Parents packing individual lunches
An individual drink is easy to pack, but its volume matters if the child will finish it. The NHS advises no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day.
Who is choosing juice for holiday lunches?
Families looking specifically for cans
A canned multipack meets the format preference, but the Appletiser 6 x 250ml listing at Tesco is lightly sparkling. Check whether both the drink style and the amount in each can suit the lunch.
Households stocking several lunches
Compare the number of packs, the volume in each and whether the drink is still or sparkling. A multipack does not necessarily provide a 150ml portion.
What matters when choosing a lunch drink?
Start with the individual portion, then choose the drink format and apple-juice type that fit the intended lunch.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Read the volume of one carton or can, not just the multipack total. The NHS advises a combined maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies per day. | I need to know how much juice a child will drink at lunch, including any juice or smoothie they have elsewhere that day. |
| Pack and drink style | Tesco lists still Growers Harvest apple juice in 6 x 200ml cartons and lightly sparkling Appletiser in 6 x 250ml cans. Check both the container and whether the drink is still or sparkling. | For a still lunch drink, I would look at cartons; if cans are the point of the purchase, I would check that a sparkling 250ml serving suits the person drinking it. |
| Juice type | Check whether the label says from concentrate or not from concentrate, and read the ingredients. Tesco describes Growers Harvest as apple juice from concentrate with added citric acid. | I want to distinguish the type of apple juice rather than assume that every multipack contains the same formulation. |
| Sugar information | Read the sugars figure for the amount likely to be consumed. The NHS says sugars in unsweetened fruit juice count as free sugars. | If a label says “no added sugar”, I still want to check the portion rather than treat that wording as a reason to ignore it. |
What should you watch out for?
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Assuming “single serve” means a 150ml portion
Tesco’s Growers Harvest cartons contain 200ml each and its listed Appletiser cans contain 250ml each. Both exceed the NHS guideline of no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day.
Check the volume of the individual pack. If the child would drink it all, consider a smaller serving or whether the drink can be portioned.
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Treating “no added sugar” as a portion guide
The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars, even though they occur naturally in the juice.
Use “no added sugar” to understand the label, then check the amount the child is likely to drink.
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Choosing cans without checking the drink style
The Appletiser 6 x 250ml cans listed by Tesco contain lightly sparkling apple juice, rather than a still drink.
If a still drink is wanted for lunch, compare cartons instead; whichever format you choose, check the individual portion.
Which brands and products illustrate the options?
These product listings show different pack formats; a large shared container is not the same as an individual multipack.
Tropicana
Asda describes Tropicana Orchard Apple Juice as 100% pressed juice, not from concentrate, in a 1.5L carton.
- The listed carton contains 10 x 150ml servings when poured out.
- It is a shared carton, not a multipack of individual cans or cartons.
Copella
Asda lists Copella Cloudy Apple Fruit Juice in a 1.35L bottle and describes it as not from concentrate.
- The cloudy, not-from-concentrate style may matter to shoppers choosing between juice types.
- The listed bottle is not an individual lunch multipack. Asda says to keep it refrigerated and consume it within four days of opening.
Tesco
Tesco lists Growers Harvest Apple Juice From Concentrate as a 6 x 200ml carton multipack, alongside an individual Tesco 200ml apple juice.
- The Growers Harvest pack provides separate still-juice cartons for several lunches.
- Its cartons are not cans, and each 200ml carton is larger than the NHS 150ml combined daily juice-and-smoothie guideline.
Joybuy canned apple juice options
This canned option is for households considering lightly sparkling apple juice for a school-holiday lunch; check the 250ml serving against the amount the intended drinker will have.
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Appletiser 100% Apple Juice Lightly Sparkling 6 x 250ml
The six-can multipack suits someone looking for a lightly sparkling apple drink in individual cans. Each can contains 250ml, which exceeds the NHS guideline of no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies combined per day; consider the amount the intended drinker will have.
Questions about lunch portions
Is a full 200ml carton or 250ml can a 150ml juice portion?
No. Both contain more than 150ml. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day, so check the amount a child will drink and account for any other juice or smoothie that day.
Does “no added sugar” change the juice portion guidance?
No. The NHS says sugars in unsweetened fruit juice still count as free sugars. Check the serving size even when a juice label says “no added sugar”.