First-time grocery shoppers
If your shopping list says “fruit drink”, decide whether you mean a blended smoothie or a fizzy drink before comparing flavours. Tesco lists smoothies and sparkling drinks separately.
Who is this decision for?
People stocking a shared fridge
A larger bottle may suit several people, but its storage instructions matter once it is open. Tesco’s listing for Innocent Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples 750ml, for example, specifies five 150ml servings and consumption within four days of opening.
Shoppers checking ingredients
If sugar, sweeteners or allergens affect your choice, read the declaration for the exact flavour and pack. A range name or fruit pictured on the front cannot tell you everything in the drink.
What should you check before choosing?
Still fruit smoothie
Choose it when: You want a blended fruit drink rather than carbonation.
Bear in mind: Under NHS guidance, only a combined 150ml of juice and smoothies per day counts towards a maximum of one 5 A Day portion, even if the bottle holds more.
Sparkling fruit drink
Choose it when: Fizz matters more to you than smoothie texture.
Bear in mind: Fruit-flavoured sparkling drinks have different recipes; check the juice ingredients, sugar and sweeteners on the individual pack.
Once you have chosen the drink type, compare labels on the same basis and pick a pack size that fits how you will use it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink type | Read the product description for “smoothie”, “sparkling juice” or “sparkling fruit drink”. Check whether carbonation and fruit purée or juice are listed. | I want a blended drink for one occasion, but something fizzy for another; a fruit flavour alone does not settle that choice. |
| Sugar and servings | Compare the nutrition panels per 100ml, then check the bottle volume and any stated serving size. NHS guidance counts a combined 150ml of juice and smoothies per day towards a maximum of one 5 A Day portion. | A large bottle could last beyond one serving, so I need to plan how much will be poured and how the remainder will be stored. |
| Ingredients | Read the full list for fruit juice or purée, added sugar, sweeteners and other ingredients. Check the allergen information for the exact product. | If I avoid a particular ingredient, I need the label for this flavour and pack—not an assumption based on the range name. |
| Storage | Check whether the drink needs refrigeration, and follow its own instructions after opening. Confirm that a multipack or large bottle fits your storage space. | For a shared fridge, I would rather choose a size we can use within the period stated on its pack. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming a fruit flavour means “smoothie”
Retailer listings distinguish smoothies from sparkling drinks. A fizzy fruit drink may have a different mixture of juice, sugar and sweeteners from a blended smoothie.
Choose the format first, then read the individual product description and ingredients list.
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Confusing a smoothie bottle with one serving
Tesco describes its Innocent Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples 750ml bottle as five 150ml servings. NHS guidance counts a combined daily total of 150ml of juice and smoothies towards no more than one 5 A Day portion.
Check the serving information and the after-opening instructions before choosing a bottle to drink alone or share.
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Using a range description to judge ingredients
Recipes can differ between flavours. Joybuy’s QDOL sparkling fruit drink listing, for example, names sugar, juice concentrates and a sweetener; those ingredients should not be assumed for another drink.
Read the exact pack’s ingredient and allergen information, especially when changing flavour or product.
Brands and retailer ranges to recognise
These names help you locate relevant ranges; compare individual drinks by their own labels rather than treating a brand or supermarket category as a single recipe.
innocent
Tesco and Waitrose list innocent smoothies, including different flavours and bottle sizes.
- Tesco’s Innocent Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples 750ml listing specifies five 150ml servings and refrigeration at 0–8°C.
- That product’s storage and serving details should not be applied to every innocent smoothie; check the flavour you select.
Naked
Tesco lists named Naked smoothie variants, including Green Machine, Blue Machine, Fibre Machine and Protein Machine.
- The named variants make it possible to distinguish products while browsing the smoothie range.
- A variant name does not establish its ingredients, nutrition or suitability for a particular dietary need; read its own label.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label fruit smoothies alongside branded smoothies in its smoothie category.
- The listed own-label options include Mango Passion Fruit Smoothie and Strawberry Sensation Smoothie.
- The category listing alone does not establish how their recipes or nutrition compare with branded drinks.
M&S
M&S presents fruit smoothies separately from its sparkling-water and fizzy-drink ranges.
- M&S describes its Very Berry Smoothie as a blend of fruit juices and purées.
- That description applies to Very Berry Smoothie, not to every fruit drink in the M&S range.
Waitrose
Waitrose has a dedicated chilled-smoothie category.
- The category offers a starting point for browsing different smoothie flavours.
- Check each selected product’s ingredients and storage instructions rather than relying on the category description.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury’s separates smoothies, fruit juice, fruit-and-veg blends and other drinks within its fruit juice and smoothies department.
- Those category distinctions can help narrow a first-shop search by drink type.
- Check the chosen product label for its actual recipe and nutrition.
Sparkling fruit drinks on Joybuy
These options are for the fizzy-drink side of the decision, not substitutes for the blended texture of a still fruit smoothie. Compare their stated pack sizes, then check each product’s current label for ingredients and nutrition.
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Bei Bing Yang Orange Juice Soda 330ml
A 330ml orange juice soda to consider when you want fizz rather than a smoothie. Check its ingredient list and sugar per 100ml against the other drinks you are considering.
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Tango Apple Sugar-Free, 24 × 330ml cans
The 24-can format suits a shop where you have room to store several fizzy drinks. “Sugar-Free” is part of the product name; read the exact nutrition panel and sweetener information if those details matter to you.
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De Vina Sparkling White Grape 750ml
This 750ml sparkling grape drink is an option when you want a larger bottle of fizz. Check the allergen declaration if sulphites matter to you, and follow the bottle’s instructions after opening.
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De Vina Sparkling Peach 750ml
Choose this 750ml bottle to compare a sparkling peach drink with other fizzy flavours. Read the sugar information and allergen declaration on the exact pack, and check how soon it should be used after opening.
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De Vina Sparkling Apple 750ml
This 750ml sparkling apple drink covers another fizzy flavour rather than the smoothie route. Read the nutrition values on the exact label before comparing its sugar with other drinks; handle the glass bottle carefully.
Questions about smoothies and sparkling drinks
Is a sparkling fruit drink the same as a smoothie?
No general equivalence should be assumed: Tesco lists smoothies and sparkling drinks separately, and their ingredients can differ. If you want blended fruit texture, look for a smoothie; if you want fizz, check the description and ingredients of the sparkling drink.
How much smoothie counts towards 5 A Day?
NHS guidance says a combined total of 150ml of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie per day counts towards a maximum of one 5 A Day portion. A bottle containing several 150ml servings does not increase that maximum.
How should I store a large smoothie after opening?
Follow that product’s own storage instructions. Tesco’s listing for Innocent Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples 750ml specifies refrigeration at 0–8°C and consumption within four days after opening; another smoothie may have different instructions.
What if I need to avoid an ingredient or allergen?
Check the ingredient and allergen information on the exact drink and flavour you intend to buy. Do not rely on a range description or fruit flavour name; ask the retailer or manufacturer if a relevant detail is unclear.