When choosing ice lollies as part of your shopping with diabetes in mind, compare the carbohydrates and sugars in each lolly you actually eat, then check the portion size and how many are in the multipack. According to French National Health Insurance, nutritional information should be considered in relation to the amount consumed: neither the word “sorbet” nor a small format is enough to tell you what a product contains.
You want to know how many carbohydrates are in one ice lolly, not just the amount per 100 g. French National Health Insurance recommends looking at nutritional information in relation to the amount actually consumed.
Not sure whether to choose mini lollies or a family-size pack? The number of lollies and the weight of each one help you compare like-for-like portions.
You may also want to check the fat content and allergen list for the exact recipe, especially if it contains milk, soya or nuts.
Start with the amount in one ice lolly, then compare the recipes and pack sizes. Values per 100 g are useful for comparing two products, but they don’t replace the values for the portion you eat.
| What to compare | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates and sugars | Check “carbohydrates, of which sugars” per lolly, or calculate these amounts from the values per 100 g and the weight of one lolly. | I want to know the carbohydrates in the ice lolly I’m eating, rather than relying on the recipe name alone; around 36% of consumers would prioritise this calculation per item. |
| Portion size | Compare the number of lollies, net weight and stated portion size. Calculating from the total weight assumes that each lolly weighs the same. | If I choose a multipack, I want to be able to see at a glance how much is in one lolly; around 29% of consumers would prioritise keeping track of portion size. |
| Fat | Check the fat, saturated fat and energy content, both per 100 g and per lolly. | Sugar isn’t my only consideration: I also want to compare the fat in chocolate-coated recipes; around 21% of consumers would make this a priority. |
| Pack size | Check how many lollies are in the pack and their size to compare multipacks intended for the same use. | I’m looking for several individual portions and want to know what’s actually in each box; around 14% of consumers would check the pack size first. |
Auchan’s product information for Oasis lemon and orange sorbet lists 8,4 g of sugars in a 40 g lolly. The recipe contains sugar and glucose syrup.
Check the carbohydrates and sugars per portion rather than guessing what it contains from the word “sorbet”.
Auchan vanilla lollies contain 22 g of fat, including 18 g of saturated fat, per 100 g. These figures matter when comparing recipes too.
Compare the sugars, fat and portion sizes before choosing between a sorbet and a chocolate-coated ice cream.
Milk, soya and nuts are listed in the information for some of the products mentioned here. Ingredients and possible traces can vary between recipes.
Check the ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging of the variant you choose.
The box of 12 vanilla lollies is an example of a multipack where you can work out the portion from the total weight, provided all the lollies weigh the same.
Carrefour’s vanilla and chocolate lollies give you an example of chocolate-coated ice cream sold in a multipack.
The lemon and orange sorbet lollies have nutritional information per 40 g lolly.
Intense Dark is a milk chocolate ice cream coated in dark chocolate. It’s different from the vanilla and almond lollies featured below.
ALDI France offers ice lolly formats in its MUCCI range, including a pack of 12 mini lollies.
These four ice lolly multipacks feature a range of flavours and pack sizes. As you compare them while shopping, check the carbohydrates and sugars per portion on each pack, along with any other nutritional information that matters to you.
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This pack of 12 lollies makes it easy to compare portions per item. Check the weight and carbohydrates for the portion stated on the packaging.
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At 70 ml per lolly, it’s easy to identify the individual portion in this pack. Before working out the carbohydrates per lolly, check which unit the nutritional table uses.
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To compare these sorbet sticks with chocolate-coated ice cream, check the sugars and fat per lolly rather than assuming how much they contain from the word “sorbet” alone.
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For this vanilla and almond multipack, compare the carbohydrates, fat and allergens for the exact variant. Don’t use figures from a different Magnum lolly.
No. On its own, this claim doesn’t tell you how many carbohydrates or sugars are in a portion. Read the nutritional table and relate its values to the lolly you eat, as French National Health Insurance recommends for nutritional information.
Both: values per 100 g make it easier to compare recipes, while values per lolly show how much you’ll consume. If all the lollies weigh the same, you can use the net weight and the number of lollies to calculate the amount per item.
No. The category name alone doesn’t tell you that. Auchan’s product information for Oasis lemon and orange sorbet lists 8,4 g of sugars in a 40 g lolly. For another product, compare the sugars and portion size shown on its packaging.
French National Health Insurance does not describe any food as generally forbidden as part of a diet for diabetes. It emphasises a varied diet and quantities suited to each person. So when comparing ice lollies, start with the portion you’ll actually eat and its nutritional information.