Shoppers who want 100% apple juice
Pressed or pure apple juice fits when juice itself is the priority. For lunch, plan a 150ml serving rather than treating a larger bottle as a single portion; that follows NHS guidance for fruit juice and smoothies.
Who each option suits
The useful distinction is whether you want pure apple juice, a drink with fewer listed sugars, or a pack that makes your planned serving easy to manage.
Shoppers comparing drink sugars
A no-added-sugar juice drink or squash may fit if you are open to a drink containing less juice and sweeteners. Compare the sugars line for the amount you will actually drink, not the claim on the front of the pack.
Shoppers packing lunch to take away
A ready-to-drink carton, bottle or pouch needs no preparation. If it contains fruit juice, compare its volume with the NHS 150ml daily guidance; squash instead needs diluting before you leave or where you eat.
What to check before buying
Start with the type of drink you want, then compare the nutrition information for the serving you plan to have with lunch.
100% apple juice
Choose when: You want pure juice as a small accompaniment to lunch.
Bear in mind: Fruit juice contains free sugars even when none are added; NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies to 150ml a day.
No-added-sugar juice drink
Choose when: You want a ready-to-drink apple-flavoured option and are willing to check its sugars and sweeteners.
Bear in mind: A juice drink is not necessarily pure juice. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink, for example, lists 20% apple juice from concentrate and sucralose.
Diluted squash
Choose when: You can make up a drink before leaving or have water available at lunchtime.
Bear in mind: Squash needs dilution. M&S Apple and Elderflower High Juice also lists sucralose and sulphites, so check its ingredients if either matters to you.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare “of which sugars” for the same serving size. Tesco lists 3.1g per 150ml for its no-added-sugar apple juice drink; Tropicana lists 15g per 150ml for Orchard Apple juice. | I want to know how much sugar is in the drink I will have with lunch, rather than rely on “no added sugar” as a zero-sugar claim. |
| Drink type | Read the product description, juice percentage and ingredients. Check whether it is 100% juice, a juice drink or a concentrate, and whether it contains sweeteners. | Pure apple juice matters to me, or I am happy with an apple-flavoured alternative if its ingredients suit me. |
| Portion | Compare the pack volume with the NHS limit of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day, taken with a meal. A 200ml juice carton exceeds that amount if finished in one sitting. | I need a way to take a small serving of juice with lunch rather than assume one portable pack equals one portion. |
| Preparation | Check whether the drink is ready to consume or needs diluting. For squash, read the dilution instructions and allergen information before packing it. | On a journey, I would rather carry a ready-to-drink pack; with access to water, making up squash may also work. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “zero sugar”
Tesco’s No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink still lists 3.1g sugars per 150ml. The wording does not tell you that the finished drink contains no sugars.
Compare the “of which sugars” line for your serving and read the ingredients for juice content and sweeteners.
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Counting a whole large carton as one juice portion
The NHS advises a maximum of 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day, with a meal. A portable juice carton can hold more than that amount.
If you choose 100% juice, check the pack volume and plan how you will pour or save a 150ml serving.
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Assuming a juice drink is pure juice
Tesco’s no-added-sugar apple juice drink lists water, 20% apple juice from concentrate and sucralose. Tropicana describes Orchard Apple as 100% pressed juice, not from concentrate: these are different types of drink.
Decide whether pure juice or the drink’s listed sugars and ingredients matter more to you, then check the product description.
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Forgetting that squash needs preparing
Squash requires water before drinking. M&S Apple and Elderflower High Juice also lists sulphites, which matter to shoppers avoiding that allergen.
Check the dilution instructions, ingredients and allergen declaration before putting squash in a lunch bag.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show how particular product lines differ; check the label of the pack you choose for its current ingredients and nutrition.
Tropicana
Tropicana describes Orchard Apple as 100% pressed juice, not from concentrate.
- Tropicana lists 15g sugars per 150ml for Orchard Apple, giving you a stated serving figure to use when planning lunch.
- It is a pure-juice choice, not a zero-sugar drink.
Copella
Copella describes Cloudy Apple as a pressed apple juice.
- Copella says a 150ml glass of Cloudy Apple counts as one of 5 A Day.
- As fruit juice, it still falls within the NHS guidance of no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day.
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 per 150ml for its 1L drink.
- The ingredient list includes 20% apple juice from concentrate and sucralose; “no added sugar” does not mean sugar-free.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a no-added-sugar Apple & Pear Juice Drink with sweeteners.
- It is an option to examine if an apple-and-pear juice drink fits your lunch plans.
- It is not pure apple juice; check its nutrition and ingredients for the serving you intend to drink.
Asda
Asda lists an Apple Juice from Concentrate for shoppers choosing juice rather than a sweetened juice drink.
- Asda lists apple juice from concentrate as the ingredient.
- Asda lists 15g sugars per 150ml, so portion size remains relevant.
M&S
M&S lists both a portable Apple Juice carton and an Apple and Elderflower High Juice concentrate.
- The 200ml juice carton is ready to drink; the high juice offers a drink you prepare by dilution.
- The carton is larger than the NHS 150ml daily fruit-juice limit. The high juice lists sucralose and sulphites and is not equivalent to pure apple juice.
Apple-flavoured drinks on Joybuy
These ready-to-drink options suit a portable lunch if you want an apple-flavoured soft drink rather than 100% apple juice. Check each pack’s ingredients and nutrition when deciding between them.
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Fruit Shoot Black & Apple No Added Sugar 8 × 200ml
The eight 200ml bottles offer a ready-to-drink format for packed lunches. This is an apple-and-blackcurrant soft drink, not 100% apple juice; check the pack’s sugars per bottle and sweeteners if those affect your choice. Keep the caps away from children under 36 months because they contain small parts.
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Tango Sugar Free Apple 8 × 330ml
The 330ml cans are a ready-to-drink option if you want a carbonated apple-flavoured soft drink with lunch. This is not 100% apple juice and contains sweeteners; check the ingredients if you avoid sucralose or acesulfame K.
Questions about lunch 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 and contains sucralose. Check the sugars line and ingredients rather than treating the front-of-pack wording as a zero-sugar claim.
How much apple juice should I have with lunch?
The NHS advises no more than one small 150ml glass of fruit juice or smoothies a day, taken with a meal, because they are high in sugar. If a carton or bottle is larger, check its volume and plan what to do with the remainder.
Can I pack diluted apple squash for lunch?
Yes, if you can dilute it before leaving or have water where you will eat. Check the particular squash’s dilution instructions, ingredients and allergens: M&S Apple and Elderflower High Juice lists sucralose and sulphites.
What should I do with an opened apple juice drink?
Follow the instructions on that pack. Tesco says its No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within five days; check whether you can store any remainder when taking it out for lunch.