To prepare several snacks to take out with you, without transferring them into other containers, choose a plant-based coconut dessert in individual pots rather than a carton or tin of coconut milk for cooking. A pack of 4 or 8 × 100 g pots makes it easy to plan portions. However, check the storage instructions, ingredients and allergens for the product you buy.
If you’re heading out several times during the holidays, individually portioned pots save you from dividing up a large container before each trip. Carrefour, Auchan and ALDI offer products in 100 g portions, including packs of 4 or 8, depending on the product.
If the recipe matters as much as the format, compare the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for each product. The term ‘plant-based’ alone doesn’t tell you whether a product is suitable for a specific dietary restriction.
A large pot can be shared or divided into containers suitable for food. The Alpro desserts listed by Carrefour in 340 g and 500 g pots need this extra preparation if you want to take the portions out with you afterwards.
Choose this if: you want to pop a ready-portioned snack into each lunchbox.
Bear in mind: follow the dessert’s storage instructions while you’re out.
Choose this if: you’re serving the snack at home or can portion it before you leave.
Bear in mind: you’ll need suitable containers to take individual portions with you.
Choose this if: you’re making a recipe at home rather than taking a ready-to-go pot of dessert.
Bear in mind: a carton or tin doesn’t provide individual snack portions.
| Criterion | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Individual portions | Number of pots and weight of each pot: packs of 4 × 100 g and 8 × 100 g suit different needs. | When I’m preparing several lunchboxes, I want a separate portion for each snack, with no need to transfer it. Around 29% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Keeping it chilled while you’re out | Storage instructions on the packaging and whether you can keep the pots chilled until you’re ready to eat them. | If we’ll be away from a fridge, I need to be able to follow the dessert’s storage instructions. Keeping food chilled is a priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and labelling | Ingredients, allergens and nutritional information, including sugar per 100 g and per portion when listed. | When I need to avoid specific ingredients, I check the label on the product I’ve chosen rather than relying on the word ‘coconut’. Around 24% of consumers check this first. |
| Format for sharing | Total weight, how many portions you want to prepare and storage instructions after opening. | For a snack served at home, I’m happy to portion out a large pot myself. Around 18% of consumers prioritise this flexibility of format. |
A carton or tin intended for cooking doesn’t provide ready-to-pack dessert portions for a lunchbox.
For a snack that needs no preparation, check the product category and the number and weight of the pots on the packaging.
Individual packaging makes it easier to portion snacks, but you still need to follow the storage instructions. The DGCCRF stresses the importance of maintaining the cold chain for perishable foods.
Keep the pots chilled before you set off, and use an insulated bag if you won’t be able to put them in a fridge while you’re out.
Recipes vary: Carrefour, for example, lists an Alpro dessert made with soya and coconut, which is different from a coconut milk dessert.
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the product you’re buying, especially if you need to avoid certain foods.
Carrefour offers a plant-based coconut milk dessert in a pack of 4 × 100 g pots.
Depending on the products listed by Carrefour and Auchan, the range includes coconut desserts in packs of 4 × 100 g and 8 × 100 g, as well as a mousse in a pack of 4 × 55 g.
Auchan offers an organic plain plant-based coconut dessert in a pack of 2 × 100 g pots.
ALDI France offers a plant-based coconut milk yoghurt in 100 g pots, with a stated total weight of 400 g.
Carrefour offers Alpro desserts combining coconut with other ingredients in large 340 g and 500 g pots.
Not without some preparation: coconut milk for cooking, as listed by Carrefour and Joybuy, is used to make recipes, whereas a pot of dessert is already portioned. If you’re preparing a homemade snack, use a suitable container and follow the storage instructions for your recipe.
Follow the storage instructions on the product you’ve bought and keep it chilled if required. If there’s no fridge available while you’re out, use a suitable insulated bag for the journey. The DGCCRF reminds consumers that perishable foods need to be kept within the cold chain.
When comparing small pots sold in France, check the product name, ingredients, allergens, net quantity, nutritional information and relevant use-by or best-before date. The DGCCRF covers these details in its guidance on labelling pre-packed foods.
No. You need to check the ingredients of each product. Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the exact packaging, even if another product in the same category is labelled ‘dairy-free’ or ‘soya-free’.