Choose 100% apple juice if you want juice rather than a diluted drink and can measure a serving: the NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day and says that sugars in unsweetened juice count as free sugars. If less labelled sugar per serving matters more, compare drinks on the same volume basis and check their fruit content and sweeteners; ASDA lists 1.8g sugars and sucralose in its 150ml Apple & Pear Juice Drink, while Tesco lists 15g sugars per 150ml for Tropicana Pressed Apple Juice.
If labelled sugar is your main concern, compare the amount in the portion you would drink. A no-added-sugar claim alone does not tell you whether a product is 100% juice or a diluted juice drink; the NHS says sugars in unsweetened juice still count as free sugars.
If you prefer apple juice to a drink made with water and sweetener, check the ingredient list and plan the amount you will pour. Tesco lists Tropicana Pressed Apple Juice as 100% juice, while Copella lists pressed apple juice in its Cloudy Apple ingredients; both list 15g sugars per 150ml.
A carton gives you a defined volume, but sizes differ. ASDA lists its Apple & Pear Juice Drink in a 150ml carton, while Sainsbury's Pure Apple Juice comes in a 200ml carton. Check both the volume and whether the carton contains juice or a juice drink.
Choose it when: You want apple juice rather than a diluted drink and can pour a measured serving.
Trade-off: No added sugar does not remove the naturally occurring juice sugars that the NHS counts as free sugars.
Choose it when: A lower labelled sugar amount per comparable serving matters more to you than having 100% juice.
Trade-off: Check how much fruit juice it contains and whether its ingredient list includes sweetener; the ASDA and Growers Harvest examples both list sucralose.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Labelled sugar | Compare sugars for the same volume, then check the amount in the pack you intend to drink. Tesco lists 15g per 150ml for Tropicana Pressed Apple; ASDA lists 1.8g per 150ml for its Apple & Pear Juice Drink. | I want to know how much sugar is in my afternoon portion, rather than relying on the words ‘no added sugar’. |
| Ingredients | Check whether the label says 100% apple juice or juice drink, the stated fruit percentage and any sweetener. ASDA's apple-and-pear drink lists 6% apple juice, 4% pear juice and sucralose. | I would choose juice if I want an apple-juice drink without dilution; I would consider a diluted option if its ingredients suit me. |
| Portion size | Read the carton volume or measure a pour from a bottle. The NHS advises a combined maximum of 150ml a day for fruit juice and smoothies; Sainsbury's lists 200ml per Pure Apple Juice carton. | A single pack is convenient for my snack, but I do not want to assume that every carton is 150ml. |
| How you drink it | Plan one serving rather than repeated top-ups. NHS advice is to have fruit juice with meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay. | I want a drink to have alongside food, not a bottle to sip from throughout the afternoon. |
The NHS counts naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. Tesco and Copella each list 15g sugars per 150ml for their respective pressed apple juices.
Read the sugars figure for the amount you intend to drink, and check whether a lower-sugar alternative is a diluted drink with sweetener rather than 100% juice.
A carton is not necessarily a 150ml portion: Sainsbury's lists 200ml for its Pure Apple Juice carton, while ASDA's Apple & Pear Juice Drink carton is 150ml.
Check the pack volume against the NHS guidance to limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day. Also check the product type: a juice drink is not the same as 100% juice.
A bottle needs pouring into individual servings, and an opened product must be kept and used according to its own pack instructions.
Measure the amount you want with your snack and check the label's refrigeration and after-opening instructions before choosing a bottle over cartons.
A large bottle may leave unused drink if its after-opening period does not fit how often you plan to serve it.
These examples show why it is worth checking the individual product label rather than assuming every apple-based drink from a brand has the same ingredients or serving size.
Tesco lists Tropicana Pressed Apple Fruit Juice 1.5L as 100% pressed juice, not from concentrate, with no added sugar.
Copella lists pressed apple juice and vitamin C as ingredients in its Cloudy Apple product.
Tesco's listings include both 100% Tropicana pressed apple juice and Growers Harvest No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink.
Sainsbury's lists Pure Apple Juice in 200ml cartons made with 100% apple juice from concentrate.
ASDA lists a 100% Apple Juice from concentrate and a different product, its 150ml Apple & Pear Juice Drink.
The M&S apple-juice category includes cloudy, pressed and Pink Lady-labelled options and a no-added-sugar filter.
These options include an apple-and-pear fruit water in cartons, a bottled apple juice and a sparkling apple juice in cans. Check each pack's ingredients and nutrition panel against the serving you intend to have.
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The cartons give a defined portion for a packed snack. This is an apple-and-pear fruit water rather than apple-only juice; each carton is 200ml, so check its ingredients and sugars for the full carton.
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The 1L bottle suits someone prepared to pour a separate snack serving rather than rely on a pre-portioned pack. Check the label for ingredients, sugars per serving and after-opening storage instructions.
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This lightly sparkling apple juice comes in individual 250ml cans. A whole can is larger than the NHS combined daily 150ml guide for fruit juice and smoothies; check the nutrition panel for the amount you plan to drink.
No. The NHS says naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened fruit juice still count as free sugars. Check sugars for the portion you will drink: Tesco and Copella each list 15g per 150ml for their respective pressed apple juices.
The NHS Eatwell Guide advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined total of no more than 150ml a day. If you choose juice, check the pack volume or measure your pour; one carton can contain more than 150ml.
The NHS advises having fruit juice with meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay, rather than repeatedly sipping it. For an afternoon snack, plan when you will have the drink alongside food.
The ingredient list and fruit percentage tell you which you are buying. For example, ASDA lists 100% apple juice from concentrate in one product, but its separate Apple & Pear Juice Drink contains water, 6% apple juice, 4% pear juice and sucralose.
Check its serving information and pack-specific refrigeration and use-after-opening instructions. A 1L bottle does not divide itself into snack portions, so decide how much you intend to pour before opening it.