Many people enjoy a refreshing glass of Robinsons Squash, but just how healthy is it? We put together this article to investigate whether Robinsons Squash is bad for you or not. Let’s find out.
Table of contents
- Robinsons Squash Ingredients
- Robinsons Squash Nutritional Information
- Does Robinsons Squash have any side effects?
- Is Robinsons Squash good for weight loss?
- Does Robinsons Squash count as water intake?
- Can babies drink Robinsons Squash?
- Can you have Robinsons Squash on Keto?
- Is Robinsons Squash good for you or bad for you?
Robinsons Squash Ingredients
First, let’s run through the ingredients and see if there is anything amiss. We should take into consideration that there are many different flavours of Robinsons Squash, each of which varies slightly in terms of the recipe.
Some of the popular flavours include Orange, Double Strength Apple and Blackcurrant, Summerfruits and Lemon. None of these flavours contains added sugar.
The basic ingredients
The ingredients that speak for themselves are as follows:
- Water is present in all flavours of Robinsons Squash.
- There is a percentage of fruit juice in each type. Orange has 10%, Apple and Blackcurrant has 18%, Summerfruits has 10% of apple, strawberry, plum, blackcurrant and cherry, Lemon has 10% lemon juice, and double strength blackcurrant has 20% blackcurrant juice from concentrate.
- Natural flavourings such as carotenes, carrot, apple, blueberry, hibiscus, and orange are used.
- Citric acid which is a common ingredient is in a large proportion of these drinks.
Stabilisers in Robinsons Fruit Squash
There are usually one or two stabilisers in each flavour of Robinsons Squash.
Stabilisers allow foods to mix without splitting, which lets you mix food types that wouldn’t normally work. For example, lemon juice tends to split dairy products.
Stabilisers used in Robinsons Juices include Cellulose Gum and Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate.
Cellulose gum is a plant derivative that makes foods creamier, while Sucrose acetate isobutyrate is an emulsifier. It literally turns the liquids into emulsions, to ensure they blend without splitting.
Preservatives
There are preservatives used in all varieties of Robinsons fruit squash. These are used to prolong the shelf life of the product so that the natural fruit juices don’t spoil.
Preservatives used include Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Metabisulphite.
Potassium sorbate is a tasteless, colourless synthetic salt.
Sodium Metabisulphite is also known as salt of sulphurous acid. It is a known allergen that can have a negative effect on the health of asthmatics but is otherwise deemed safe.
Added Sugar
Robinsons fruit squashes seem to have no added sugar. They use sweeteners instead, as well as the sugar naturally present in the concentrated fruit juice.
The sweeteners used include Sucralose and Acesulfame K.
Acesulfame K is a versatile sweetener that is around 200 times sweeter than sugar. Generally, it is considered safe within the recommended limits although more research is needed to understand how exactly it impacts health.
Sucralose is a lab-made sweetener created in 1976 which has been deemed safe for human consumption.
However, just like many other artificial sweeteners, it comes with its drawbacks, including a negative effect on the gut microbiome although there are further studies needed to confirm this.
| FLAVOUR | INGREDIENTS |
| Robinsons Orange Squash No Added Sugar | Water, Orange Fruit from Concentrate (10%), Acid (Citric Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Natural Orange Flavouring with other Natural Flavourings, Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Sweeteners (Acesulfame K, Sucralose), Stabilisers (Cellulose Gum, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate), Emulsifier (Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosins), Natural Colour (Carotenes) |
| Robinsons Double Strength Aple & Blackcurrant Squash | Water, Fruit Juices from Concentrate (Apple 18%, Blackcurrant 2%), Acids (Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Natural Flavouring, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Concentrates (Carrot, Apple, Blueberry, Hibiscus), Sweeteners (Acesulfame K, Sucralose), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Stabiliser (Cellulose Gum) |
| Robinsons Summerfruits Squash No Added Sugar | Water, Fruit Juices from Concentrate 10% (Apple 9%, Strawberry 0.4%, Plum, Blackcurrant, Cherry 0.1%), Acid (Citric Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Sweeteners (Sucralose, Acesulfame K), Natural Flavourings, Concentrates (Carrot, Safflower, Blueberry, Lemon), Stabiliser (Cellulose Gum) |
| Robinsons Lemon Squash No Added Sugar | Water, Lemon Fruit from Concentrate (10%), Acid (Citric Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Natural Flavouring, Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Saccharin), Stabiliser (Cellulose Gum) |
| Robinson Double Strength Blackcurrant No Added Sugar Squash | Water, Blackcurrant Juice from Concentrate (20%), Acid (Citric Acid), Natural Flavouring, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Sweeteners (Acesulfame K, Sucralose), Natural Colour (Anthocyanins), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Stabiliser (Cellulose Gum) |
Robinsons Squash Nutritional Information
Robinsons Squash will vary in calories and salt depending on the flavour. In general, all flavours contain trace amounts of fat, saturates, carbs, sugars, and protein.
