Mix no-added-sugar squash with sparkling water if you want to adjust the flavour and have time to dilute it as directed. A labelled no-added-sugar sparkling water avoids mixing; sparkling pressé is a different, ready-to-pour choice whose sugar content needs checking on the exact bottle.
The useful distinction is whether you want to prepare a drink or take one straight from the bottle.
If plain water does not appeal, sparkling water or no-added-sugar squash are options named in NHS hydration guidance. Mixing the two gives you a sparkling squash drink, provided you follow the concentrate’s dilution directions.
Look for the claim on the exact bottle, then compare the nutrition information for drinks as served. A sparkling label describes carbonation, not sugar content.
Concentrate lets you prepare a glass when you want one. Dilution varies by product: Ocado’s listing for Robinsons Double Strength Orange specifies one part concentrate to nine parts water, a direction that should not be applied to other squashes.
Choose it when: You want to control how much concentrate goes into your breakfast drink.
Bear in mind: Concentrate needs measuring and diluting; follow the directions for your particular bottle.
Choose it when: A ready-to-drink bottle matters more than adjusting flavour strength.
Bear in mind: Check the individual label if you specifically want no added sugar.
Choose it when: You want a ready-to-pour fruit-and-botanical soft drink rather than diluted squash.
Bear in mind: Standard and Light variants are distinct products; compare their labels rather than assuming either matches squash.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation time | Check whether the drink is ready to serve or concentrated. For squash, read the bottle’s dilution directions. | On a rushed morning, I would rather open a bottle than measure concentrate and sparkling water. |
| Sugar comparison | Check the exact no-added-sugar claim and compare sugar per 100ml or per serving on a consistent, prepared-drink basis. | I want to compare what will be in my glass, not undiluted squash against a drink that is already prepared. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredient and allergen declarations for the exact flavour; a no-added-sugar claim does not describe every ingredient. | If I avoid particular sweeteners or sulphites, the product label matters more than the flavour name. |
| Flavour choice | Decide whether you want adjustable squash strength, a fixed-flavour sparkling water or a ready-to-pour pressé. Check the exact variant’s label. | I would choose a drink I can mix to taste, or pick a bottled flavour when convenience matters more. |
Carbonation does not establish a drink’s sugar content. M&S lists both standard and Light pressé options, while a no-added-sugar claim belongs to the particular product carrying it.
Read the bottle’s claim and nutrition panel; compare sugar per 100ml and per serving where the serving information is available.
Squash is intended to be diluted. Ocado’s Robinsons Double Strength Orange listing specifies one part concentrate to nine parts water, so undiluted figures are not a like-for-like comparison with a bottled drink.
Prepare squash according to its own directions and use the label’s diluted-serving information when comparing drinks.
“No added sugar” does not tell you whether a squash contains a sweetener or an ingredient you need to avoid.
Check the exact bottle’s ingredients and allergen declaration, particularly if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.
These ranges illustrate different ways to make or buy a sparkling breakfast drink; check the individual product rather than extending one variant’s label to the whole range.
A concentrated-squash option for mixing with sparkling water. Ocado lists Robinsons Double Strength Orange as a no-added-sugar squash.
An own-label concentrate route: Tesco Groceries lists Quadruple Strength Lemon Squash No Added Sugar 1.5L.
A retailer route for sparkling water: Sainsbury's suggests adding squash or cordial to it.
A ready-to-pour pressé route rather than a concentrated squash route. M&S lists Sparkling Light British Elderflower Pressé 750 ml.
An own-label squash route: Waitrose & Partners lists Essential No Added Sugar Apple & Blackcurrant Squash 1.5 litre.
These concentrates are options for making sparkling squash at home by diluting with sparkling water. Follow each bottle’s directions; they are not ready-to-drink sparkling waters or pressés.
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An orange concentrate for a breakfast drink you mix yourself. Dilute it according to this bottle’s directions before adding it to your comparison with ready-to-drink options; check its ingredients if sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.
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A Summer Fruits concentrate for mixing a sparkling drink at home. Check this variant’s dilution and storage directions on the bottle, along with its ingredients if sweeteners or sulphites are relevant to you.
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A blackcurrant concentrate to dilute for a sparkling breakfast drink. Follow the bottle’s preparation directions and check its prepared-serving nutrition before comparing calories: the calorie wording and nutrition figures do not give a clear like-for-like basis.
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A pineapple and passion fruit squash to prepare rather than drink straight. Check the bottle’s dilution and prepared-serving nutrition when comparing it with bottled drinks; its calorie wording and nutrition figures do not align clearly.
Yes. Sainsbury's suggests adding squash or cordial to sparkling water. Measure and dilute the squash according to its own bottle; Ocado’s one-part-to-nine-parts-water direction applies specifically to Robinsons Double Strength Orange.
No. It is a sugar claim, not a complete ingredient or allergen description. Read the exact flavour’s label for sweeteners, sulphites and nutrition if those details affect your choice.
Choose squash with sparkling water if you want to adjust a drink you are willing to mix; choose pressé if you want a ready-to-pour fruit-and-botanical soft drink. M&S lists a Light pressé variant, but compare the exact bottle’s sugar information rather than treating “Light” as equivalent to no-added-sugar squash.
Follow the storage and use-after-opening directions on the particular bottle. Check them when choosing a concentrate for repeated breakfasts, as another product’s instructions may differ.