To choose an individual ice lolly while taking your diabetes into account, start with the portion you’ll eat and check its carbohydrate content, followed by sugars, saturated fat and ingredients. A mini size or fruit flavour alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s right for you: check the values for the lolly you’ll actually eat and, if you count carbohydrates, follow the personalised advice from your healthcare team.
If you count carbohydrates as part of your diabetes management, you’ll need the amount for the lolly you actually eat. Diabetes UK describes carbohydrate counting as a tool that may form part of an individual insulin adjustment plan; product information doesn’t replace the advice from your healthcare team.
An individually wrapped lolly makes it easier to see how much you’re having. When comparing two desserts, check the carbohydrates, sugars and saturated fat per lolly too, rather than relying on the word ‘mini’.
The exact recipe matters just as much as the type of ice lolly. The products reviewed include ingredients such as milk, soya and almonds, as well as warnings that traces may be present. Check the flavour and packaging of the product you choose.
First, check the size of one lolly, then work out the nutritional values for that amount. French National Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie) recommends relating the values shown to the amount actually eaten.
| Criteria | What to check | Who might find this useful? |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates per lolly | Check the carbohydrate content for the portion. If the label only gives values per 100 g or 100 ml, check the weight or volume of one lolly before calculating the amount. | When I count carbohydrates, I need to know how much is in the lolly I’m going to eat, not just what’s in the box. Around 50% of shoppers would put calculating this per item first. |
| Portion size and nutritional content | Compare the size of each lolly, as well as the corresponding sugars and saturated fat. Don’t confuse values per portion with those per 100 g. | For an occasional dessert, I want an easy-to-spot portion without losing sight of what it contains. This would be the main concern for around 30% of shoppers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients list and any warnings about traces for the exact flavour and size. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, a fruity or creamy appearance isn’t enough to decide without reading the packaging. Around 20% of shoppers would make this their priority. |
A small lolly is still a dessert, so check its nutritional values. For a Mini Classic from its box of six 55 ml lollies, Magnum France lists 13 g of carbohydrates, including 12 g of sugars, and 6 g of saturated fat per portion.
Compare the values per lolly and its size before comparing formats or brands.
Auchan’s fruit ice lolly product information lists 18 g of carbohydrates, including 18 g of sugars, per 100 g, despite containing less than 0.5 g of fat per 100 g. So a low fat content doesn’t tell you how much carbohydrate it contains.
Check these values separately and find out how much there is in one lolly.
Each lolly may not be the same size: the Carrefour Extra assortment sold by Carrefour contains 32 g lollies, while the Mini Classics described by Magnum France are 55 ml each. These aren’t directly comparable as equal portions.
Use the values per 100 g or 100 ml to compare the recipes, then work out separately what they mean for the lolly you’ll eat.
A fruit recipe may still carry a warning that traces of allergens could be present. Likewise, the ingredients in a creamy lolly depend on the exact product and flavour.
Read the ingredients list and any warnings about traces on the exact pack, especially if the size or recipe changes.
These products show different formats and labels to compare; the brand alone won’t tell you the nutritional values of an individual lolly.
The range includes creamy chocolate-coated lollies, such as the 55 ml Mini Classic portions described by Magnum France.
Carrefour offers an assortment of eight mini lollies, each weighing 32 g. This format may be worth considering if the size of each lolly matters to you.
Auchan’s fruit ice lollies offer a recipe to compare with creamy, chocolate-coated lollies.
E.Leclerc’s SMICY vanilla lollies come in a box of twelve.
These two options suit different tastes: fruit ice lollies to freeze at home and mini vanilla ice cream lollies coated in chocolate. For both, check the label on the pack you choose against your dietary needs.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for individual fruit ice lollies to freeze before eating. The pack is listed as containing 12 lollies weighing 444 g in total. Check the label for carbohydrates per lolly, ingredients and allergen information.
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Worth considering if you fancy an individual portion of vanilla ice cream coated in chocolate. For the Mini Classic box of six 55 ml lollies, Magnum France lists 13 g of carbohydrates, including 12 g of sugars, and 6 g of saturated fat per portion. Check the nutritional information and allergen details on the pack you choose.
If you count carbohydrates, start with the ‘carbohydrates’ line for the amount you’ll actually eat. ‘Of which sugars’ gives you more detail, but doesn’t replace the total. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) lists sugars as one type of carbohydrate. If you’re adjusting insulin, always follow the personalised plan agreed with your healthcare team.
No: ‘mini’ describes the size, not the nutritional values of the lolly. For example, Magnum France lists 13 g of carbohydrates, including 12 g of sugars, and 6 g of saturated fat per portion for its Mini Classic box of six 55 ml lollies.
No: Auchan’s fruit ice lolly product information lists 18 g of carbohydrates, including 18 g of sugars, per 100 g, despite containing less than 0.5 g of fat per 100 g. To find out how much you’ll be eating, check the value per lolly or its size so you can work it out.
When choosing a specific product, check its ingredients list, nutritional information, net quantity and any allergens highlighted in the ingredients. The French Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) includes these among the labelling information for pre-packed food sold in France. Check the details on the pack you buy.