If you want orange juice, choose a 100% product and plan a 150ml serving with food. GOV.UK says 150ml of juice can count as one 5 A Day portion, but the NHS classifies the naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened juice as free sugars. No-added-sugar squash is a different, diluted drink; check its ingredients and prepared-drink nutrition. If you need a drink with no sugar, choose water rather than assuming that ‘no added sugar’ means sugar-free.
For an orange-flavoured picnic drink, distinguish 100% juice from squash and soft drinks. The NHS counts the naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened juice as free sugars; if no sugar is the requirement, water is a clearer choice than a no-added-sugar claim.
A carton need not define the serving size. GOV.UK uses 150ml of juice for one 5 A Day portion, while Sainsbury’s lists a 200ml orange-juice carton. Pouring into cups makes it easier to plan the amount served.
A larger bottle can be shared with a meal, provided its storage instructions work for the journey and picnic. Sainsbury’s says its 1L 100% Pure Squeezed Smooth Orange Juice must be kept refrigerated.
Decide whether you want straight juice, a drink to dilute or a ready-to-drink alternative; then compare the label on a consistent serving basis and plan how you will carry it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type and sugars | Check whether it is 100% juice, squash or a soft drink. Read sugars per 100ml or per prepared serving, rather than relying on ‘no added sugar’ or ‘zero’ in the name. | I want orange flavour, but I need to know whether the drink contains sugar. The NHS counts naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened juice as free sugars. |
| Serving size | Compare the pack volume with a 150ml juice serving. GOV.UK says 150ml of juice can count as one 5 A Day portion; a larger carton does not create an extra portion. | If I’m serving juice with the picnic meal, I want to pour an amount I’ve planned rather than assume a whole carton is one serving. |
| Dilution and ingredients | For squash or high juice, follow the dilution directions and check whether nutrition values describe the concentrate or the prepared drink. Read the ingredient and allergen information. | I’m happy to mix a drink at the picnic, but I want to check its sweeteners and other ingredients first. Marks & Spencer lists sucralose and sulphites in its Mediterranean Orange High Juice. |
| Picnic storage | Read the unopened and once-opened storage instructions. Bring a cool bag and ice packs when the chosen juice requires refrigeration. | I need the pack to suit the journey and the time outdoors, especially if I’ll open a bottle and serve it over the meal. |
The NHS counts naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. A 100% juice can have no added sugar and still contain sugar.
Check the sugars line as well as the drink type. Choose water when a drink with no sugar is essential.
GOV.UK uses 150ml of juice for one 5 A Day portion. Sainsbury’s lists a 200ml orange-juice carton, so the pack is larger than that reference serving.
Pour juice into cups if you want to serve 150ml, rather than treating the carton size as a portion guide.
Marks & Spencer describes Mediterranean Orange High Juice as 50% fruit juice and lists sucralose and sulphites. It is a different product type from 100% orange juice.
Follow the dilution directions and compare nutrition values only after checking whether each label refers to the drink as sold or prepared.
Sainsbury’s says its 100% Pure Squeezed Smooth Orange Juice must be kept refrigerated, including after opening.
Carry a chilled juice in a cool bag with ice packs and follow the instructions on its pack throughout the picnic.
These examples show why the product type and pack label matter more than the brand name alone.
Tropicana Smooth Orange is a ready-to-drink orange juice.
Tesco’s grocery listing includes innocent Smooth Orange Juice and Orange Juice With Bits in 1.35L packs.
Sainsbury’s lists 100% orange juices in 1L bottles and a separate 200ml-carton format.
M&S Mediterranean Orange High Juice is a concentrate rather than a ready-to-drink 100% juice.
These are orange-flavoured soft drinks and a squash for the picnic, not a selection of 100% orange juices. Compare their labels according to whether you want a ready-to-drink can or pouch, a bottle, or a drink to dilute.
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An orange-flavoured carbonated soft drink for those who prefer ready-to-drink cans to juice or squash. The pack contains eight 330ml cans; check its sugars line if a drink with no sugar is essential.
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An orange-flavoured soft drink in eight ready-to-drink 330ml cans, rather than 100% orange juice. A listed sugars value conflicts with the Zero Sugar name, so check the current pack’s nutrition panel if no sugar is a requirement.
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A squash for hosts who want to prepare an orange-flavoured drink rather than serve straight juice. Follow the pack’s dilution directions and check the prepared-drink nutrition and ingredient information, including sweeteners and sulphites.
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Eight ready-to-drink 200ml orange-drink pouches, not 100% orange juice. A listed sugars value conflicts with the sugar-free description, so check the current label if no sugar is essential. The product description warns that the straw is unsuitable for children under 3 because of a choking hazard.
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Eight ready-to-drink 200ml bottles for an orange-flavoured option rather than 100% juice. ‘Low sugar’ does not mean no sugar: check the pack’s sugars line. The product description warns that the small caps make the bottles unsuitable for children under 36 months and says not to refill them.
No. The NHS counts naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. For example, Tropicana lists 13g sugars per 150ml of Smooth Orange. If your picnic drink must contain no sugar, choose water rather than relying on a no-added-sugar claim.
GOV.UK says 150ml of juice can count as one 5 A Day portion. If you are serving juice at a picnic, measure that amount into a cup rather than assuming the bottle or carton is a 150ml serving.
No. Sainsbury’s lists a 200ml orange-juice carton containing 16g sugars per carton, while GOV.UK uses 150ml of juice for one 5 A Day portion. You can pour a smaller amount if that is the serving you have planned.
Follow the chosen pack’s storage instructions and use a cool bag with ice packs for juice that requires refrigeration. Sainsbury’s says its 100% Pure Squeezed Smooth Orange Juice must be kept refrigerated, including after opening.