When choosing an ice lolly for an older person’s afternoon tea, consider the portion size, texture and ingredients to avoid. A chocolate-coated lolly, a mini lolly and a water ice won’t all suit the same needs. Check the ingredients and allergens on the specific pack, and don’t assume a lolly is suitable for someone just because of its size. An ice lolly is a treat, not a substitute for drinking water or an afternoon snack that meets their dietary needs.
For an afternoon snack for one person, an ice lolly means you don’t need to prepare a dessert to share. Carrefour, Auchan and ALDI offer lollies in 90 ml or 100 ml sizes, as well as mini lollies. Compare the amount in each lolly, not just the number in the box.
If certain ingredients need to be avoided, or a crunchy coating could be an issue, check the exact product. The lollies listed by Carrefour and Auchan differ in their ingredients, nuts and possible traces. The flavour name alone won’t tell you what’s in them.
An ice lolly can be a treat, but it shouldn’t take the place of a drink or a meal. Manger Bouger reminds us that nutritional needs don’t necessarily decrease after the age of 75, and that people may feel less thirsty as they get older.
Start with the ingredients and texture that suit the person, then choose the portion size. To compare a coated lolly, a mini lolly or a water ice, look at their nutritional information for the same quantity.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Individual portion | Number of lollies and the weight or volume of each one; don’t confuse the amount per lolly with the amount in the box. | I want to serve one person a treat in an amount that’s easy to choose. Portion size would be the main consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and texture | Ingredients list, allergens and “may contain” statements on the pack; check for a coating or crunchy pieces. | If milk or nuts need to be avoided, or a crunchy texture makes it difficult to enjoy, I need to be able to rule out the recipe in question. Around 40% of consumers would focus first on these ingredients or the texture. |
| Its place in the afternoon snack | Sugars and fat in the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, where provided; offer water separately. | I want to offer an ice lolly as a treat, not as a substitute for a drink or the rest of the snack. This would be the main consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
An ice lolly may be refreshing, but you should still offer a drink. Manger Bouger points out that people may feel less thirsty as they get older.
Offer water with the snack and take into account any individual guidance given to the person.
A name such as “vanilla” doesn’t necessarily tell you about the coating, pieces of nuts or possible traces. The ingredients in the Magnum and Auchan products listed by their retailers vary by recipe.
Read the ingredients and “may contain” statements on the specific pack you buy, especially if an ingredient needs to be avoided.
Size can help you choose how much to serve, but it doesn’t tell you about the sugars, fat or allergens.
Compare the amount per lolly, ingredients list and nutritional information separately. If a Nutri-Score is shown, consider it alongside this information rather than as an answer to an individual need.
Carrefour and Auchan list Magnum lollies in boxes of four. Carrefour’s La Pêche is 90 ml per lolly, while Auchan’s Classic is 100 ml.
Carrefour lists chocolate and vanilla lollies, as well as orange and lemon water ice, making it easy to compare two types of recipe.
Auchan’s product listings include boxes of four vanilla and almond lollies, and boxes of twelve vanilla lollies with hazelnuts.
ALDI France lists a box of twelve MUCCI mini lollies, weighing 429 g in total.
E.Leclerc’s frozen dessert range includes various own-label brands and lolly multipacks, including a 20-piece SMICY assortment.
This selection includes water ices and a melon ice lolly that contains milk. For an individual snack, compare the amount per lolly and the label for the recipe you choose. A multipack doesn’t tell you how much to serve on its own.
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Each lolly weighs 37 g, so you can serve one at a time from this pack of twelve. The water and fruit juice recipe contains sugars. Traces of gluten, peanuts, soya, milk and nuts are listed. Check the pack if an allergen needs to be avoided.
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This pack contains ten 70 g lollies in a choice of five flavours, so you can serve an individual dessert rather than something to share. The recipe contains sugar. If allergens are a factor in your choice, check the traces listed on the packaging too.
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Worth considering if the person prefers a melon recipe described as creamy. The box contains eight 70 ml lollies. Milk is one of the ingredients, so check the label if milk or any other allergen needs to be avoided.
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The box of twelve lets you serve one lolly at a time and choose from five flavours. To decide how much to offer, check the weight of each lolly on the packaging. Also check the allergen information for your chosen recipe. These lollies contain sugar.
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This pack of four 70 g lemon sorbet lollies makes an individual portion, and is made with water and lemon juice. The recipe contains sugars and may contain traces of gluten, eggs, milk, nuts, soya, peanuts, mustard and sulphites. Check the pack label.
No, an ice lolly is not a substitute for drinking water. Manger Bouger reminds us that people may feel less thirsty as they get older. Offer a drink separately and follow any individual guidance that applies to the person.
Choose based on the recipe and texture you’re looking for, not on an assumed nutritional advantage. Carrefour’s orange and lemon water ice contains sugar. The vanilla and chocolate lollies listed by Carrefour and Auchan have a coating, so check the ingredients and allergens for each recipe carefully.
Read the ingredients list and “may contain” statements on the exact pack. Depending on the recipe, products listed by Carrefour and Auchan contain milk or nuts, or warn of possible traces. Don’t assume what’s in a lolly from its flavour name alone.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging. The Auchan lolly listings we checked recommend storing them in the freezer at −18 °C and say not to refreeze a defrosted product. Also check the date on the box.