To choose a fruit yoghurt for a nursery lunchbox, first check that it can be kept at the required temperature until mealtime and that the nursery allows children to bring in food. Then compare the ingredients, texture and portion size: a small pot, a drinkable product and a multipack each have different practical considerations.
If a lunchbox will be out of the house for several hours, check how the nursery plans to transport and store chilled products before choosing one. The DGCCRF advises against leaving refrigerated products out of the fridge for long periods.
Check the ingredients for the exact product and follow the guidance given for your child. For prepacked foods sold in France, the DGCCRF says that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted in the ingredients list.
Compare the number of pots, portion size, texture and use-by date. A larger multipack is only useful if the portions suit your child and can be eaten in time.
For a nursery lunchbox, storage instructions and the nursery’s rules determine whether you can bring a product in. Then use the label to compare recipes and pack sizes.
| What to consider | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping it chilled | The temperature stated on the packaging, and whether you can keep the product chilled during the journey and at the nursery. | If mealtime is several hours away, I want the yoghurt to stay at the temperature stated on its packaging; around 39% of consumers put keeping food chilled first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | The ingredients list for the exact product, highlighted allergens, product description and sugar content. | If my child has to avoid certain foods, I need to check the exact recipe rather than rely on the flavour; nearly 38% of consumers prioritise ingredients and allergens. |
| Portion size and texture | The amount in each pot, whether it contains pieces, the number of portions and the use-by date. | When I’m preparing several lunchboxes, I look for portions and a texture that suit my child; around 23% of consumers prioritise pack size and managing multipacks. |
A drinkable dairy product may still need to be kept chilled. Auchan’s product listing for Danonino fruit drink says to store it between +1 °C and +6 °C maximum.
Check the temperature stated on the packaging you buy, and make sure you know how the product will be kept chilled until mealtime, whatever its container.
Fruit yoghurt, fruit fromage frais and drinkable dairy products can differ in recipe, portion size and texture. Yoplait, for example, describes Petits Filous as a fromage frais with blended fruit.
Compare the product description, ingredients, allergens and whether it contains pieces for each product you’re considering.
A pack of 16 pots, such as the smooth fruit fromage frais yoghurt sold by E.Leclerc under the Delisse brand, needs to suit the number of portions your household will use.
Check the use-by date and ask the nursery whether it accepts this type of food from home before choosing the pack size.
Unused pots may have to be thrown away if their use-by date arrives before you can eat them.
These examples show why it’s important to compare specific products: children’s ranges include yoghurts, fromage frais and drinkable products that may not all be suitable for the same situations.
The range includes a fruit-flavoured drinkable dairy product in a pack of 6 × 100 g, listed by Auchan.
Yoplait describes Petits Filous with blended fruit as fromage frais in small pots, available in packs such as x6 and x12.
Carrefour’s range includes stirred yoghurt with blended fruit in packs of 16 pots.
Auchan’s children’s section includes separate categories for fruit yoghurts, drinkable products, petits-suisses and desserts.
E.Leclerc’s range includes stirred fruit yoghurt with no pieces in a pack of 16 × 100 g.
If a yoghurt needs to be kept chilled, an unrefrigerated lunchbox on its own won’t keep it at the temperature stated on the packaging. The DGCCRF advises against leaving refrigerated products out of the fridge for long periods. Check the available transport and storage arrangements before bringing one to the nursery.
Check the ingredients list for the exact product before choosing it, and follow the dietary guidance shared with the nursery. The DGCCRF says allergenic ingredients are highlighted on prepacked foods sold in France; the Danonino and Petits Filous products described here contain milk.
Choose a texture your child can eat and the nursery allows, then check the exact product. E.Leclerc lists a smooth Delisse stirred yoghurt, while Yoplait describes Panier de Yoplait as containing pieces of fruit. This difference in texture doesn’t tell you anything about the other ingredients.