Takeaway diners comparing drink labels
If you want an apple flavour without overlooking the drink’s contribution to the meal, compare sugars and kcal for the amount you will drink. Check whether the label describes juice, a juice drink or squash.
Who is choosing?
People who prefer 100% apple juice
If fruit-juice content matters more to you than finding a lower-sugar drink, a measured serving of pressed or pure juice lets you keep that preference in view. The NHS counts its naturally occurring sugars as free sugars.
Households checking sweeteners and sulphites
Ingredient lists can settle this choice more clearly than front-of-pack wording. Tesco lists sucralose in its No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink; the M&S Apple & Elderflower High Juice listing includes sucralose and sulphites.
What should you check?
Start with the drink type, then compare nutrition for the serving you intend to have with the takeaway. Squash figures must be read at the stated dilution.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and energy | Compare sugars and kcal for the same amount of ready-to-drink product. Tesco lists 3.1g sugars and 13kcal per 150ml; Tropicana and Copella each list 15g and 69kcal per 150ml. M&S lists 2.5g and 13kcal per 250ml after dilution, so its serving is a different size. | I want to know what the glass beside my takeaway adds, rather than judging drinks by their names. |
| Juice portion | Check how much 100% juice you will pour. The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars; a no-added-sugar claim does not change that for pure juice. | I prefer the taste of apple juice and would rather pour a measured serving than assume a large glass is sugar-free. |
| Fruit and ingredients | Read the fruit percentage and sweetener list. Tesco’s juice drink contains 20% apple juice from concentrate and sucralose; M&S High Juice contains 50% fruit juice before dilution and lists sucralose and sulphites. | Fruit content matters to me, or I need to check for a particular ingredient before choosing a lower-sugar drink. |
| Preparation | Check whether the drink is ready to serve. The M&S Apple & Elderflower High Juice nutrition is stated for squash mixed one part to four parts water; its figures should not be applied to undiluted squash. | I want a drink I can serve with the meal and compare on the basis of the glass I will actually prepare. |
Common label mistakes
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Assuming 100% juice has little sugar
The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. Tropicana Orchard Apple and Copella Cloudy Apple each list 15g sugars per 150ml.
If you want juice with the takeaway, pour the amount you intend to drink rather than repeatedly topping up a large glass.
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Comparing squash with a ready-to-drink bottle
M&S lists 2.5g sugars per 250ml of its diluted High Juice, whereas Tesco lists 3.1g per 150ml of ready-to-drink apple juice drink. Those figures describe different serving sizes and preparation.
Follow the squash dilution instructions and compare the nutrition for the amount that ends up in your glass.
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Reading “no added sugar” as “plain apple juice”
Tesco’s no-added-sugar juice drink contains 20% apple juice and sucralose. The M&S apple-and-elderflower squash lists sucralose and sulphites. Neither is the same product type as 100% apple juice.
Choose by the fruit content and ingredient list as well as the sugars figure, especially if you avoid sweeteners or sulphites.
Brand and retailer examples
These product labels illustrate different apple-drink types; a brand’s inclusion here does not mean every drink it makes has the same ingredients or nutrition.
Tropicana
Tropicana describes Orchard Apple as 100% pressed apple juice, not from concentrate.
- Its Orchard Apple label lists apple juice and ascorbic acid.
- Tropicana lists 15g sugars and 69kcal per 150ml; this is not a zero-sugar drink.
Copella
Copella describes Cloudy Apple as pressed apple juice for those who prefer a cloudy style.
- Its listed ingredients are pressed apple juice and vitamin C.
- Copella lists 15g sugars and 69kcal per 150ml, the same labelled amounts as Tropicana Orchard Apple for that serving size.
Tesco
Tesco’s No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink is a juice drink with sweetener, rather than 100% apple juice.
- Tesco lists 3.1g sugars and 13kcal per 150ml.
- Its ingredient list gives 20% apple juice from concentrate and sucralose; check the current pack and availability before relying on this particular product.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists Pure Apple Juice in 200ml cartons made from 100% apple juice from concentrate.
- The carton provides a defined amount to compare with the serving you intend to drink.
- Sainsbury's lists 18.4g sugars and 91kcal per 200ml carton; compare it at that size, not against another drink’s 150ml figures without accounting for the difference.
Asda
Asda Apple Juice from Concentrate is listed as 100% pure apple juice.
- Asda provides nutrition per 150ml: 15g sugars and 65kcal.
- It is a full-juice option, not a zero-sugar apple drink.
M&S
M&S No Added Sugar Apple & Elderflower High Juice is a flavoured squash that is diluted before drinking.
- The Ocado/M&S listing gives 2.5g sugars and 13kcal per 250ml serving prepared with one part squash to four parts water.
- The listing includes sucralose and sulphites. It is not plain apple juice, and its prepared-serving figures depend on the stated dilution.
Joybuy apple-flavoured drinks
These are apple-flavoured ready-to-drink options, including drinks blended with other fruits. They are not a list of 100% apple juices; check each pack when comparing ingredients and serving sizes.
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Tango Sugar Free Apple 8 × 330ml
For an apple-flavoured canned drink with a sugar-free label, this pack contains eight 330ml cans. Check the current ingredient list if fruit content or sweeteners affect your choice.
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Fruit Shoot Black & Apple No Added Sugar 8 × 200ml
An apple-and-blackcurrant option in eight 200ml bottles, rather than plain apple juice. “No added sugar” does not mean sugar-free; read the pack’s sugars figure and ingredients.
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Cawston Press Apple & Pear Fruit Water 3 × 200ml
An apple-and-pear fruit water in three 200ml cartons, not plain apple juice. Compare the sugars on the current pack with other drinks before choosing it for a lower-sugar meal.
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Huierkang Red Apple Juice Drink 248ml
A 248ml carton labelled as an apple juice drink. If limiting sugar is your priority, check the current pack’s ingredients and nutrition for the amount you intend to drink; the product name alone does not establish a no-added-sugar claim.
Questions about apple drinks
Does “no added sugar” mean an apple drink is sugar-free?
No. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink lists 3.1g sugars per 150ml, while M&S Apple & Elderflower High Juice lists 2.5g per 250ml diluted serving. Check both the sugars figure and whether the product is a ready-to-drink juice drink or a squash you must dilute.
Can I choose 100% apple juice with a Chinese takeaway?
Yes, if you want juice and account for the amount you pour rather than treating it as a zero-sugar drink. The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars; Tropicana Orchard Apple and Copella Cloudy Apple each list 15g sugars per 150ml.
Does pressed juice have less sugar than juice from concentrate?
The production description alone does not settle this comparison; check nutrition at the same serving size. Tropicana Orchard Apple and Copella Cloudy Apple each list 15g sugars per 150ml of pressed juice, while Sainsbury's lists 18.4g for its 200ml carton of juice from concentrate.
What if I avoid sweeteners or sulphites?
Read the ingredients of the exact drink. Tesco lists sucralose in its No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink, and the Ocado/M&S listing for Apple & Elderflower High Juice includes sucralose and E223 sulphites. Tropicana Orchard Apple and Copella Cloudy Apple have different, shorter listed ingredients, but each contains 15g sugars per 150ml.