When choosing an ice lolly as part of diabetes-conscious food shopping, start by comparing the carbohydrate content of the portion you’ll eat, then check the sugars, fat and allergens. Auchan lists 13 g of carbohydrates for each of its 60 g fruit lollies featured here, while Magnum lists 24 g per portion for Magnum Menthe. ‘No added sugars’ does not mean ‘no carbohydrates’. None of these figures alone is enough to establish whether a product is suitable for everyone living with diabetes.
You’re looking for the figure for the ice lolly you’ll actually eat, rather than a general claim that it’s suitable for people with diabetes. The French Federation of Diabetes highlights the importance of setting individual dietary goals with the help of a healthcare professional.
You prefer a fruit-based recipe in an individual portion. The two Auchan ‘no added sugars’ products featured here each contain 13 g of carbohydrates per 60 g ice lolly. You should still check the label, even if the claim helps guide your choice.
You’d like to keep a creamy, chocolate-coated option on the menu while checking what’s in your portion. For Magnum Menthe, the brand lists 24 g of carbohydrates, 20 g of sugars and 9.8 g of saturated fatty acids per portion. The recipe contains milk.
For an individual ice lolly, start with the portion you’ll actually eat. You can then compare the recipe, other nutritional information and allergens according to what matters most to you.
| What to compare | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates per lolly | The ‘carbohydrates’ figure per portion, and whether that portion corresponds to one ice lolly. | To plan my snack, I want to know the carbohydrates in the item I’ll eat; around 36% of consumers might put this calculation at the top of their list. |
| A clearly defined portion | The weight of one ice lolly and how the portion is defined on the packaging. | If I’m taking one ice lolly from a box, I want to know exactly how much it represents. Around 29% of consumers might prioritise this information. |
| Fruit-based recipe | The ingredients, followed by the ‘carbohydrates’ and ‘of which sugars’ figures, even when the product says ‘no added sugars’. | I prefer a fruit-based recipe, but I don’t want to mistake no added sugars for no carbohydrates. This preference might be a priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Other nutritional details | Declared allergens, ‘may contain’ statements and saturated fatty acids for the portion you’ve chosen. | Depending on my needs, I have to look beyond carbohydrates alone. Around 14% of consumers might make this their top criterion. |
The two Auchan 100% fruit lollies featured here carry this claim, but each still contains 13 g of carbohydrates per 60 g lolly.
Compare the ‘carbohydrates’ and ‘of which sugars’ figures for the ice lolly you plan to eat. Don’t assume that the claim on the front means it’s suitable for everyone.
A figure per 100 g doesn’t directly tell you what’s in the ice lolly you’ll eat. For example, E.Leclerc lists the carbohydrates in the SMICY ice lolly per 100 g, not per item.
Check the weight of one ice lolly before working out the nutritional information for your portion.
Other details on the label can also matter when choosing a product. Magnum lists 9.8 g of saturated fatty acids per portion for Magnum Menthe and states that the recipe contains milk.
Check the carbohydrates, saturated fatty acids, ingredients and allergens for the exact product, as well as any ‘may contain’ statements.
The retailer offers 100% fruit ice lollies with no added sugars, including mango and passion fruit, and strawberry, in boxes of four 60 g lollies.
Magnum Menthe is the creamy, chocolate-coated option featured here. Check the figures for its specific portion.
These ranges include ice lollies, including a chocolate and vanilla Carrefour Classic’ option.
E.Leclerc offers SMICY vanilla and cocoa ice lollies in a box of 12.
MUCCI is ALDI’s ice cream and sorbet brand, with products including double-coated ice lollies.
These products come in individual frozen portions: two boxes of POP FRUIT ice lollies and a box of CAPRI-SUN freeze-at-home ice pops. When choosing between them as part of your food shop, check the nutritional information for the item you’ll eat. The different recipes don’t all have the same nutritional profile.
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Worth considering if you prefer a mango ice lolly and want to choose one from a box of four.
The box contains four ice lollies, with a total weight of 280 g. Check the carbohydrates and allergens for your portion on the label before adding it to your food choices.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for an individual ice pop to freeze rather than a sorbet ice lolly.
The box contains twelve ice pops, with a total weight of 444 g. To compare this format with ice lollies, use the figures for one ice pop. Don’t directly compare a figure given in millilitres with a portion measured in grams.
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Worth considering if you prefer a coconut recipe in a box of four ice lollies.
The box weighs 280 g in total. Compare the carbohydrates and saturated fatty acids per ice lolly, along with the declared allergens. The recipe name alone doesn’t tell you how these figures compare.
No. Despite this claim, Auchan lists 13 g of carbohydrates per 60 g lolly for each of the two 100% fruit recipes featured here. Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure for your portion too, rather than relying on the front of the box alone.
To compare a portion with your personal dietary benchmark, start with the carbohydrates in the item you’ll eat, then check the sugars and the other information on the label. The French Federation of Diabetes stresses that dietary goals should be tailored to each person with the help of a healthcare professional.
Check the weight of one ice lolly on the packaging so you can work out the figures per 100 g for the item you’ll eat. The French Federation of Diabetes explains that nutritional information is given per 100 g and often per portion too. Check that the stated portion corresponds to one ice lolly.
Check the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ statements for the specific product, based on the allergens that concern you. Magnum states that Magnum Menthe contains milk and may contain tree nuts. For the two fruit ice lollies featured here, Auchan warns that they may contain traces of gluten, peanuts and tree nuts.