical activity.
Start with the type of drink, then check its storage instructions and the nutrition information for the amount you intend to drink.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type | Check the ingredient list and juice percentage: 100% juice, a ready-to-drink juice drink and squash concentrate are different products. Check for sweeteners if you prefer to avoid them. | I want orange juice itself, or I am happy with an orange drink that contains less juice. |
| Sugars | Compare sugars per 100ml and for the amount you will drink. For squash, use nutrition figures stated for the drink diluted as instructed; do not read ‘no added sugar’ as ‘sugar-free’. | The sugars listed on the label matter to me, regardless of whether they occur naturally or have been added. |
| Storage | Follow the unopened-pack instructions before putting a drink in your bag. Check refrigeration and use-after-opening instructions separately. | My bag may be away from a fridge for several hours, so I need a pack I can store as directed. |
| Preparation | Check whether the drink is ready to consume or needs diluting, and whether you will have water and a suitable bottle. | A sealed drink is simpler to pack; I would mix squash if I am taking a reusable bottle. |
| Portion and fluids | Compare juice bottle size with the NHS guidance of a combined maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day. The NHS recommends water to replace fluids after physical activity. | I may have juice with my snack, but I want a separate drink for replacing fluids after training. |
Juice can contain naturally occurring sugars without added sugar. Tesco Groceries lists 8.6g sugars per 100ml for Tropicana Smooth and 8.8g per 100ml for innocent Smooth.
Compare the ‘of which sugars’ line per 100ml and for your intended serving, then check whether the ingredients list juice alone or also water and sweeteners.
The Tropicana and innocent single-serve juices listed by Tesco Groceries both say to keep refrigerated.
Follow the pack’s storage instructions. If you cannot keep a chilled product refrigerated, check an ambient drink’s unopened-pack instructions instead.
A 250ml bottle exceeds the NHS guidance of a combined maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day. The NHS recommends water for replacing fluids after physical activity.
Take water for training and consider the juice portion separately, preferably with a meal as the NHS advises.
Tesco Groceries gives the sugars figure for its No Added Sugar High Juice Orange when diluted according to the instructions. Concentrate and the prepared drink are not the same basis for comparison.
Follow the dilution directions and check the current ingredients if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.
These examples show how particular labelled products differ; the details do not describe every drink from each brand.
Tesco Groceries lists Tropicana Smooth 250ml as chilled, not-from-concentrate 100% orange juice with no added sugar.
Tesco Groceries lists innocent Smooth 250ml as chilled 100% orange juice with no added sugar.
Tesco Groceries lists a ready-to-drink Fruit Splash orange juice drink and a High Juice orange concentrate, both labelled no added sugar.
Marks & Spencer describes Mediterranean Orange High Juice as a no-added-sugar concentrate made with 50% orange juice from concentrate.
These options are a squash concentrate and portioned orange drinks for comparing gym-bag formats. Check each current pack if a no-added-sugar claim or storage instructions are essential to your choice.
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A concentrate to dilute in a reusable bottle, rather than a ready-to-drink juice. The product description lists 10% orange fruit from concentrate, sweeteners and sulphites; it says not to drink it undiluted. Store the unopened bottle in a cool, dark, dry place, then refrigerate after opening and use within four weeks, according to the description.
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Individual pouches for carrying an orange drink before opening; the description says to store them in a cool, dry place. It lists 8% fruit juice from concentrate, sucralose and 0.6g sugars per 100ml. Because that nutrition figure conflicts with the listing’s zero-sugar wording, check the current pack rather than assuming it contains no sugar or carries a no-added-sugar claim. The description warns that the straw is unsuitable for children under 3.
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Individual bottles for a snack bag, with 12% orange juice from concentrate, sweeteners and 1.2g sugars per 100ml stated in the listing. Check the current pack for a no-added-sugar claim and for storage instructions before carrying it unrefrigerated. The description says to refrigerate after opening and drink within three days; it also warns that the caps contain small parts unsuitable for children under 36 months.
No. Tesco Groceries lists naturally occurring sugars of 8.6g per 100ml in Tropicana Smooth 100% orange juice and 8.8g per 100ml in innocent Smooth 100% orange juice, both labelled no added sugar. Check the nutrition panel for the amount you plan to drink.
Follow the bottle’s refrigeration instructions. The Tropicana and innocent 250ml juices listed by Tesco Groceries both say to keep refrigerated. If your bag has no cold storage, check the unopened-pack instructions on an ambient drink instead.
No. Tesco Groceries lists Fruit Splash as a juice drink containing 12% orange juice from concentrate and sweeteners, whereas its Tropicana Smooth and innocent Smooth examples are 100% orange juice. Read the product description and ingredient list, not just the sugar claim.
The NHS recommends water for replacing fluids after physical activity. If you also choose juice, its guidance is to limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined maximum of 150ml a day and have juice with a meal.
Check the dilution directions, the nutrition figures for the prepared drink and the current ingredients. Tesco Groceries states its High Juice sugars figure for squash diluted as instructed; the Tesco and M&S orange concentrates listed here contain sweeteners, so check the exact pack if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.