Who might choose each format?

Students arranging a shared fridge

An unopened long-life juice carton or squash concentrate may be easier to accommodate during move-in. Check the exact pack’s storage directions before and after opening.

Students who want a drink they can pour

Ready-to-drink orange juice needs no dilution. Check whether the product is 100% juice or an orange juice drink with other ingredients.

Students checking sugar wording

No added sugar does not mean no sugars. Compare the ingredients and the ‘of which sugars’ declaration for the amount you intend to serve.

What should you check before buying?

Start with the type of drink you want, then check its storage and preparation instructions against your move-in routine.

Priority What to check Your needs
Drink type Read the product description: orange juice, orange juice drink or high juice squash. Check the ingredients and whether it needs dilution. I want to know whether I can pour it straight away or need to mix it with water. ‘No added sugar’ alone does not answer that question.
Storage Check the unopened storage directions, then the refrigeration and use instructions after opening. Tesco Groceries lists four days after opening for its 1.35L Innocent Smooth Orange Juice. Fridge space may be uncertain on move-in day, and I might not finish a large bottle quickly.
Preparation For squash, follow the pack’s dilution instructions. ASDA Groceries specifies one part squash to four parts water for its 50% Fruit No Added Sugar High Juice Orange. I would rather pour a ready-to-drink juice, or I am content to mix a concentrate when I want a serving.
Serving size Compare sugars for the amount served, noting whether a squash panel describes the diluted drink. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day. I want a serving that fits my routine, rather than assuming a no-added-sugar label means the drink contains no sugars.

Common mix-ups to avoid

  • Treating every orange drink as pure juice

    An orange juice drink or high juice squash can have different ingredients and preparation instructions from 100% orange juice.

    Read the full product description and ingredients, then check whether the drink needs diluting.

  • Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘sugar-free’

    Orange juice contains naturally occurring sugars. Tesco Groceries notes this distinction on its Tropicana Smooth Orange Juice listing.

    Check the ‘of which sugars’ line for the serving you plan to pour. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day.

  • Opening a large chilled bottle without a plan to use it

    Opened-pack instructions differ: Tesco Groceries lists four days for its 1.35L Innocent juice, while Sainsbury’s lists two days for its Taste the Difference freshly squeezed juice.

    Choose a pack size you can use within its stated period, and check its refrigeration instructions.

  • Comparing squash and juice on different serving bases

    Squash is prepared with water, whereas ready-to-drink juice is poured as sold. The amount in a glass therefore matters when reading their nutrition panels.

    Follow the squash’s dilution directions and compare declarations for equivalent prepared servings.

Brand and retailer examples

Tropicana

Its long-life Smooth Orange with No Bits is a ready-to-drink option for someone arranging fridge space at move-in.

  • Tropicana describes this product as 100% pressed fruit juice, not from concentrate, with no added sugar.
  • No added sugar does not remove the naturally occurring sugars in juice; check the nutrition label.

Innocent

Its Smooth Orange Juice 1.35L is a chilled, ready-to-drink option.

  • There is no dilution step.
  • Tesco Groceries specifies refrigeration at 0–8°C and consumption within four days after opening for this bottle.

Tesco

Its listings illustrate the difference between high juice squash and an orange juice drink.

  • Tesco No Added Sugar High Juice Orange is identified as a concentrated drink to dilute.
  • Tesco Groceries describes both that high juice and Growers Harvest Orange Juice Drink No Added Sugar as containing sweeteners; neither name alone establishes that a product is pure juice.

Sainsbury's

Its cited orange juices include a smooth juice from concentrate and a freshly squeezed option.

  • Sainsbury's lists orange juice from concentrate for its Smooth Pure Orange Juice.
  • Its Taste the Difference Freshly Squeezed Smooth Orange Juice should be used within two days of opening, according to the retailer.

Asda

Its cited products offer a clear choice between ready-to-drink juice and dilutable high juice.

  • ASDA Groceries lists orange juice from concentrate as the ingredient in its Smooth Orange Juice 1 Litre.
  • Its 50% Fruit No Added Sugar High Juice Orange is a different drink: the retailer instructs customers to dilute one part squash with four parts water.

M&S

Mediterranean Orange High Juice is a concentrate to consider if mixing a drink suits your routine.

  • Marks & Spencer describes this high juice as containing 50% fruit juice with no added sugar.
  • Ocado instructs customers to dilute it one part to four parts water; it is not a ready-to-drink 100% juice.

Joybuy squash option

This orange squash option suits the dilutable-drink side of the choice, rather than the ready-to-drink 100% juice side.

Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L bottle

Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L

For a move-in routine where mixing a drink is convenient, this 1L no-added-sugar orange squash is a concentrate rather than ready-to-drink 100% orange juice. Check the bottle’s ingredients, dilution directions and storage instructions for your intended use.

View on Joybuy

Questions about juice and squash

Does ‘no added sugar’ mean an orange drink is sugar-free?

No. Orange juice can contain naturally occurring sugars without added sugar. Tesco Groceries makes that distinction on its Tropicana Smooth Orange Juice listing; check the ingredients and the ‘of which sugars’ declaration on the product you choose.

Should I buy orange juice or high juice squash for move-in?

Choose 100% orange juice if you want a drink you can pour without dilution. Choose high juice squash if you are content to mix it with water; check its ingredients and storage instructions rather than treating it as pure juice.

Can orange juice go in a cupboard?

Some unopened long-life cartons can, but chilled juice has different directions. Check the exact pack before storing it, and follow its separate refrigeration and use instructions after opening.

How much juice counts towards 5 A Day?

The NHS says a combined total of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day counts as one 5 A Day portion; drinking more does not add further portions. Its guidance advises having juice with a meal.

Do I need to check ingredients if a squash says ‘no added sugar’?

Yes. That wording does not tell you whether the drink contains sweeteners or other ingredients relevant to you. Read the ingredient and allergen information on the exact product before buying.