For a secondary school lunchbox, choose a sealed individual pot if the yoghurt can be kept chilled until lunchtime. A multipack makes it easier to prepare several lunches, while a 1 kg tub may suit a larger household, provided you divide it into clean, leakproof containers and keep them chilled. Always check the label on the product you choose too: the recipes reviewed contain milk.
You’re looking for a pot your child can take to secondary school unopened and eat at lunchtime. Whatever size you choose, you’ll still need to keep it chilled until then, as the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) advises when transporting chilled food.
You may be deciding between individual pots for several days and a large tub to portion out at home. Carrefour’s range includes multipacks of individual portions and 1 kg tubs.
If your child has a food allergy or an individual healthcare plan (PAI), check the ingredients of the exact product you’re buying and follow the instructions for their meal. The Greek-style yoghurt recipes reviewed list milk as an ingredient.
First, work out how the yoghurt will stay chilled until lunchtime. Then choose between a sealed individual portion and a large tub to divide up. ANSES explains that low temperatures slow the growth of micro-organisms; packaging alone isn’t a substitute for keeping food chilled.
| What to consider | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping it chilled | Plan a suitable insulated solution for the journey and check whether there’s somewhere to keep the yoghurt chilled before lunch. | If lunch won’t be eaten for several hours, I want to be able to keep the yoghurt chilled until it’s eaten. This would be the top priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Milk and dietary requirements | Read the ingredients on the product you buy and, where relevant, check the dietary instructions in the PAI. | If my child needs to avoid certain ingredients, I need to know exactly what’s in the yoghurt and follow their meal instructions; around 25% of consumers would put this check first. |
| Ready-to-pack portion | Compare the weight of each pot, the number of portions and the space available in the lunchbox. | To avoid transferring the yoghurt to another container in the morning, I prefer a sealed portion that’s the right size for the meal. This would be the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
| Preparing lunches for several days | Choose between multipacks and a large tub, depending on how many lunches you need to prepare and whether you have containers available for dividing up the portions. | If I’m preparing several lunchboxes, I want to organise the portions in advance rather than opening a large tub each morning; around 19% of consumers would prioritise this approach. |
An individual portion saves you having to transfer the yoghurt to another container, but it still needs to be kept chilled. ANSES recommends limiting the time chilled food spends in transit and using an insulated bag.
Pack the lunchbox shortly before setting off and check how the yoghurt can be kept chilled until lunchtime.
The ingredient lists for the Danone, Carrefour Bio and Eco+ plain recipes shown by their retailers include milk or cream.
Check the label on the product you buy. If your child has a food-related PAI, follow the instructions it contains rather than relying on the recipe name.
Ingredients can vary: the list published by E.Leclerc for Delisse Greek-style yoghurt with a mango layer includes 7.3% sugar among its ingredients.
Compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the specific products you’re considering.
A bottle that’s ready to pop into a bag and a large tub that needs to be portioned out suit different routines. Carrefour’s range includes 1 kg tubs, which need to be divided into portions for this purpose.
For several lunchboxes, compare multipacks of individual pots with a large tub. If you choose to portion the yoghurt out, make sure you have clean, leakproof containers.
Carrefour lists Danone plain Greek-style yoghurt in a pack of 4 x 110 g pots and in an 8-pot pack.
Carrefour sells Greek-style yoghurt under its own-label brands, in individual portions and 1 kg tubs.
E.Leclerc lists plain Eco+ and Bio Village Greek-style yoghurt in packs of 4 x 125 g pots, as well as a Delisse recipe with a mango layer.
Auchan lists plain Greek-style yoghurt in a pack of 4 x 125 g pots.
Lidl sells Greek-style yoghurt under the Eridanous brand in a multipack.
Yes, as long as it can be kept chilled until lunchtime. ANSES advises limiting the time chilled food spends in transit and using an insulated bag. Check whether there’s somewhere to keep it chilled at school too.
Don’t assume it is just because it says ‘plain’: the Danone, Carrefour Bio and Eco+ recipes shown by their retailers list milk or cream. Check the ingredients of the product you’re buying and follow the dietary instructions for your child.
Choose and prepare the meal in line with the individual instructions in the PAI. According to French Ministry of Education documents, depending on the circumstances, these instructions may set out arrangements for school meals or a packed lunch provided by the family.
A 1 kg tub can be used to prepare several portions, but you’ll need to divide the yoghurt into clean, leakproof containers and keep each portion chilled until mealtime. If you’d rather not transfer the yoghurt to other containers, compare multipacks of individual pots instead and check their weight on the packaging.