Gamers who want apple juice without added sweetening
If you want juice rather than an apple-flavoured drink, read the ingredients as well as the front of the pack. The sugars figure per 100ml helps you compare different juices.
Who is choosing?
Gamers who sip through a long session
A drink left beside you for hours raises a different portion question from a glass poured with a snack. Decide how much juice to pour and keep water available for the rest of the session.
Shoppers considering apple squash
If you want a drink to dilute rather than pure apple juice, check its fruit percentage, sweeteners, allergens and dilution directions. ‘No added sugar’ does not make squash the same product as 100% juice.
What should you check?
Decide whether you want juice or a drink to dilute, then compare the sugar declaration, serving format and storage instructions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar declaration | Read sugars per 100ml and per serving where shown. The NHS classifies sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars, so ‘no added sugar’ does not mean sugar-free. | I want to know how much sugar is in the drink, not just whether sugar has been added. |
| Type of drink | Check the fruit-juice percentage, ingredients and whether dilution is required. Marks & Spencer describes its Apple and Elderflower High Juice as 50% fruit juice and lists sucralose. | If I choose squash, I want to know how it differs from a glass of apple juice. |
| Serving format | Check the can or bottle size against the amount you intend to pour. A single-serve container need not be drunk in one sitting. | For a long session, I would rather choose my portion than keep sipping from an open container. |
| Storage after opening | Read the exact pack’s storage directions and opened-life instruction before choosing a large bottle. | If I will be the only person drinking it, I need a format I can use within the stated period. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘sugar-free’
Apple juice can contain sugars without added sweetening. Tropicana UK and Copella Fruit Juices each list 10g sugars per 100ml for their named apple juices; Tesco Groceries lists 11.2g per 100ml for its 100% Pressed Apple Juice.
Compare the ingredients and the sugars declaration per 100ml, then check the portion you plan to drink.
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Letting a juice last the whole gaming session
The NHS classifies sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. Repeated sipping also makes it less clear how much of a larger container you have drunk.
Pour a portion with your snack and keep water at the desk for routine drinking.
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Choosing a large bottle without reading the storage directions
Opened-life instructions differ between products. Marks & Spencer’s Cloudy Apple Juice says to drink it within 24 hours of opening, while Tesco Groceries’ listing for Copella Apple Juice 1.35L says four days.
Choose a size that suits the number of people sharing it and follow the instructions on the pack you buy.
Juice left after its stated opened life may go to waste.
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Treating apple squash as pure apple juice
Marks & Spencer describes its no-added-sugar Apple and Elderflower High Juice as 50% fruit juice and lists sucralose. It is a drink to dilute, not 100% apple juice.
Check fruit percentage, sweeteners, allergen information and dilution directions when comparing squash with juice.
Brand and product-line references
Tropicana
Orchard Apple is a juice option for shoppers comparing ingredients and labelled sugars.
- Tropicana UK lists apple juice and ascorbic acid as ingredients, with 10g sugars per 100ml.
- Those sugars remain relevant even when comparing juices without added sweetening.
Copella
Cloudy Apple is a pressed-juice option for shoppers who want apple juice rather than squash.
- Copella Fruit Juices lists pressed apple juice and vitamin C, with 10g sugars per 100ml.
- Check the size and opened-life instructions of the bottle you choose.
Tesco
Its 100% Pressed Apple Juice offers another labelled juice for a like-for-like sugar comparison.
- Tesco Groceries describes the juice as pressed and not from concentrate.
- Its listed 11.2g sugars per 100ml is higher than the 10g per 100ml stated for the named Tropicana and Copella products.
M&S
The named M&S products illustrate the distinction between cloudy apple juice and apple-based high juice.
- Marks & Spencer describes its Apple and Elderflower High Juice as no added sugar and 50% fruit juice, with sucralose listed as a sweetener.
- Its Cloudy Apple Juice states that it should be drunk within 24 hours of opening; check the directions for the product you buy.
Joybuy product options
For sparkling apple juice alongside a gaming snack, this option is a six-pack of 250ml cans.
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Appletiser 100% Apple Juice Lightly Sparkling 6x250ml
A can can accompany a snack, while its 250ml size is worth considering if you prefer to pour a smaller amount during a long session. This is a six-pack of lightly sparkling 100% apple juice. If ‘no added sugar’ is important to your choice, check the current can’s wording and sugars declaration.
Questions about apple juice
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean apple juice is sugar-free?
No. The phrase does not mean the juice contains no sugar: the NHS classifies sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. Read the sugars declaration per 100ml and the ingredients to understand the particular drink.
What should I pour with a gaming snack?
If you choose apple juice, decide on a portion to pour rather than sipping from a larger container throughout the session. The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars; water is another drink to keep at your desk.
Should I choose 100% apple juice or no-added-sugar squash?
Choose 100% juice if you want apple juice itself; choose squash if you want a drink to dilute and its ingredients suit you. Marks & Spencer describes its no-added-sugar Apple and Elderflower High Juice as 50% fruit juice and lists sucralose, so check fruit content and sweeteners rather than treating the two drinks as interchangeable.
How long can I keep an opened bottle?
Follow the instructions on the exact bottle, as opened-life directions vary. Marks & Spencer’s Cloudy Apple Juice says to drink it within 24 hours of opening; Tesco Groceries’ listing for Copella Apple Juice 1.35L says four days.