Choose 100% orange juice if you want juice with your afternoon snack and are content with a small serving: the NHS advises no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day, and juice sugars count as free sugars. If the listed sugar amount matters more than buying 100% juice, compare orange high juice and diet drinks by their nutrition panels and ingredients; “no added sugar” does not mean sugar-free, and these drinks are not compositionally identical to orange juice.
If you want an orange drink for an afternoon snack, the choice is not simply between products labelled “regular” and “no added sugar”. Check whether each is 100% juice, high juice or an orange-flavoured drink, then compare its listed sugars.
If you specifically want fruit juice, serving size matters. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined total of no more than 150ml a day.
A lower listed sugar value can come with a different ingredient list. For example, Marks & Spencer lists sucralose and sulphites in its Mediterranean Orange High Juice, so check the label if either ingredient matters to you.
Start with the type of drink, then compare its sugar figure, the amount you intend to pour and any ingredients you need to check.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Listed sugars | Read “of which sugars” per 100ml or 100g and for the portion you plan to drink. Keep those different measurement bases in view rather than treating their figures as directly alike. | I want to compare the sugar in my actual drink, not assume that “no added sugar” means none. Tropicana lists 8.4g per 100ml for Smooth Orange; Marks & Spencer lists 1.1g per 100g for Mediterranean Orange High Juice. |
| Drink type | Check whether the label says 100% juice, high juice, squash or orange-flavoured soft drink. Read the juice percentage and ingredient list. | If I want orange juice itself, a diluted orange drink is a different choice. Marks & Spencer lists 50% orange juice in its Mediterranean Orange High Juice, compared with its Pure Squeezed Orange Juice Smooth, which it describes as juice with nothing else added. |
| Juice portion | Measure a juice serving rather than judging it by the size of the bottle or glass. The NHS advises no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day. | A 150ml afternoon juice uses that day’s combined juice-and-smoothie allowance under NHS guidance, so I would also count any other juice or smoothie I drink. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration, particularly when changing from plain juice to high juice, squash or a diet drink. | I may prefer to avoid a particular sweetener or need to check for sulphites. Marks & Spencer lists both sucralose and sulphites in its Mediterranean Orange High Juice. |
Orange drinks can contain sugars even when none has been added. The NHS also counts naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars.
Compare the listed sugars and your intended serving, then check how much juice the drink contains.
A large glass can exceed the NHS advice of no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day.
Measure the juice you pour and include any other juice or smoothies you have that day.
A high-juice drink with a lower listed sugar value need not have the same ingredients as 100% juice. Marks & Spencer’s Mediterranean Orange High Juice contains sucralose and sulphites.
Check the current ingredient and allergen declaration before choosing a substitute.
Marks & Spencer notes that products can be redeveloped, which matters when a particular sugar figure or ingredient determines your choice.
Use the product page to shortlist drinks, then confirm the label on the pack you receive.
Smooth Orange is a 100% pressed orange juice option for shoppers who want juice rather than an orange-flavoured soft drink.
Marks & Spencer lists both a pure squeezed orange juice and a no-added-sugar orange high juice, allowing shoppers to compare two different drink types.
innocent announced an Orange Juice Smooth 750ml pack for UK convenience retailers in June 2025.
These options are orange-flavoured soft drinks, squash and juice drinks for shoppers considering an alternative to 100% orange juice. Check each pack’s sugar figure and ingredients against the kind of drink you want.
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A ready-to-drink orange-flavoured option in 330ml cans, rather than 100% orange juice. Check the current pack’s sugars figure before relying on the Zero'd wording; the product information identifies acesulfame K and sucralose.
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This is squash to dilute for an afternoon drink, not ready-to-drink orange juice; do not drink it undiluted. Check the dilution instructions and the current label if you need a precise sugars figure. The product information identifies sweeteners and sulphites.
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Individual bottles offer a ready-to-drink orange option. Check the pack’s sugars figure and ingredients rather than treating “low sugar” as a zero-sugar claim. The product information lists sucralose and acesulfame K; its caps contain small parts, and the bottles are unsuitable for children under 36 months.
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Consider this if a ready-to-drink orange and multi-fruit option suits your snack. Although the original product title uses “100% Orange Juice”, the described ingredients include water and several fruits; do not assume it is 100% orange juice. Confirm the drink description and nutrition panel on the current pack.
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The 200ml pouches are a ready-to-drink orange option, not 100% orange juice. The Zero wording conflicts with a listed figure of 0.6g sugars per 100ml, so check the current pack before relying on a zero-sugar claim. The product information lists sucralose and says the straw presents a choking hazard for children under 3.
No. Marks & Spencer’s no-added-sugar Mediterranean Orange High Juice lists 1.1g sugars per 100g. Read “of which sugars” on the drink you plan to buy rather than treating the two label claims as equivalent.
The NHS advises no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day. If you have orange juice with an afternoon snack, count any other juice or smoothies you have that day within that combined amount.
Yes. The NHS classifies sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars, even though they occur naturally. Check both the listed sugars and the size of the serving you pour.
No. Marks & Spencer lists 50% orange juice, sucralose and sulphites in its Mediterranean Orange High Juice. It may suit someone prioritising its lower listed sugar value, but check the ingredients if you specifically want 100% juice or need to avoid sulphites.
Check the drink type, sugars per 100ml or 100g, the amount you will drink, and the ingredient and allergen declarations. Confirm those details on the current pack, particularly if a sweetener, sulphites or a zero-sugar claim determines your choice.