A fruit smoothie is not the choice NHS guidance suggests for a standalone between-meal afternoon snack: it advises having smoothies with meals and limiting juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day. If an afternoon meal is the occasion, measure the portion and compare total sugars, rather than assuming ‘no added sugar’ means sugar-free; protein, fibre and vegetable content are separate attributes to check against what you want from the drink.
If ‘no added sugar’ catches your eye, compare it with the total sugars shown in the nutrition panel. Waitrose & Partners lists 9.6g sugars per 100ml for Innocent Fruit + Veg Smoothie despite its no-added-sugar wording.
Whether the drink is part of a meal or a snack between meals changes the decision. The NHS advises having smoothies at mealtimes and limiting juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day.
If you are comparing fruit-and-vegetable, protein and fibre variants, look at the amount stated for the exact product and serving. Those attributes do not tell you its total sugars.
Start with when you will drink the smoothie and how much, then compare nutrition panels on the same measurement basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | Read ‘of which sugars’ per 100ml on comparable drinks. Check ingredients separately: ‘no added sugar’ does not mean no naturally occurring sugars. Waitrose & Partners lists 9.6g sugars per 100ml for Innocent Fruit + Veg Smoothie. | I want to know how much sugar is in the drink itself, not just whether sugar was added. |
| Timing and portion | The NHS advises having smoothies with meals, not as a between-meal snack, and limiting juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day. Check the bottle volume and measure what you pour. | If I am eating between meals, I would rather choose a different snack. If the smoothie is part of a meal, I need to account for any juice or smoothie I have already had that day. |
| Protein, fibre or vegetables | Compare amounts and serving bases. Tesco Groceries lists 10g pea protein per serving for Naked Protein Machine and 4.2g fibre per 150ml for Naked Fibre Machine; Waitrose & Partners states 25% vegetables for Innocent Fruit + Veg Smoothie. | Perhaps I am looking for a particular ingredient or nutrition-panel value. I still want to check sugars separately rather than treating these variants as interchangeable. |
| The bottle label | Check the current ingredients and allergens, nutrition panel, date marking and storage instructions on the pack. Tesco Groceries cautions that product information can change. | I need the details for the bottle I will drink, particularly if ingredients or after-opening instructions affect my choice. |
Fruit ingredients can contribute sugars even when no sugar is added. Waitrose & Partners lists 9.6g sugars per 100ml for Innocent Fruit + Veg Smoothie and 10g per 100ml for its Mangoes, Passionfruits & Apples variant.
Compare ‘of which sugars’ on the nutrition panel and check how much you intend to drink.
A bottle can hold more than the NHS’s combined daily 150ml limit for juice and smoothies. A 180ml bottle, for example, exceeds that amount even before any other juice or smoothie is counted.
If you choose a smoothie, measure the portion, account for other juice or smoothies that day and have it with a meal rather than between meals.
Tesco Groceries lists 4.2g fibre and 15g sugars in the same 150ml serving of Naked Fibre Machine. The fibre figure does not replace the sugars figure.
Choose which stated attribute matters to you, then compare serving sizes and total sugars independently.
The bottle’s ingredients, nutrition and storage directions are the details relevant to the product in hand. Tesco Groceries cautions that product information may change.
Check the pack’s ingredients and allergen information, nutrition panel, date and after-opening instructions before using it.
These examples show why the exact variant and its stated serving matter more than a brand name alone.
Waitrose & Partners lists Innocent Fruit + Veg Smoothie as a no-added-sugar fruit-and-vegetable variant.
Tesco Groceries lists distinct Naked Protein Machine and Fibre Machine smoothie variants.
Tesco Groceries is a retailer reference for comparing the listed Naked variants’ product information, rather than a smoothie maker in this comparison.
This papaya-and-coconut smoothie is an option to consider for an afternoon meal; its listing as a smoothie does not make it a no-added-sugar, protein-focused or fibre-focused choice.
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If you want a papaya-and-coconut smoothie with a meal, note that its 180ml bottle is larger than the NHS’s combined daily 150ml limit for juice and smoothies. Measure the amount you pour, and check the bottle’s ingredients and total sugars rather than assuming it is a no-added-sugar drink.
No. It refers to added sugar, not the total sugars in fruit ingredients. Waitrose & Partners lists 9.6g sugars per 100ml for Innocent Fruit + Veg Smoothie despite its no-added-sugar wording, so check ‘of which sugars’ on the exact bottle.
NHS guidance advises having smoothies at mealtimes rather than between meals. It also advises limiting juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day; if you choose one with an afternoon meal, measure the portion rather than assuming the bottle is one serving.
Compare the stated amount of the attribute you are looking for and its serving basis. Tesco Groceries lists 10g pea protein per serving for Naked Protein Machine and 4.2g fibre per 150ml for Naked Fibre Machine. Check each variant’s total sugars separately; neither figure tells you that the drink is sugar-free.
Check ingredients and allergens, the nutrition panel, bottle volume, date marking and storage instructions on the exact pack. UK food-labelling guidance from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Food Standards Agency identifies ingredients, allergens, net quantity and date marking among the required information for prepacked foods.
Follow the instruction on the particular bottle rather than applying one timeframe to every smoothie. For example, Tesco Groceries lists refrigeration and consumption within five days of opening for Naked Blue Machine; check the pack you have for its own directions.