Shoppers who want orange juice
If juice is part of your first breakfast shop, check for 100% orange juice rather than relying on ‘no added sugar’ wording. Fruit juice still contains naturally occurring sugars.
Who is each option for?
The first decision is whether you want orange juice itself or an orange-flavoured alternative.
Shoppers comparing sugar labels
If the listed sugar content matters most, compare juice, ready-to-drink juice drinks and squash after dilution. Check fruit content and sweeteners as well as sugars per 100ml.
Small-household shoppers
If you will use a bottle gradually, check where it must be stored and how soon it must be finished after opening. Opened-life instructions differ between products.
What should you check?
Start with the product description, then compare nutrition and storage instructions for the drink as you will use it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type | Look for 100% orange juice, an orange juice drink or squash. Check the juice percentage and whether squash needs diluting. | I want orange juice itself for breakfast, or I am happy to prepare an orange-flavoured drink instead. |
| Sugar and ingredients | Read ‘of which sugars’ per 100ml and check the serving size. Compare squash using its values when diluted as directed; check the ingredients for sweeteners. | A ‘no added sugar’ label is not enough for my choice: I want to know the sugar content of the drink I will pour. |
| Juice portion | The NHS advises a combined limit of 150ml a day for fruit juice and smoothies; that amount counts as one 5 A Day portion. | If I am buying juice as a 5 A Day portion, a larger glass will not count as additional portions. |
| Storage | Check chilled or cupboard storage and the opened-life instruction on the pack. Tesco Groceries says its Finest Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice with Bits should be consumed within one day of opening. | Will I finish an opened bottle within its stated time, or would a different pack format fit my routine? |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredient and allergen label, particularly on flavoured squashes. Sainsbury’s lists barley in its Fruit and Barley Orange squash. | If I need to avoid a particular ingredient, I will check the exact product rather than assume all orange drinks have the same recipe. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘zero sugar’
It describes what has been added, not the drink’s total sugar content. Tropicana UK says its 100% Original Orange contains naturally occurring sugars.
Read ‘of which sugars’ on the nutrition label, alongside the product description.
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Picking up squash when you meant to buy juice
Squash is a concentrate prepared with water, not a bottle of 100% orange juice. Sainsbury’s describes its Fruit and Barley Orange No Added Sugar product as a squash with 10% fruit.
Check the product name, fruit content and dilution directions before comparing it with ready-to-drink juice.
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Counting a bigger glass as more fruit portions
The NHS says fruit juice and smoothies combined count only once towards 5 A Day, at 150ml.
If that is why you are buying juice, use the NHS portion guidance rather than counting each glass separately.
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Overlooking the opened-life instruction
A bottle may not fit your plans if it must be finished soon after opening. Tesco Groceries specifies one day after opening for its Finest Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice with Bits.
Check the current pack and choose a format you expect to use within its stated opened life.
An unfinished bottle may need to be discarded.
Brand and own-label examples
These examples show why the product description matters more than the brand name alone.
Tropicana
Tropicana UK describes Original Orange as 100% pure pressed juice, not from concentrate.
- An example to check when you want 100% orange juice.
- Its ‘no added sugar’ description does not mean sugar-free; Tropicana says the juice contains naturally occurring sugars.
innocent
Sainsbury’s describes innocent Orange Juice with Bits as 100% pure fruit juice.
- A with-bits example for shoppers seeking orange juice rather than squash.
- The listing notes naturally occurring sugars despite no added sugar.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists both orange juice and a separate no-added-sugar orange juice drink.
- Growers Harvest Orange Juice Drink is described as containing 50% orange juice from concentrate and sucralose.
- Tesco Finest Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice with Bits has a one-day opened-life instruction.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Fruit and Barley Orange No Added Sugar is an orange squash, not orange juice.
- Its product description states 10% fruit and identifies it as a squash with sweeteners.
- Check its barley ingredient against any ingredients you need to avoid.
ASDA
ASDA describes its 50% Fruit No Added Sugar High Juice Orange as a squash to dilute.
- The stated preparation is one part squash to four parts water.
- It is not ready-to-drink orange juice; check nutrition for the prepared drink.
Joybuy orange-drink options
These options are squash and orange-containing drinks for shoppers considering alternatives to 100% orange juice.
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Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
A 1L squash to dilute rather than 100% orange juice. Check the dilution and storage directions, sweeteners and declared sulphites; the product notes say it is not suitable for children under 36 months.
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LIGHT UP Every Moment Orange and Multi-fruit Drink 1L
A ready-to-drink mixed-fruit option, not 100% orange juice. Check the ingredient percentages, sugar declaration and opened-pack storage instructions if you expect to use the 1L pack gradually.
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Fruitshoot Orange Low Sugar, 8 × 200ml
Eight individually packed orange drinks rather than 100% orange juice. Check the sugar and sweetener information on the pack; the product notes also give opened-pack instructions and a small-parts warning for children under 36 months.
Questions about orange drinks
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean orange juice is sugar-free?
No. Tropicana UK says its 100% Original Orange contains naturally occurring sugars despite having no added sugar. Check total sugars on the nutrition label rather than treating the claim as a zero-sugar statement.
How much juice counts towards 5 A Day?
The NHS says 150ml of fruit juice or a smoothie counts as one portion and advises limiting the combined amount to 150ml a day. Drinking more does not add another 5 A Day portion.
Is no-added-sugar orange squash the same as orange juice?
No. Squash is diluted with water, while 100% orange juice is juice as sold. For example, Sainsbury’s describes its Fruit and Barley Orange No Added Sugar product as a 10%-fruit squash with sweeteners.
Can I compare sugar figures for juice and squash?
Yes, if you compare the drinks as consumed. Use the per-100ml figure for ready-to-drink juice and the figure for squash diluted according to its instructions; ASDA specifies one part squash to four parts water for its High Juice Orange.
What if I need to avoid a particular ingredient?
Check the current pack for the exact drink. Sainsbury’s Fruit and Barley Orange squash includes barley, and orange squashes may contain sweeteners or other ingredients that are not present in 100% orange juice.