Yes, juice counts towards your 5 a day, but only once. A 150ml glass of unsweetened 100% fruit juice counts as one portion, and no amount past that adds another. Drink a litre of it and you have still had one of your five. That is the whole rule, and it is the bit most people get wrong.
The 150ml rule
The NHS advises keeping juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day. That glass counts as one of your 5 a day. Beyond it, more juice is just more sugar and more calories rather than more portions.
Whole fruit and veg are measured differently, at 80g a portion, with no ceiling. Juice is not measured that way, because it is a concentrated drink rather than a food.
Why juice only ever counts once
Whole fruit and veg bring fibre, water and bulk with them. Fibre slows how fast the sugars reach your bloodstream, helps you feel full and feeds the bacteria in your gut. Juicing leaves most of that behind in the pulp.
What you get in the glass is the vitamins and minerals without the part that makes fruit filling. It goes down fast and it is easy to overdo. Counting it once is the NHS’s way of saying treat it as a small extra, not a staple.
What counts and what does not
- Fresh, chilled and carton juice that is 100% juice and unsweetened. 150ml counts once.
- Smoothies made from blended whole fruit. Same daily limit as juice, and the two add up together.
- Whole fruit and veg, fresh, frozen, tinned in juice or dried. 80g a portion, as many as you like.
- Beans and pulses, once a day.
- Not counting at all: juice drinks, squash, cordials, and anything with added sugar. If it is not 100% juice, it is a soft drink with fruit on the label.
Does a smoothie beat juice on fibre?
Blending keeps the fibre, juicing does not, so a smoothie sits closer to whole fruit. The catch is that blending breaks the fruit down finely enough to release the sugars anyway, which is why the NHS groups juice and smoothies together under one 150ml limit.
I go through that properly in juicing vs smoothies.
Does cold pressed change anything?
No. Cold pressing is a slower way of getting the juice out and it often tastes better, but there is no evidence it makes the glass healthier. What matters is what you put in it and how much you drink.
Free sugars and your teeth
Juice counts as free sugars even when nothing has been added. Free sugars feed the bacteria behind tooth decay, and sipping juice through the day keeps your teeth bathed in them. Have your glass with a meal rather than little and often, and a straw helps if you want to be kind to your enamel. Water and milk are the only drinks the NHS gives a clean bill of health to.
How to make your one glass count
Since you only get one, make it a good one.
- Go vegetable-heavy. Carrot, celery, cucumber, beetroot and leafy greens carry far less sugar than fruit. A third of a cucumber and a couple of carrots will do it.
- Use fruit for sweetness rather than bulk. Half an apple or a small orange is plenty.
- Drink it with a meal, not on an empty stomach at four in the afternoon.
- Keep eating whole fruit and veg. The glass is an addition to them, not a swap.
Good places to start: the Carrot Orange Turmeric Juice if you want something sweet, or the Tomato Celery Juice if you would rather it was savoury.
Frequently asked questions
Can I count two portions if I drink 300ml?
No. Juice above 150ml still counts as one portion of your 5 a day. The rest is just more sugar.
Does shop bought juice count?
Yes, as long as it is 100% juice with no added sugar. Read the label. Juice drink, juice cocktail and sweetened juice from concentrate are different products and do not count.
What about a green juice?
A vegetable juice with a bit of apple in it counts the same way, at 150ml, and it is usually lower in sugar than a fruit juice, which is a point in its favour. I have written more about that in is juicing healthy.
The bottom line
Juice is one of your 5 a day at 150ml, once. It is a decent way to get vegetables into a day that would otherwise have none, and it is not a replacement for eating the real thing. Treat the glass as a small addition and you have the guidance right.
More juices to try: the Immunity collection, the Digestion collection, or the Structure collection if bones are your focus. There is also the 7-day juicing challenge if you want to build the habit slowly.
If you are still working out when in the day to drink it, I go through that in the best time to drink juice.