Families packing holiday lunches
If orange juice is going into lunch, consider any juice or smoothie served later in the day too. The NHS’s 150ml daily guidance covers the two drinks combined, not 150ml of each.
Who is choosing the lunch drink?
Shoppers comparing orange drinks
If you want orange flavour but not necessarily 100% juice, look beyond the front-of-pack claim. A no-added-sugar high juice, squash or soft drink can differ from pure juice in fruit content, preparation and ingredients.
What should you check first?
Decide whether lunch calls for a measured serving of fruit juice or an orange-flavoured alternative, then compare the drink as it will actually be served.
100% orange juice
Choose when: You want fruit juice with the meal and can measure it within the day’s combined juice-and-smoothie amount.
Bear in mind: The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars, even when none has been added.
No-added-sugar high juice or squash
Choose when: An orange-flavoured drink matters more to you than having 100% juice, and its prepared-serving label suits your needs.
Bear in mind: It is a different product type; check the dilution directions, fruit content and sweeteners.
Water
Choose when: Juice or a smoothie has already been served that day, or you do not want another juice drink with lunch.
Bear in mind: It will not provide the orange flavour that may be the reason for choosing the other drinks.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Juice portion | Measure the juice serving and count other fruit juice or smoothies that day. The NHS advises no more than 150ml combined per day for children and adults, kept to mealtimes. | I want orange juice with lunch without treating a full bottle or carton as the serving size. |
| Sugar wording | Read the sugars figure for the serving alongside “no added sugar”. The NHS says sugars in unsweetened fruit juice count as free sugars; Tropicana lists 13g sugars per 150ml of its Smooth Orange. | A no-added-sugar claim alone does not tell me that the drink is sugar-free. |
| Drink type | Check whether the product is 100% juice, high juice, squash or a soft drink. M&S describes its Mediterranean Orange High Juice as 50% fruit juice, rather than 100% juice. | I may prefer an orange-flavoured drink, but I do not want to mistake it for pure juice. |
| Preparation and ingredients | For a drink that needs diluting, follow its bottle directions and compare nutrition for the prepared amount. Check sweeteners and allergens; M&S lists sucralose in its Mediterranean Orange High Juice. | If I am making drinks for lunch, I need to know how to prepare them and what is in the finished serving. |
| Pack format | Check the container volume against the amount you intend to serve, and read any age or packaging warnings on the product. | Individual cans, pouches or bottles may be convenient to pack, but their full contents are not automatically a 150ml juice serving. |
Common label mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “zero sugar”
Unsweetened orange juice still contains sugars. The NHS classifies sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars, while Tropicana lists 13g sugars per 150ml of its no-added-sugar Smooth Orange.
Check the nutrition panel as well as the claim, and measure juice served with lunch.
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Comparing squash with pure juice as though they are identical
Fruit content and preparation can differ. M&S states that its Mediterranean Orange High Juice contains 50% fruit juice and lists sucralose among its ingredients.
Choose the drink type first. For a diluted product, follow its directions and compare the nutrition for the prepared serving.
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Forgetting juice served at another time
The NHS’s 150ml daily guidance is for fruit juice and smoothies combined, not a separate amount for each drink.
Count a lunchtime juice alongside any smoothie or juice planned for the rest of the day.
Brand and retailer examples
These examples show why the product name and label matter more than assuming every orange drink from a brand is the same type.
Tropicana
Tropicana describes Smooth Orange as 100% pure pressed juice, not from concentrate.
- Its Smooth Orange page states that no sugar is added.
- The same Tropicana nutrition panel lists 13g sugars per 150ml and says the juice contains naturally occurring sugars.
Innocent
Tesco Groceries lists Innocent orange juice in smooth and with-bits versions.
- The listed versions offer a choice of texture within orange juice.
- Innocent says its fruit-based juices contain sugar; check the nutrition panel for the particular bottle.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists a No Added Sugar High Juice Orange product separately from its fresh orange juices.
- The separate listings make it possible to choose between juice and a high-juice drink.
- Check the individual product’s preparation directions and nutrition rather than treating the two categories as interchangeable.
M&S
M&S lists orange juices as well as Mediterranean Orange High Juice.
- M&S states that its Mediterranean Orange High Juice contains 50% fruit juice and has no added sugar.
- Its ingredient list includes sucralose; it is not a 100% orange juice.
Orange-flavoured alternatives on Joybuy
These are orange-flavoured squash and ready-to-drink alternatives for lunch, not a selection of 100% orange juices. Check each pack’s serving information and warnings before choosing one for a child.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
Choose this if you want to prepare an orange squash for lunch rather than serve pure juice. Dilute it according to the bottle directions and check the prepared-serving nutrition and ingredients, including sweeteners and sulphites. The product information says it is not suitable for children under 36 months.
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Tango Orange Zero'd 24 x 330ml
The 330ml cans are a ready-to-drink, sparkling orange soft-drink option, not 100% juice. If the sugar content is decisive for your lunch choice, check the current can’s nutrition panel rather than relying on “Zero'd” in the name.
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Capri-Sun Zero Orange 8 x 200ml
The individual 200ml pouches provide a packable orange-flavoured drink, not a measured 150ml serving of pure juice. Check the current pouch’s sugars figure rather than treating “Zero” as a substitute for the nutrition panel. The product information warns that the straw presents a choking hazard and says the drink is not suitable for children under 3.
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Fruitshoot Orange Low Sugar 8 x 200ml
The individual 200ml bottles suit a lunch that calls for a ready-to-drink orange drink rather than 100% juice. Check the nutrition and sweeteners on the bottle. The product information warns that the caps contain small parts, says it is unsuitable for children under 36 months and advises against refilling the bottles.
Questions about lunch drinks
Does “no added sugar” mean orange juice is sugar-free?
No. The NHS says sugars in unsweetened fruit juice count as free sugars. Tropicana labels its Smooth Orange as having no added sugar but lists 13g sugars per 150ml serving.
How much orange juice can go with a child’s lunch?
The NHS advises children and adults to have no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day, at mealtimes. If juice is served at lunch, count any other juice or smoothie that day within the same amount.
Is lunchtime preferable to drinking orange juice between meals?
Yes, if you are serving juice: NHS guidance says to keep fruit juice and smoothies to mealtimes. The guidance also applies its 150ml daily amount to both drinks combined.
How is no-added-sugar high juice different from 100% orange juice?
High juice is not necessarily pure juice. M&S states that its Mediterranean Orange High Juice contains 50% fruit juice and lists sucralose; check the particular bottle for its fruit content, ingredients, allergens and dilution directions.