Smoothie nutrition calculator

Smoothies have vitamins, but the sugar in them counts as free sugar, and only one counts towards your 5 A Day. Here is how yours adds up.

Your details

Smoothie or juice size
Sugar per 100 ml (from the label)
Age of the drinker (optional)
How many a week
Free sugars already had today (optional)
Usually drunk

Homemade? Fruit only blends are usually 10 to 13 g of sugar per 100 ml; adding milk, yogurt or oats lowers it.

Your smoothie

28 g

free sugars, 92% of the 30 g daily limit

  • In teaspoonsabout 6.9 teaspoons of sugar (4 g each)
  • 5 A Day portions1 (the most juice and smoothies can count)
  • Suggested daily limit for juice and smoothies150 ml, so 100 ml over
  • Over a week (7 a week)193 g of free sugars, 92% of the week’s limit
  • Free sugars earlier todayadd them to see what is left of the 30 g
  • A glass that fitsup to about 150 ml keeps you inside the 150 ml and your sugar limit
  • When you drink itwith a meal, which the NHS suggests: it is kinder to your teeth

Blending breaks down the fruit, so the sugars count as free sugars, like juice. A smaller glass topped up with water keeps it to 150 ml.

The working

Size times sugar per 100 ml

Free sugars = ml × sugar per 100 ml ÷ 100. A 250 ml bottle at 11 g per 100 ml gives 28 g, or 92% of the 30 g adult daily limit. A 150 ml glass counts as one portion of your 5 A Day. A smaller one is part of a portion, and anything over 150 ml still only counts once, so this 250 ml bottle is one portion with 100 ml over the guide.

28 g is about 7 teaspoons at 4 g each. If you have already had 10 g of free sugars today, the bottle takes you to 38 g, 8 g over. A glass of up to about 180 ml would have kept you inside the 30 g, and 150 ml keeps you inside both.

Why it counts as free sugar

Blending changes things

Whole fruit keeps its sugar inside the cells, along with fibre that slows things down. Blending and juicing release it, so it behaves more like added sugar for your teeth. That is why the NHS suggests no more than 150 ml of juice and smoothies a day in total, ideally with a meal.

Children

Lower limits

SACN sets free sugars at no more than 5% of energy, which the NHS turns into 19 g a day for children aged 4 to 6, 24 g for 7 to 10 and 30 g from 11. The same 250 ml bottle is 115% of the limit for an 8 year old. A 150 ml glass with a meal, a few days a week, is a kinder habit for teeth.

Better blends

Tips for homemade smoothies

  • Use more veg (spinach, cucumber) and less fruit
  • Add plain yogurt, milk or oats for protein and fullness
  • Keep it to a small glass
  • Eat whole fruit for most of your portions

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • FibreSmoothies keep some fibre, but we do not count it.
  • Added proteinProtein shakes are not covered.
  • TeethDrink with meals to protect teeth.

Questions

Common questions

Do smoothies count towards 5 A Day?

Yes, but only as one portion a day, however much you drink.

Are smoothies healthy?

They bring vitamins, but are high in free sugar. A small glass with a meal is fine.

How much sugar is in a smoothie?

Usually 25 to 35 g in a 250 ml bottle, roughly 6 to 9 teaspoons.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If food feels hard

If eating, weight or food is on your mind a lot, you are not alone. Your GP can help, and Beat has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677 (England, weekdays 3pm to 8pm).

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