For meals around a bike ride, use a stock cube as a seasoning, not as a substitute for fuelling during exercise. If sugar is your priority, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figures for prepared portions on a like-for-like basis. If it’s salt, check the amount per portion rather than assuming anything from a ‘reduced salt’ or ‘fat-free’ claim.
You want to add flavour to pasta, rice or soup without choosing a cube based solely on a salt claim. Check the sugars in the prepared portion and the ingredients list: some recipes contain sugar or glucose syrup.
You want to keep track of the salt added to your meals. A ‘no added salt’ or ‘reduced salt’ claim can help you compare products, but the amount per portion and the rest of your meal also matter.
You use stock in vegetable or starchy dishes and need to check the ingredients in each recipe. The word ‘vegetable’ on the pack is no substitute for checking the ingredients, declared allergens and ‘may contain’ statements.
When choosing a stock cube for meals around your bike rides, start with the nutrient or ingredient that matters to you, then compare the figures on the same preparation basis.
| Criterion | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | The ‘of which sugars’ figure per prepared portion, the dilution and the ingredients. | If I want to season my meal without mistakenly assuming a ‘reduced salt’ cube is also lower in sugars, I compare recipes after preparation. Around 45% of consumers would prioritise sugars. |
| Salt | The amount of salt per prepared portion and the exact meaning of a ‘no added salt’ or ‘reduced salt’ claim. | If I’m keeping an eye on the salt in my meals, I want to know how much I’ll actually use, even when the pack claims it has been reduced. Salt would be the main criterion for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients | The exact recipe, declared allergens and ‘may contain’ statements. | When I’m preparing a plant-based dish or need to avoid an allergen, the cube’s ingredients matter more than its name. Around 22% of consumers would prioritise this compatibility. |
These claims refer to different characteristics. A reduced-salt or fat-free cube may still contain sugar.
Compare ‘of which sugars’ for sugars, ‘salt’ for salt and ‘fat’ for fat, using prepared portions on a like-for-like basis.
A stock cube is diluted before use, so a figure per 100 g of dry product doesn’t directly show how much is in your bowl.
Check the recommended dilution and compare figures for the same prepared volume or for the portions you’ll actually use.
These labels don’t rule out any particular ingredient or allergen. Recipes and ‘may contain’ statements vary by product.
Check the ingredients list and allergen information on the pack you buy.
A stock cube is for seasoning food; its ingredients alone don’t determine what you need during a bike ride.
Follow the recommended dilution, and don’t assume that a stock is suitable as a sports drink just because you know its salt content.
The range includes no-added-salt and reduced-salt vegetable stocks. These are two different claims to bear in mind when comparing sugars, too.
The KUB cubes include a reduced-salt vegetable recipe that you can compare when seasoning cooked dishes.
The brand’s fat-free stock cubes let you look at fat, sugars and salt separately.
E.Leclerc’s range includes various stocks and sauce bases, including Rustica and Bio Village products.
These two cubes are intended for seasoning meals: one is a chicken stock in tablet form, while the other is a vegetable stock with a reduced-salt claim. To compare sugars, check the figures for the portion you prepare.
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A cube format to consider for seasoning a meal. The product name refers to fat, which doesn’t tell you anything about its sugar content, so compare the figures for your preparation.
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A vegetable stock cube to consider if you’re comparing reduced-salt stocks for cooking. According to Carrefour’s product information for this item, the 25% reduction is compared with the market average for stocks excluding reduced-salt versions; it doesn’t refer to sugars. Check the ingredients and prepared portion, too.
Not necessarily: the claim refers to salt. To compare the sugars in two cubes, check the ‘of which sugars’ figures for prepared portions on a like-for-like basis, and check the exact recipe.
No. A stock cube is primarily a seasoning for meals or a liquid cooking ingredient. Its salt or sugar content alone doesn’t determine what you should eat or drink during exercise.
Because figures per 100 g of dry cube and figures for prepared stock relate to different amounts of product being consumed. Follow the preparation instructions for each cube and compare the same volume of stock, or the portions you actually use.
No. Vegetable stock may contain declared allergens or come with ‘may contain’ statements. Check the ingredients list and labelling for the product you buy, even if you’re already familiar with the brand.