Choose 100% orange juice if you want a measured juice serving with lunch; the NHS advises a combined maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies per day because their naturally occurring sugars count as free sugars. A no-added-sugar orange drink or diluted squash is a different choice: check its sugars per prepared serving, sweeteners, ingredients and mixing instructions rather than treating the wording as equivalent to pure juice.
The useful distinction is whether lunch calls for a measured serving of pure juice or a drink prepared from squash.
A lunch at home is different from one packed for a trip or activity club: think about the amount the child will drink and whether the pack needs to stay chilled. The NHS advises serving fruit juice with a meal and limiting fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml per day.
“No added sugar” appears on both pure juices and drinks containing sweeteners. Read the product type, nutrition panel and ingredients together before choosing between juice, a ready-to-drink juice drink and squash.
A portable bottle may hold more than one juice serving, while a larger pack needs measuring and suitable storage after opening. Match the pack to the servings you plan to use and follow its own label instructions.
Start with the drink type, then check the amount you will actually serve. Nutrition figures for undiluted juice and prepared squash describe different quantities, so keep their stated serving sizes in view.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type | Check whether the label says 100% orange juice, juice drink or squash. For squash, read the dilution instructions and nutrition information for the prepared drink. | I want to know whether I am serving pure juice or an orange drink that needs mixing. Tesco lists its No Added Sugar High Juice as a squash made with 50% orange juice from concentrate, diluted one part squash to four parts water. |
| Sugars | Read sugars per 100ml and per intended serving; “no added sugar” does not mean sugar-free. Keep the stated amounts and preparation methods attached to any figures you compare. | If I choose pure juice, I still want to account for its sugars. The NHS counts sugars naturally present in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars; Sainsbury’s lists 8.6g sugars per 100ml for Tropicana Pure Smooth Orange Fruit Juice. |
| Juice portion | Measure the serving rather than using the whole pack as a guide. The NHS advises no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day, taken with meals. | A bottle is convenient to pack, but I may need to pour out a serving first. Sainsbury’s describes the 300ml Tropicana bottle as two 150ml servings. |
| Ingredients | For squash and juice drinks, check the sweeteners and any allergen information on the exact product. Do not assume that no-added-sugar drinks have the same ingredients as 100% juice. | Sweeteners or sulphites may affect which drink I buy. ASDA lists sucralose, acesulfame K and sulphites for its 50% Fruit No Added Sugar High Juice. |
| Storage | Read the refrigeration instructions and the time allowed after opening. Choose a pack size that fits how many servings you expect to use. | For several holiday lunches, I need a pack I can use within its labelled period. Sainsbury’s lists 0–8°C refrigeration and use within four days of opening for Innocent Smooth Orange Juice; Marks & Spencer says its Smooth Orange Juice should be refrigerated and used within 24 hours of opening. |
Unsweetened fruit juice still contains naturally occurring sugars, which the NHS counts as free sugars. The front-of-pack wording alone does not tell you how much sugar is in the serving.
Check the nutrition panel for the amount you intend to pour, as well as the figure per 100ml.
Sainsbury’s lists two 150ml servings in the 300ml Tropicana Pure Smooth bottle. The NHS advises a combined maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies per day.
Measure a 150ml juice serving before packing lunch, rather than relying on the bottle’s size.
A concentrated squash has its own ingredients and must be prepared as directed. ASDA’s 50% Fruit No Added Sugar High Juice, for example, lists sweeteners and sulphites as well as orange juice from concentrate.
Check the ingredients and dilution directions if choosing squash; choose a product labelled 100% juice if pure orange juice is what you intend to serve.
Post-opening instructions differ: Sainsbury’s gives four days for Innocent Smooth Orange Juice, while Marks & Spencer gives 24 hours for its Smooth Orange Juice.
Check the exact pack before buying and plan how many measured servings the household will use after opening.
A pack that cannot be finished within its stated period may leave juice unused.
These examples show why the product label matters more than the brand name alone: pure juice, juice drinks and squash call for different checks.
Sainsbury’s lists Tropicana Pure Smooth Orange Fruit Juice as 100% pressed juice, not from concentrate, in a 300ml bottle.
Sainsbury’s describes Innocent Smooth Orange Juice 900ml as 100% pure orange juice with no added sugar.
Tesco lists both a concentrated No Added Sugar High Juice Orange squash and a ready-to-drink Growers Harvest Orange Juice Drink.
ASDA’s 50% Fruit No Added Sugar High Juice Orange is a concentrated squash, not a ready-to-drink pure juice.
Marks & Spencer describes its Smooth Orange Juice as not from concentrate and free from artificial sweeteners, colours and flavourings.
This option is a no-added-sugar orange squash to dilute for lunch. It is not a 100% orange juice option, so check the pack’s mixing and ingredient instructions before serving.
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This is an orange squash for a lunch drink prepared by dilution, rather than a serving of pure orange juice. Follow the pack’s mixing directions and check its ingredient and age information before serving it to a child.
No. The NHS counts sugars naturally present in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. “No added sugar” does not mean that a juice contains no sugar; for example, Sainsbury’s lists 8.6g sugars per 100ml for Tropicana Pure Smooth Orange Fruit Juice.
The NHS advises a combined maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies per day, taken with meals. Measure the juice rather than treating a bottle as one serving: Sainsbury’s lists two 150ml servings in its 300ml Tropicana Pure Smooth bottle.
No. Tesco No Added Sugar High Juice Orange is a concentrate containing 50% orange juice from concentrate, with directions to mix one part squash with four parts water. Check the product type, ingredients and prepared-serving nutrition information rather than relying on the no-added-sugar wording.
Check the instructions on the exact pack, including refrigeration and how long it can be used after opening. Sainsbury’s specifies 0–8°C and use within four days of opening for Innocent Smooth Orange Juice; Marks & Spencer says its Smooth Orange Juice should be refrigerated after opening and used within 24 hours.