Sugar content in Robinsons squash
Robinsons Squash is low in sugar, containing only negligible amounts. That’s because it is sweetened with artificial sweeteners and not added sugar.
Compared to Ribena, Vimto, and other cordials it is extremely low in sugar which makes it a better choice if you are trying to avoid added sugar in your foods and drinks.
Calories
Robinsons squash is very low in calories, containing only between 3 and 5 kcals per 250ml serving depending on the flavour.
Salt
Robinsons Squash contains between 0.05g and 0.10g of salt per 250ml serving, with lemon squash being the saltiest. This is a small amount of salt and doesn’t pose any dangers to health.
Keep in mind that the nutritional values will vary if you do not dilute the juice as instructed.
FAQs about Whether Robinsons Fruit Squash is Good for You
In this section, we have attempted to answer some of your FAQs regarding whether Robinsons Fruit Squash is healthy or bad for you.
Does Robinsons Squash have any side effects?
If you suffer from Asthma, the metabisulphites may cause health issues if you drink them in large quantities. This same preservative is also harmful to those with sulphite allergies.
Additionally, some studies have suggested that consuming large amounts of artificial sweeteners, which are often found in Robinsons Squash, may have negative effects on gut health and metabolism.
Is Robinsons Squash good for weight loss?
Robinsons Fruit Squash range has no added sugar and limited fat content.
Drinking this squash helps you increase your daily water intake and keeps you feeling full.
We suggest that it is used as part of a balanced diet to help with weight loss but not in excess due to the use of artificial sweeteners which have not been fully researched and may not be that healthy.
Does Robinsons Squash count as water intake?
According to the NHS, water, squashes, tea and coffee, and other drinks all count towards your daily water intake. They further recommend that you should try to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day.
While Robinsons Squash can count towards your daily water intake, it’s important to note that drinking plain water or unsweetened tea is a healthier option, as they do not contain potentially harmful ingredients like artificial sweeteners.
Can babies drink Robinsons Squash?
Babies should be kept away from sugary drinks altogether. Although this squash is not high in sugar, medical advice is that babies need nothing but their mother’s milk (or a substantial alternative baby formula) for the first year of their life.
Although not suitable for babies, you may give Robinsons Squash to young children.
Can you have Robinsons Squash on Keto?
Robinsons Squash is low in sugar and so is suitable for the keto diet. You must be careful to count it towards your daily recommended sugar intake and dilute it specifically according to the instructions.
Also, those on a Keto diet should choose the flavours with the lowest sugar content.
Conclusion – Is Robinsons Squash good for you or bad for you?
Robinsons Squash contains some potentially harmful ingredients so it’s not suitable for everybody.
The main ingredient that could cause harm is the preservative Sodium Metabisulphite which could have negative effects on people with asthma and allergies.
The other questionable ingredients are artificial sweeteners which may affect gut health and although they are generally safe they could also impact health in other ways. More research is needed to confirm any negative effects but meanwhile, it’s best not to consume drinks containing these sweeteners in excess.
On a plus side, Robinsons Squash is a good way to encourage yourself to drink more water, which is always a healthy lifestyle option.
It doesn’t contain much sugar or fat and has only small amounts of calories and salt.
It is also safe for a Keto diet and useful for those that want to lose weight as part of a calorie-controlled diet.
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