If you want to make a chocolate drink away from home, choose sticks only if you’ll have the milk or other specified liquid, a container and the means to prepare it when you get there. A sachet of powder isn’t a ready-to-drink option to pop in a lunchbox. For regular use at home, choose a format you can measure out and compare the recipe, sugars and allergens for each product. With cocoa powder, you decide what else to add.
If you occasionally make a chocolate drink away from home, a stick saves you carrying a large tub. You’ll still need to provide the liquid and a container, though: Auchan’s product information for Nesquik sticks specifies 200 ml of milk per stick.
A tub or refill pack can work well for regular drinks at home, as long as you measure out each serving and store the powder as directed on the packaging. Carrefour and Auchan’s click-and-collect ranges include family-sized packs.
The ingredients list and nutritional information for the exact product you choose matter more than its name alone. In France, the DGCCRF explains that nutrition labelling applies to the relevant prepacked foods, while the Ministry of the Economy says that displaying Nutri-Score is optional.
First decide where you’ll prepare the drink. Then compare the ingredients of products suited to that use, and how much your household is likely to get through.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions to take with you | Number and weight of sticks; whether you’ll need liquid, a container and preparation facilities on site. | If I’m making a drink away from home, I want to take one portion without carrying the whole tub, but I need to be able to mix it when I get there. Around 40% of shoppers prioritise the convenience of pre-measured portions. |
| Recipe and allergens | Sugars per 100 g of powder, using the same basis for comparison; ingredients and allergen information for the exact product. | When choosing between chocolate powder and cocoa, I want to know the sugar content and ingredients before deciding what to add to my drink. Around 40% of shoppers put this comparison first. |
| Family-sized pack | Net weight, how often you’ll use it and storage instructions once opened. | If I make it often at home, I’d rather buy an amount that suits what we use than a series of separate portions. Around 20% of shoppers prioritise having enough to restock their supply. |
A stick contains a portion to prepare, not a stand-alone drink for a lunchbox. Auchan’s information for Nesquik sticks says to prepare each stick with 200 ml of milk.
Before choosing this format, make sure you’ll have the liquid and a way to prepare it when you get there. Otherwise, look for a ready-to-drink option in its own category.
You’ll also need to bring a container and the required liquid separately.
Nutri-Score is optional in France, according to the Ministry of the Economy. The DGCCRF notes that nutrition labelling is required for prepacked foods covered by the rules.
Compare the nutritional information and ingredients of the products you’re considering, even if one of them doesn’t carry the logo.
Carrefour’s product information for Poulain Grand Arôme Moins de Sucres lists sugar, at least 47% cocoa and possible traces of milk and soya. So you’ll still need to check the exact recipe.
Compare sugar content on the same basis, and check the ingredients and allergen information before placing a click-and-collect order, especially if a product might be substituted.
Carrefour and Auchan’s click-and-collect ranges include Nesquik sticks, tubs and a refill pack of chocolate powder.
The Grand Arôme and Grand Arôme Moins de Sucres products let you compare different chocolate powder recipes in tubs.
According to Carrefour’s product information, the 400 g tub of Banania drink mix combines cocoa and cereals, making it different from pure cocoa.
The range includes organic cocoa powder, which is listed as being made from 100% organic defatted cocoa.
Auchan’s click-and-collect range includes both unsweetened pure cocoa and chocolate drink mixes.
This selection includes individual portions to prepare and larger packs of powder for home use. Choose based on where you’ll prepare your drink, and check the recipe for each product rather than assuming a stick is ready to drink or that a claim on the pack is enough to compare sugar content.
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These six individual sticks are a handy option if you want to take portions with you and prepare your drink when you get there.
Total stated weight: 66 g. Bring a container and check the preparation instructions and allergen information on the packaging.
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This 400 g pack is for people who want to measure out powder for drinks made at home.
‘Less Sugar’ is part of the product name. Check the sugar content per 100 g on the label before assuming it differs from another recipe.
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The 1 kg pack may suit households that make drinks regularly, with each serving measured out as you go.
Check the ingredients list and allergen information for this product before buying. Bananina and Banania are different product names.
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This 1 kg pack of cocoa powder is suitable if you want to choose the amount and any extras yourself.
Check what ‘14.7%’ refers to on the packaging before comparing its ingredients with another cocoa product.
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The ten individual sachets are a handy option if you want to take portions with you, as long as you can prepare the drink when you get there.
‘Sugar Free’ is part of the product name. Check the ingredients and nutritional information on the packaging rather than inferring the recipe from this claim alone.
You can take the powder with you, but it won’t be a ready-to-drink option. Auchan’s product information for Nesquik sticks says to use 200 ml of milk per stick. Make sure you’ll have milk, a container and a way to prepare the drink where you plan to have it.
No. Nutri-Score is optional in France, according to the Ministry of the Economy. The DGCCRF says that relevant prepacked foods must carry nutrition labelling. Use it to compare sugars and fat, for example, on the same basis.
You can’t tell just from the fact that the powder is used to make a drink. The official French public finances bulletin describes levies on certain non-alcoholic drinks, with rates per hectolitre of beverage. You can’t determine how a specific product is treated based on that product category alone.
Read the ingredients and precautionary allergen information for the exact product, then check what you receive if a substitution has been made. Carrefour’s information for Banania 400 g lists wheat and barley, among other things, while its information for Poulain Grand Arôme Moins de Sucres notes possible traces of milk and soya. These details don’t apply to other products from those brands.