Hosts serving orange juice
If guests expect an undiluted drink at brunch or on the party table, look for 100% orange juice. A no-added-sugar claim does not remove the sugars naturally present in it.
Who is each drink for?
Hosts making diluted drinks
If a prepared orange-flavoured drink is acceptable, squash offers a different serving format. Compare its nutrition after dilution as directed, and decide whether its sweeteners suit your guests.
Hosts checking ingredients for guests
Read the current label rather than relying on the no-added-sugar wording. The orange squash examples below include products listing sweeteners, sulphites or barley extract.
What should you check before buying?
Decide first whether you are serving juice or a drink made from squash. Then compare sugar figures on each product’s stated serving basis and check how it must be prepared and stored.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Type of drink | Check the fruit percentage and whether the bottle is ready to pour or must be diluted. Sainsbury’s lists its Pure Orange Juice as 100% orange juice; its Fruit and Barley Orange squash contains 10% fruit. | If guests expect orange juice, I want to serve juice, not label a diluted squash as the same drink. |
| Sugars per serving | Read the serving size alongside the sugars figure. Tropicana lists 13g per 150ml of Smooth Orange Long Life; Tesco lists 2.2g per prepared 250ml glass of its No Added Sugar High Juice. | I want to know what is in the glass I am serving, rather than compare figures for different drink types and serving sizes as though they were equivalent. |
| Ingredients | Check the full list for sweeteners and ingredients relevant to guests. Sainsbury’s Fruit and Barley Orange No Added Sugar lists sweeteners, barley extract and sulphites. | Some guests may avoid particular ingredients, so I need the bottle label available when they choose a drink. |
| Preparation and storage | Follow the squash dilution instructions. For chilled juice, check fridge space and opened-bottle directions: Tesco’s listing says innocent Smooth Orange Juice must be kept at 0–8°C and used within four days of opening. | I need a drink I can prepare and store as its label directs before and during the party. |
Party-drink mistakes to avoid
-
Treating no added sugar as sugar-free
Fruit juice can have no added sugar and still contain naturally occurring sugars. Tropicana lists 13g sugars per 150ml of its Smooth Orange Long Life; the NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars.
Read the sugars figure and serving size. The NHS advises a combined maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day, with a meal.
-
Comparing juice with undiluted squash
A squash nutrition figure may describe the prepared drink. Tesco’s No Added Sugar High Juice lists 2.2g sugars per 250ml when diluted according to its instructions.
Compare labels on their stated basis, follow the dilution directions and identify the finished drink as squash rather than pure juice.
-
Checking the claim but not the ingredients
No-added-sugar orange squash can contain sweeteners and other ingredients guests need to know about. Sainsbury’s Fruit and Barley Orange No Added Sugar lists barley extract and sulphites.
Keep the current bottles available for guests to read, particularly when ingredient preferences or allergies matter.
-
Forgetting chilled storage
Tesco’s listing specifies refrigeration at 0–8°C for innocent Smooth Orange Juice and use within four days after opening. That matters when planning fridge space and when to open bottles.
Check each pack’s storage directions before buying for the party, including directions that apply after opening.
Brand and product-line references
These examples show how differently labelled orange drinks can fit the same party table; the figures apply to the named products and stated servings.
Tropicana
Tropicana’s Smooth Orange Long Life is a ready-to-pour, 100% juice option that the brand describes as not from concentrate.
- Tropicana lists no added sugar and 13g naturally occurring sugars per 150ml.
- Long-life storage before opening does not change the NHS guidance on fruit-juice portions.
Innocent
Innocent Smooth Orange Juice is a chilled, ready-to-drink 100% juice option in Tesco’s listing.
- The listing gives 12g sugars per 150ml and says no sugar is added.
- Keep it at 0–8°C and use it within four days of opening, according to the listing.
Tesco
Tesco No Added Sugar High Juice Orange is a squash to prepare with water, not a ready-to-pour 100% juice.
- Tesco lists 50% fruit juice from concentrate and 2.2g sugars per 250ml glass when diluted as directed.
- Follow the dilution instructions and check the current ingredients before serving.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has distinct pure-juice and Fruit and Barley Orange squash products; their serving figures describe different drinks.
- Its Pure Orange Juice lists 100% orange juice from concentrate and 12g sugars per 150ml.
- Its Fruit and Barley Orange No Added Sugar squash lists 10% fruit, sweeteners, barley extract and sulphites.
Asda
Asda 50% Fruit No Added Sugar High Juice Orange is a squash with orange juice from concentrate.
- Asda lists 2.5g sugars per prepared 250ml and directs one part squash to four parts water.
- Its ingredients include sucralose and acesulfame K; it is not pure orange juice.
M&S
M&S Mediterranean Orange High Juice is a 50% fruit-juice squash rather than 100% juice.
- Marks & Spencer lists no added sugar and 1.1g sugars per 100g for this product.
- Its listed ingredients include sucralose and sulphites; check the current pack if ingredients matter to guests.
Orange squash on Joybuy
This option is for a Christmas party where a diluted orange squash is acceptable instead of ready-to-pour orange juice.
No image available
Robinsons No Added Sugar Orange Squash 1L
This is a squash option for prepared orange drinks, not 100% orange juice. Follow the pack’s dilution instructions and check its ingredients if guests avoid sweeteners or sulphites. The product information says it is not suitable for children under 36 months.
Questions about serving orange drinks
Does no added sugar mean an orange drink is sugar-free?
No. The claim does not describe sugars already present in fruit. Tropicana lists 13g sugars per 150ml of its no-added-sugar Smooth Orange Long Life juice, so read the nutrition figure as well as the front label.
Does naturally occurring sugar change the NHS advice on juice?
No. The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars and advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined maximum of 150ml a day, with a meal.
How do I compare pure orange juice with high-juice squash?
Check the fruit percentage, ingredients and whether the nutrition figure refers to a ready-to-drink juice or diluted squash. Tesco’s No Added Sugar High Juice lists 2.2g sugars per prepared 250ml when mixed according to its instructions; that is not an undiluted-juice figure.
Is no-added-sugar squash suitable for guests avoiding sweeteners or sulphites?
Do not assume so from the claim. Asda’s 50% Fruit No Added Sugar High Juice lists sweeteners, while Sainsbury’s Fruit and Barley Orange No Added Sugar lists sweeteners, barley extract and sulphites. Check the current label for each bottle you serve.
What should I check if I buy chilled juice for the party?
Check that you can follow its storage and opened-bottle directions. Tesco’s listing says innocent Smooth Orange Juice must be kept at 0–8°C and used within four days after opening; follow the directions on the pack you buy.