People planning to share
You’re looking for a box with enough pieces for several people, perhaps in a selection of flavours. Carrefour, Auchan and Magnum all offer multipacks of eight ice lollies, for example.
Who might these formats suit?
People dividing up portions
Mini ice lollies make it easy to serve smaller portions. If ingredients matter to your guests, check each recipe: the Carrefour Extra selection of eight mini ice lollies, for example, lists milk, soya and almonds.
Runners preparing for a marathon
You want to distinguish a dessert to share from the food you eat before a race. The IRBMS advises sticking to familiar foods in the run-up to a competition and choosing complex carbohydrates for the meal the day before.
What should you look for?
First, decide where you’ll eat the ice lollies: a multipack is only useful for sharing if you can keep them frozen. Then compare portion sizes and recipes, without confusing dessert with sports nutrition.
| Criteria | What to check | Consumers concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Storage and lunchboxes | Plan to transport them in an insulated bag and make sure the ice lollies will stay frozen until they’re eaten. | If I plan to take an ice lolly with me for later, I need to be able to keep it frozen rather than relying on a lunchbox alone. Around 42% of consumers rank this storage need as their top priority. |
| Sharing and portions | Compare the number of pieces, their size and the flavours; read the ingredients and allergens for the selection you choose. | When serving several people, I want to know how many portions are in the box and whether they’re the right size to share. Around 33% of consumers put this need first. |
| Marathon preparation | Keep dessert separate from the meals and eating habits you follow before the race. | As race day approaches, I’d rather stick to my usual routine than try an ice lolly as a race-day snack. Around 25% of consumers prioritise making this distinction. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Treating an ice lolly as race fuel
A frozen dessert is no substitute for the eating habits you’ve established for a competition. The IRBMS advises against trying new foods as race day approaches and recommends choosing complex carbohydrates for the meal the day before.
Choose a multipack to share, rather than using it as a substitute for your usual diet before a marathon.
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Assuming a lunchbox will keep ice lollies frozen
An insulated box on its own can’t guarantee that frozen products will stay frozen until lunchtime. Anses recommends buying frozen food at the end of your shop, carrying it in an insulated bag and keeping the journey as short as possible.
Before taking a multipack with you, make sure you have a suitable way to keep the ice lollies frozen until they’re eaten.
Depending on your journey and access to a freezer, transporting and storing them may take a little extra planning.
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Comparing boxes by the number of pieces alone
Two multipacks of eight may differ in stick size, ingredients and allergens. The Carrefour Extra mini ice lolly selection, for example, lists milk, soya and almonds.
Compare the net weight, portion sizes, ingredients list and nutritional information for the variety you’re thinking of buying.
Brands and ranges to consider
Magnum
Auchan offers a Magnum selection of eight ice lollies, featuring Almond, Classic, White Chocolate and Double Caramel recipes.
- A variety of recipes can be useful when you’re sharing an occasional treat.
- Check the ingredients for each variety: Magnum describes Almond x4, for example, as vanilla ice cream coated in milk chocolate with almond pieces.
Carrefour Extra / Carrefour Classic'
Carrefour offers, among other options, a box of twelve Classic' ice lollies and an Extra selection of eight 32 g mini ice lollies.
- These two formats let you choose between a higher number of pieces and smaller portions.
- The Extra mini selection lists milk, soya and almonds, and may contain traces of eggs and other nuts: check the label for the variety you choose.
Auchan
Auchan offers, among other options, a multipack of eight fruit ice lollies.
- This format is worth considering if you’d prefer fruit ice lollies to a chocolate-coated recipe.
- Check the ingredients and nutritional information for the specific product and flavour you choose; don’t assume they’re the same across all the brand’s ice lollies.
MUCCI® (ALDI)
ALDI offers a MUCCI® multipack of four double-coated ice lollies, in chocolate, caramel or raspberry varieties.
- A box of four is a smaller format than the examples of eight or twelve pieces mentioned here.
- To compare recipes, check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the variety on offer.
Multipack ice lollies on Joybuy
These multipacks of ice lollies and water ice pops can be compared by the number of pieces and the format. If you plan to take them with you, check separately how to keep them frozen until they’re eaten; none of these desserts is a substitute for a diet planned for a marathon.
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Binggrae Melona Melon Ice Bar, 8 × 70 ml
A box of eight ice lollies to share between several people, with 70 ml in each.
If you plan to take them with you, make sure they’ll stay frozen until they’re eaten.
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CAPRI-SUN Orange & Cherry Ice Pops ×12, 444 g
A multipack of twelve orange and cherry ice pops to consider if you’d like to hand out more individual portions.
Before serving, check the label for ingredients and allergens in the variety you’ve chosen.
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YETI Ice Blocks Water Tubes Assortment 24, pack of 4
This pack may suit a larger group looking to share water ice pops.
The listing states 1.16 kg and a pack of four: check the packaging to confirm the contents of each box and the total weight before choosing this format.
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Maison de la Glace Water Ice Pops, 12 pieces, 1 200 g
Twelve water ice pops in five stated flavours, for sharing when having a choice of flavours matters.
Check the packaging for allergens in this variety and the portion size if these points affect your choice.
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POP POLO Water Ice Lollies, 10 pieces, 700 g
A multipack of ten water ice lollies for sharing out as individual portions.
If the portion size matters, check it on the packaging rather than relying on the total weight alone.
Frequently asked questions
Can an ice lolly replace a snack planned before a marathon?
No. Don’t treat an ice lolly as a substitute for your marathon-preparation diet. The IRBMS advises sticking to familiar foods before a competition and choosing complex carbohydrates for the meal the day before. Instead, choose a frozen multipack for a separate sharing occasion.
Can I keep ice lollies in a lunchbox until lunchtime?
Only if you can keep them frozen until they’re eaten: a lunchbox alone can’t guarantee this. For the journey home after shopping, Anses recommends buying frozen food at the end of your shop, using an insulated bag and keeping transport time to a minimum.
What should I check on a box before sharing its contents?
Check the number and size of the pieces, then look at the ingredients list, allergens and nutritional information for the variety you’ve chosen. DGCCRF notes that prepacked food labels include details such as net quantity, ingredients and nutrition information, and that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted.