Shoppers after a fizzy lunch drink
A single can avoids measuring out a drink at your desk. Check its size, storage instructions and juice percentage before choosing.
Who might choose each type of drink?
For a quick desk lunch, the useful distinction is whether you want 100% sparkling juice or a ready-to-open drink that combines apple juice with other ingredients.
Shoppers comparing sugar per can
Compare the amount you intend to drink, not just the per-100ml figure. Waitrose & Partners lists 4.3g sugars per 100ml for Cawston Press Sparkling Cloudy Apple; Joybuy lists 26g per 250ml can for its Appletiser multipack.
Shoppers who want 100% apple juice
Check that the drink is described as 100% apple juice rather than assuming every sparkling apple drink is. Still pressed juices are another option if the fizz is not essential, but they will not provide the same type of drink.
What should you check before choosing?
Start with the ingredients and juice percentage, then compare sugar for the amount you would actually drink at lunch.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Juice content | Read the product description, ingredients and apple-juice percentage. Waitrose & Partners describes its Appletiser can as 100% sparkling apple juice from concentrate; Cawston Press lists 49% pressed apple juice and sparkling water for Sparkling Cloudy Apple. | I want to know whether I am buying full-strength juice or a drink made with juice and water. |
| Sugars per serving | Compare both the per-100ml panel and the whole-can amount. Waitrose & Partners lists 4.3g sugars per 100ml for Cawston Press Sparkling Cloudy Apple, equivalent to 10.75g in 250ml; Joybuy lists 26g per 250ml can for its Appletiser multipack. | If I will finish the can with lunch, the sugar figure for the whole can matters more to me than a per-100ml figure alone. |
| Juice portion | Check the can size against the NHS advice to limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day. That guidance concerns juice and smoothies; do not treat every apple-flavoured drink as 100% juice. | I want to account for the amount of full juice I drink, especially when a can holds more than 150ml. |
| Lunch format | Check the can or bottle size, whether it needs chilling before use and how an opened container must be stored. Tesco lists 12 servings in its 1.8L Tropicana still-juice carton; Sainsbury's lists two servings in its 300ml Copella bottle. | For a one-person desk lunch, I would rather open one serving than have to store the remainder of a larger chilled bottle. |
What is easy to overlook?
-
Assuming fizz means less sugar
Carbonation says nothing about juice content or the sugar listed on the nutrition panel. The Cawston Press and Appletiser examples also have different formulations, so their figures should not be applied to every sparkling apple drink.
Compare the ingredients and sugars per 100ml, then check the figure for the can size you intend to drink.
-
Reading 'no added sugar' as 'sugar-free'
Fruit juice can contain sugars without sugar being added. The NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars.
Read the 'of which sugars' line as well as any front-of-pack statement about added sugar.
-
Confusing can size with a juice portion
The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day. A 250ml can of 100% juice is larger than that reference amount.
Check the volume before opening a full-juice can and decide how much you intend to have.
-
Choosing a multi-serve bottle for one lunch
Still-juice bottles may need fridge space and leave another serving to use later. Sainsbury's lists refrigeration and use within four days of opening for its 300ml Copella bottle; Tesco lists use within five days of opening for its 1.8L Tropicana carton.
If you are buying for one desk lunch, check the storage instructions and whether you will use the rest of the bottle.
Which brands illustrate the options?
These product examples show why it helps to check the particular drink and pack, rather than choose by brand name alone.
Appletiser
Waitrose & Partners describes its Appletiser can as 100% sparkling apple juice from concentrate, making that product an example of the full-juice route.
- Its stated formulation distinguishes it from juice-and-water drinks.
- Joybuy lists 26g sugars per 250ml can for its Appletiser multipack; check the serving size on the pack you choose.
Cawston Press
Cawston Press Sparkling Cloudy Apple combines pressed apple juice with sparkling water, according to Cawston Press and Waitrose & Partners.
- Its listed 250ml can contains 49% pressed apple juice and has 4.3g sugars per 100ml.
- It is a juice drink, not a 100% apple-juice option.
Tropicana
Tesco describes Tropicana Orchard Apple as 100% pressed apple juice, not from concentrate. This product is a still-juice alternative, not a sparkling lunch drink.
- Its 1.8L carton contains twelve stated 150ml servings, according to Tesco.
- A multi-serve carton needs a plan for storing and using what remains after lunch.
Copella
The 300ml Copella Cloudy Apple bottle listed by Sainsbury's is a still-juice option for someone who does not need carbonation.
- Sainsbury's lists two 150ml servings in the bottle.
- It must be kept refrigerated; the listed amount of sugars is 15g per 150ml serving.
Sparkling apple drink options on Joybuy
These cans offer different ways to bring a fizzy apple drink to a desk lunch: 100% apple juice, an apple-and-raspberry drink and an apple-flavoured soft drink. Check the current pack when juice content or ingredients determine your choice.
No image available
Appletiser 100% Apple Juice Lightly Sparkling, 6 × 250ml
For a desk lunch where 100% sparkling apple juice is the priority, this multipack provides individual 250ml cans. Joybuy lists 26g sugars per can. A full can is larger than the NHS's 150ml daily guidance for fruit juice and smoothies.
No image available
J2O Sparkling Apple & Raspberry, 4 × 250ml
The 250ml cans suit someone looking for a sparkling apple-and-raspberry drink with lunch rather than an apple-only flavour. If 100% apple juice or a particular sugar figure matters to you, check the ingredients and nutrition panel on the current pack.
No image available
Tango Sugar Free Apple, 8 × 330ml
This apple-flavoured canned soft drink is an option when the aim is a fizzy drink rather than 100% apple juice. Each can is 330ml, so check whether that size suits your lunch, along with the current pack's juice percentage, sugars and sweeteners.
Frequently asked questions
Is sparkling apple juice the same as a sparkling apple juice drink?
Not necessarily. Waitrose & Partners describes its Appletiser can as 100% sparkling apple juice from concentrate, while Cawston Press Sparkling Cloudy Apple contains 49% pressed apple juice and sparkling water. Check the description and ingredients of the particular drink.
Does 'no added sugar' mean an apple drink contains no sugar?
No. Fruit juice can contain sugars without sugar being added. Waitrose & Partners lists 4.3g sugars per 100ml for Cawston Press Sparkling Cloudy Apple, and the NHS counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars. Use the nutrition panel to check the amount in your serving.
How does a 250ml can compare with NHS juice guidance?
A 250ml can of 100% juice exceeds the NHS advice to limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day. Check whether the drink is full juice and consider the amount you intend to have; the can size is not itself a recommended juice portion.
What should I check if I have an allergy or dietary requirement?
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the current physical pack for the exact drink and variant before consuming it. Do not assume that an apple-flavoured drink contains only apple juice; formulations differ between the products shown here.