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7 min
03/03/2026
Juices branded "natural", "fresh", or "100% sugar free" line the aisles of every summertime supermarket. Many of them use corn syrup, processed sugar, or artificial flavours. Your summertime fitness goals, energy levels, and hydration levels may all take a hit from these sneaky sweets. As a counter-trend, the clean-label movement is calling for more transparency in product labelling and a return to more classic, healthful beverage options. Let's learn more about it.
Feeling good about that healthy summer juice you've been drinking? Let us surprise you! Those incredibly good-looking packaged drinks with “fresh” and “natural” boldly written on the labels may be concealing more sugar than a dessert.
To stay properly hydrated, your body needs minerals and slow-releasing energy rather than an excess of fructose that puts strain on the liver. Switching to homemade staples like sattu, sometimes known as the "Desi Protein Shake", can help stabilise your core temperature without putting you on an insulin roller coaster. Learn the secret to making sattu and kokum coolers at home instead of buying so-called "healthy" juices from the supermarket.
Juices marketed as “100% juice” may still include concentrated fruit sugars, leading to blood sugar spikes and minimal fibre content. “No added sugar” isn't always sugar-free; many juices include artificial or natural sweeteners that might fool your taste buds and metabolic system.
Once you start reading the labels of market-bought drinks carefully, you may spot hidden sugars or other ingredients that may not be clean.
Check Serving Sizes: Labels often state sugar per 100 ml, yet bottles are 500 ml or more. Multiply to get the true intake. For instance, a juice containing 8 g of sugar per 100 ml translates to 40 g of sugar in a 500 ml bottle, which is roughly equivalent to 10 teaspoons.
Watch Preservatives & Additives: Aside from extending shelf life, preservatives like sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and citric acid do not provide any nutritional value.
Ingredient Order Matters: Everything is listed according to its weight. It's a warning sign if any of the first three include sugar or syrup. Typically, a product is not clean-label if it has more than five ingredients.
The fruit concentrate scam: "Made with real fruit" and "contains fruit juice concentrate" give the impression of being healthy, but they are really only sugar with a fruit flavouring added. Even fruit concentrates labelled as having "no added sugar" could include a lot of calories.
Just because something says "no added sugar" doesn't imply it is sugar-free. Basically, it indicates the maker didn't sweeten it with any refined sugar. Despite the absence of added sugar, 30g of natural fruit sugars are still present in mango juice. Products labelled as "sugar-free" often include artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin, which may cause metabolic issues of their own. This does not indicate that the beverage is nutritious or suitable for regular consumption in any way.
Indian traditional "clean-label" beverages are physiologically and nutritionally better, so why settle for a bottled lime soda or fruit juice?
One classic summertime beverage in North India is sattu sharbat, which is prepared with roasted gram flour. It's a great source of protein, has a cooling effect on the body, and keeps you full all day. Made simply with water, lemon, salt, and toasted flour, it is free of any hidden sugars found in commercially prepared juices. If you want natural sweetness, add jaggery instead of sugar and some mint leaves for freshness. A fun fact is that the sattu drink also prevents heatstroke by acting as an internal cooler.
An iconic drink from the West Coast, kokum sherbet is prepared by rehydrating dried kokum in water, then adding salt, cumin, and a pinch of jaggery or coconut sugar (if necessary) before filtering. Kokum is packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and natural acids that provide a refreshing and calming effect. It helps restore the body's natural pH balance after a day in the sun by balancing acidity and dehydration.
These beverages are not only gut-friendly and hydrating, but they also boast a clean label, featuring just a handful of real, easily pronounceable ingredients.
The clean-label movement isn't a trend; it embodies a revival of authenticity. This summer, elevate your hydration game by mastering the art of reading labels and indulging in traditional beverages like sattu and kokum. Forget the artificial syrups and hidden sugars; opt for a refreshment that’s revitalising and actually “natural”.
