People who drink orange juice at breakfast
If you have diabetes and want to keep drinking 100% orange juice, the serving size and carbohydrate on its nutrition label matter more than the no-added-sugar wording alone.
Who is this choice for?
People looking for an everyday orange-flavoured drink
If pure juice is not essential to you, a diluted high juice or squash offers a different format. Compare its nutrition as prepared and check whether its sweeteners or other ingredients matter to you.
People whose treatment can cause hypos
Diabetes UK notes that insulin and some other diabetes medicines can increase hypo risk. Keep the choice of a routine drink separate from the treatment agreed with your diabetes team.
What should you check?
Start with the type of drink, then compare the carbohydrate and sugars in the amount you would actually drink.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| No-added-sugar wording | Read the sugars and carbohydrate figures as well as the front label. Diabetes UK and the NHS explain that sugars in unsweetened fruit juice count as free sugars. | I do not want to mistake “no added sugar” for “sugar-free” or for a diabetes-specific recommendation. |
| Juice serving | Measure the serving against the nutrition panel. Tropicana UK lists 14g carbohydrate and 13g sugars per 150ml of Original Orange; Tesco’s listing for Innocent Orange Juice with Bits gives 12g of each per 150ml. | If I choose 100% juice, I want to know how much carbohydrate is in my glass so I can account for it in my own plan. |
| Drink format | Check whether the product is 100% juice or a concentrate to dilute. Tesco lists 2.2g sugars per 250ml of its high juice when diluted as instructed; Sainsbury’s lists 2.4g per 250ml of its orange squash. Both contain sweeteners. | Orange flavour matters more to me than drinking pure juice, but I want to compare the prepared drink and its ingredients—not the concentrates in their bottles. |
| Everyday use and hypos | Keep routine drink choices separate from hypo treatment. Diabetes UK advises discussing an individual hypo-treatment approach with your diabetes team. | For an everyday drink, I do not want to assume that the product I choose will also be appropriate for treating a hypo. |
Common label mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “low sugar”
Unsweetened orange juice still contains fruit sugars. For example, Tropicana UK lists 13g sugars per 150ml of Original Orange, while Tesco’s Innocent Orange Juice with Bits listing gives 12g per 150ml.
Check both sugars and carbohydrate for the serving you intend to pour.
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Comparing squash concentrate with ready-to-drink juice
The Tesco and Sainsbury’s high-juice figures describe prepared drinks, not undiluted concentrate. Their ingredients also include sweeteners.
Follow the dilution directions and compare the stated serving sizes and ingredients before choosing between formats.
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Pouring a larger glass than the label serving
The carbohydrate in a larger glass of juice will differ from the amount listed for 150ml. Diabetes UK also notes that juice has most of the fibre removed compared with whole fruit.
Measure the juice if you are using its per-150ml figures; choose a whole orange instead when you want the fruit with its fibre.
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Treating an everyday orange drink as a hypo treatment
A no-added-sugar squash cannot be assumed to provide the carbohydrate called for in an individual hypo plan. Diabetes UK says treatment choice should be discussed with your diabetes team.
If you are at risk of hypos, follow your agreed plan rather than choosing a treatment by the drink’s name or front label.
Brand and retailer examples
These examples show why the product type and serving basis matter; a retailer may offer both pure juice and squash.
Tropicana
Original Orange is a no-added-sugar 100% orange juice.
- Tropicana UK lists 14g carbohydrate and 13g sugars per 150ml.
- The no-added-sugar wording does not remove the naturally occurring sugars.
Innocent
Orange Juice with Bits is a 100% orange juice with no sugar added.
- Tesco’s listing gives 12g carbohydrate and 12g sugars per 150ml.
- It remains fruit juice, so the amount poured matters.
Tesco
No Added Sugar High Juice Orange is a concentrate to dilute, not 100% orange juice.
- Tesco lists 2.2g sugars per 250ml glass when diluted as instructed.
- Its ingredients include sucralose and acesulfame K; use the prepared-drink figures only for the stated dilution.
Sainsbury’s
Its No Added Sugar Orange High Juice is a squash containing 50% fruit juice.
- Sainsbury’s lists 2.4g sugars per 250ml prepared serving.
- It contains acesulfame K and sucralose and is not interchangeable with 100% juice.
M&S
Its Smooth Orange Juice and Mediterranean Orange High Juice are different drink formats.
- Marks & Spencer lists 9.3g sugars per 100g for the smooth juice and 1.1g per 100g for the high-juice squash.
- The squash contains sucralose and sulphites. Check which product and serving basis you are comparing.
An orange squash option on Joybuy
This option is an orange-flavoured squash to dilute, for shoppers considering a drink other than 100% orange juice.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
This is an orange-flavoured squash for diluting, rather than 100% orange juice. The product information lists 10% orange fruit from concentrate, sucralose, acesulfame K and sulphites. Follow the pack’s dilution directions and check its carbohydrate and sugars per prepared serving when deciding how it fits into your own plan; do not drink the concentrate undiluted.
Frequently asked questions
Does “no added sugar” mean orange juice is low in sugar?
No. The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. Tropicana UK lists 13g sugars per 150ml of Original Orange, and Tesco’s listing for Innocent Orange Juice with Bits gives 12g per 150ml.
What should I check when pouring 100% orange juice?
Measure your serving and read the carbohydrate and sugars for that amount. Diabetes UK identifies 150ml of juice as one fruit portion; Tropicana Original Orange lists 14g carbohydrate per 150ml, while Innocent Orange Juice with Bits lists 12g per 150ml.
Is no-added-sugar orange squash the same as orange juice?
No. The Tesco and Sainsbury’s high-juice examples are concentrates to dilute and contain sweeteners, whereas the Tropicana and Innocent examples are 100% juice. Compare squash using its prepared-serving figures and follow the dilution directions.
Can I use an orange drink to treat a hypo?
Follow your individual hypo-treatment plan rather than assuming any orange drink will be suitable. Diabetes UK advises discussing treatment choices with your diabetes team; check a no-added-sugar squash’s carbohydrate content rather than treating its name as a guide.