For a lower-sugar apple-based drink during the match, compare juice drinks by their sugars per 100ml: Sainsbury's lists 2.6g for its no-added-sugar apple-and-pear drink, against 9.2g for its 100% apple juice. Choose 100% apple juice if the pure-juice format matters more, and remember that NHS guidance counts a maximum of 150ml of unsweetened juice as one 5 A Day portion once a day. 'No added sugar' does not mean zero sugar.
If you want an apple-based drink for a long match but prefer less sugar than the 100% juices compared here, check a juice drink's nutrition panel and whether it contains sweeteners. Sainsbury's no-added-sugar apple-and-pear drink is one example; it is not pure apple juice.
If you want a drink made wholly from apple juice, check the product description rather than assuming every apple-based drink is pure juice. The 100% juices listed by Sainsbury's and Tropicana still declare sugars on their nutrition panels.
For a group, compare pack size with the pours you expect to serve and check storage instructions after opening. If serving unsweetened fruit juice, NHS guidance counts no more than 150ml as one 5 A Day portion once a day.
Choose when: Lower sugar per 100ml matters more to you than buying 100% apple juice.
Trade-off: Sainsbury's apple-and-pear example contains water and sweeteners as well as fruit juice; its no-added-sugar label does not mean zero sugar.
Choose when: You specifically want juice made wholly from apples, whether from concentrate or not from concentrate.
Trade-off: The Sainsbury's and Tropicana examples declare 9.2g and 10g sugars per 100ml respectively, so check both the label and your pour size.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and energy | Compare sugars and kcal on the same per-100ml basis. Sainsbury's lists 2.6g sugars and 12kcal per 100ml for its no-added-sugar apple-and-pear drink, versus 9.2g and 46kcal per 100ml for its pure apple juice. | I'd like to know what goes into each glass during the match, not judge it by 'no added sugar' on the front. |
| Type of drink | Read the product description and ingredients for 100% juice, added water and the fruit blend. Sainsbury's pure apple juice lists 100% apple juice from concentrate; its apple-and-pear juice drink also contains water. | Pure apple juice matters to me more than choosing an apple-flavoured drink with a different recipe. |
| Sweeteners | Check the ingredient list as well as the sugars figure. Sainsbury's apple-and-pear drink lists acesulfame K and sucralose; M&S labels its apple-and-blackcurrant drink no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners, while declaring 7.4g sugars per 100g. | I may accept sweeteners to get a lower sugar figure, or prefer a different ingredient list even if the drink still contains sugar. |
| Serving and storage | Check the volume you intend to pour and the pack's instructions after opening. NHS guidance counts a maximum 150ml of unsweetened fruit juice as one 5 A Day portion once a day. | For a shared bottle, I want pours that suit the group and a pack we can use within its stated storage period. |
Fruit-based drinks can contain sugars without added sugar. Sainsbury's declares 2.6g sugars per 100ml in its no-added-sugar apple-and-pear drink; M&S declares 7.4g per 100g in its no-added-sugar apple-and-blackcurrant drink.
Read the sugars line and keep its unit in mind. Check ingredients too if sweeteners affect your choice.
Retailer labels in this selection report some drinks per 100ml and an M&S drink per 100g. Those figures should not be treated as directly interchangeable.
Use matching units when comparing products, and check whether each is 100% juice or a juice drink.
NHS guidance counts a maximum 150ml of unsweetened fruit juice as one 5 A Day portion once a day; further glasses do not add further portions.
Use 150ml as a reference when serving unsweetened juice, and offer other drinks during a longer viewing session.
The Tesco listing for Copella Cloudy Apple Juice says to refrigerate it and consume it within four days of opening. ASDA's Tropicana Pressed Apple listing says five days.
Choose a pack size your group is likely to use and follow the instruction on the bottle you buy.
A partly used bottle may go to waste if it cannot be finished within its stated post-opening period.
Its apple-and-pear juice drink and pure apple juice illustrate two different product types.
Tropicana describes its Orchard Apple juice as 100% pressed and not from concentrate.
The Tesco listing describes Copella Cloudy Apple Juice as not from concentrate.
Its cloudy apple juice and apple-and-blackcurrant juice drink call for different label checks.
Tesco's apple-juice category includes own-label products alongside Copella and Tropicana listings.
These options include juice drinks, an apple-flavoured fizzy drink and 100% apple juices. Check the product type before comparing their sugar figures for match-day serving.
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Eight smaller bottles offer an apple-and-blackcurrant drink to share during the match, rather than 100% apple juice. The listing reports 0.7g sugars per 100ml and identifies acesulfame K and sucralose; no added sugar does not mean sugar-free. Its cap warning says the product is unsuitable for children under 36 months.
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For guests who want an apple-flavoured fizzy drink rather than juice, the listing reports 0g sugars per 100ml. It describes a carbonated soft drink with 4% apple juice and the sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame K, so it should not be mistaken for zero-sugar apple juice. The cans are pressurised.
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This individual carton is an apple juice drink, not pure apple juice. The listing reports 10% apple juice and 5.1g sugars per 100ml; its ingredients include added sugar, fructose-glucose syrup and a sweetener, so it does not suit a no-added-sugar requirement. The listing says to consume it immediately after opening.
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For sharing a still apple juice rather than a flavoured soft drink, the listing describes this carton as 100% juice from concentrate. It reports 10.2g sugars per 100ml, so its no-added-sugar description should not be read as sugar-free. NHS guidance counts a maximum 150ml of unsweetened fruit juice as one 5 A Day portion once a day.
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This six-bottle option is described as 100% apple juice with carbonation for guests who prefer a sparkling format. The listing reports 10.5g sugars per 100ml. Its stated 250ml serving is larger than the maximum 150ml that NHS guidance counts as one daily 5 A Day portion of unsweetened juice.
No. Sainsbury's lists 2.6g sugars per 100ml for its no-added-sugar apple-and-pear juice drink, while M&S lists 7.4g per 100g for its no-added-sugar apple-and-blackcurrant drink. Check the sugars line rather than treating the front-of-pack wording as a zero-sugar claim.
Sainsbury's no-added-sugar Apple & Pear Juice Drink lists 2.6g sugars and 12kcal per 100ml, compared with 9.2g sugars and 46kcal per 100ml for Sainsbury's Pure Apple Juice. The apple-and-pear option contains water and sweeteners; it is not 100% juice.
NHS guidance counts a maximum 150ml of unsweetened fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothies as one 5 A Day portion once a day. A larger glass or a refill does not count as another portion, so consider the pour size when serving juice through a match.
No conclusion follows from that processing description alone. Tropicana lists 10g sugars per 100ml for its not-from-concentrate Orchard Apple juice, while Sainsbury's lists 9.2g per 100ml for its 100% apple juice from concentrate. Compare the exact products' nutrition panels.
Check the bottle's refrigeration and post-opening instructions against how much your group expects to drink. Tesco's Copella Cloudy Apple Juice listing says to consume it within four days of opening; ASDA's Tropicana Pressed Apple listing says five days.