Commuters taking a drink with lunch
A bottle is convenient to carry, but its size may be greater than the portion you intend to drink. Check the serving information rather than treating the whole bottle as one portion.
Who is this for?
Shoppers comparing sugar labels
Compare total sugars on the nutrition panel as well as “no added sugar” wording. Check whether the product is a smoothie or a juice drink with sweetener.
People considering a smoothie as lunch
Look at the drink’s protein and fibre figures alongside the other foods you plan to eat. A 5 A Day claim describes a fruit-and-vegetable portion, not a complete lunch.
What should you check?
Decide whether you want a smoothie with lunch or a different fruity drink, then compare like-for-like nutrition figures and the portion you will drink.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and drink type | Read total sugars per 100ml, then the serving figure and ingredients. Check whether the label describes a smoothie or a juice drink with sweetener. | I want to compare labelled sugars without mistaking “no added sugar” for zero sugar. Waitrose lists 9.6g sugars per 100ml for innocent Fruit + Veg Smoothie; Sainsbury’s lists 2.7g per 100ml for its No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Juice Drink, which is not a smoothie. |
| Portion size | Compare the pack and serving sizes with NHS guidance to limit fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day. Check how you will store any drink left over. | If I take a larger bottle to work, I want to plan a portion rather than assume the full bottle is one daily serving. |
| Lunch foods | Read protein and fibre figures on the chosen drink. Consider what protein food and higher-fibre starchy food you will have alongside it; the NHS Eatwell Guide includes these food groups across the day. | A smoothie might be the fruit element of my lunch, but I do not want its 5 A Day claim to stand in for the rest of the meal. |
| Storage and label | Check the bottle’s refrigeration and use-after-opening instructions, current ingredients and allergen information. Confirm availability at the store you intend to use. | For a lunch routine, I need a pack I can store and use according to its label. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “no added sugar” as “zero sugar”
Fruit-based drinks can still list sugars when no sugar has been added. Tesco lists 10g sugars per 100ml for Strawberry Sensation Smoothie, while Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar Summer Fruits product is a juice drink listing 2.7g per 100ml.
Compare the total sugars line on the same per-100ml basis, then check the serving size and product type.
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Counting a whole large bottle as one portion
NHS guidance limits fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day. A 250ml or 750ml bottle is larger than that amount.
Plan the amount you will drink and follow the bottle’s instructions for storing the remainder.
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Treating a fruit smoothie as the whole lunch
A 5 A Day statement does not describe the drink’s protein content or the rest of the meal. The inspected innocent Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples smoothie lists 0g protein per 100ml, according to Tesco Groceries.
If the smoothie is part of lunch, consider a protein food and a higher-fibre starchy food alongside it.
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Relying on an online listing instead of the bottle
The listing you read may not reflect the bottle available in your chosen store. Ingredients and storage instructions matter when choosing a drink for several lunches.
Check local availability and read the current bottle’s nutrition, allergen and storage information.
A multi-serve chilled bottle may go unused if its stated after-opening period does not fit your plans.
Brand and retailer references
These examples illustrate label differences between particular drinks; a retailer listing does not describe every product in its range.
innocent
The inspected range includes a conventional fruit smoothie and a 250ml Fruit + Veg Smoothie.
- Waitrose lists 25% vegetables and 9.6g sugars per 100ml for the Fruit + Veg Smoothie.
- Tesco lists 10g sugars and 0g protein per 100ml for Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples. A no-added-sugar claim does not mean zero sugar.
Tesco
Its inspected Strawberry Sensation Smoothie comes in a 750ml bottle, so portion size matters for a drink taken with lunch.
- Tesco lists 10g sugars and 0.5g fibre per 100ml for this smoothie.
- The listed 150ml serving contains 15g sugars; the bottle holds more than one such serving.
Sainsbury’s
Its smoothie listings include a no-added-sugar filter, while the inspected Summer Fruits product is a juice drink, not a smoothie.
- Sainsbury’s lists 2.7g sugars per 100ml for its No Added Sugar Summer Fruits Juice Drink.
- That juice drink contains sucralose. Compare it with smoothies as a different type of drink, not as an equivalent smoothie.
M&S
Its chilled-drinks range includes fruit smoothies and separately listed yoghurt smoothies.
- M&S lists 0.7g fibre and 0.6g protein per 100g for its Mango, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Smoothie.
- That fruit smoothie lists 12.9g sugars per 100g. Check the exact yoghurt smoothie’s label if its protein content is part of your decision.
Naked
The inspected Fire Machine Super Smoothie is listed by Morrisons as a 750ml bottle.
- The Morrisons listing describes it as having no added sugar and gives a 150ml basis for its 5 A Day statement.
- Read the current nutrition label before comparing its total sugars, protein or fibre with another drink.
Waitrose
This retailer’s inspected innocent Fruit + Veg Smoothie listing provides an example of a drink containing both fruit and vegetables.
- The listing gives 25% vegetables, 9.6g sugars and 0.7g protein per 100ml.
- Check availability at your chosen store rather than assuming a listed drink is in stock.
Joybuy drink options
These multipacks are no-added-sugar juice drinks for shoppers considering a fruity alternative to a smoothie. Neither is a fruit smoothie or a substitute for the other foods in lunch.
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Ribena Strawberry No Added Sugar, 24 × 250ml cartons
A carton offers a portable juice-drink alternative when you do not specifically want a smoothie. Each carton holds 250ml, more than the NHS 150ml daily guidance for fruit juice and smoothies combined, so plan the portion you intend to drink. The listing flags phenylalanine; check the current label if that is relevant to you.
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Fruit Shoot Black & Apple No Added Sugar, 8 × 200ml
This pack provides individual juice-drink bottles rather than smoothies. Each 200ml bottle exceeds the NHS 150ml daily guidance for fruit juice and smoothies combined, so consider the portion you will drink. The listing warns that the caps contain small parts and that the product is unsuitable for children under 36 months.
Frequently asked questions
Does “no added sugar” mean a smoothie contains no sugar?
No. Check total sugars on the nutrition panel: Tesco Groceries lists 10g sugars per 100ml for innocent Mangoes, Passion Fruits & Apples, despite its no-added-sugar wording. Also check the product type; a no-added-sugar juice drink is not necessarily a smoothie.
What portion of smoothie does NHS guidance refer to?
The NHS Eatwell Guide says to limit fruit juice and smoothies together to a combined total of 150ml a day. Check the bottle size and measure the amount you plan to drink rather than assuming a larger bottle is one portion.
Can a fruit smoothie be my whole lunch?
A fruit smoothie can be part of lunch, but its 5 A Day contribution does not make it a complete meal. The NHS Eatwell Guide includes protein foods and higher-fibre starchy foods across the day; consider what else you are eating and check the chosen drink’s protein and fibre figures.
What should I check when buying a bottle for several lunches?
Check the serving size and nutrition information, then read the bottle’s refrigeration and use-after-opening instructions. Make sure the stated storage period fits when you intend to use the remaining drink.