Who are these options for?

Parents looking to limit sweet flavours

To offer a fruity touch after dinner, serve plain dairy with fruit or unsweetened purée, so you can choose each separately. Manger Bouger recommends limiting sugary products for young children.

Parents of a child under 3

The type of dairy product and its place in the meal matter more than the word ‘children’s’ on the packaging. Manger Bouger’s weaning chart recommends plain, unflavoured dairy products for this age group.

Parents looking for a convenient option in the evening

An easy-to-serve pot or pouch may suit your mealtime routine, provided you check the portion size, allergens and storage instructions for the product you choose.

What should you look for at dinner?

For a toddler, start by deciding what role the dairy product will play in the meal. Then compare the recipe and portion size: a small pot for children and a family-sized fruit yoghurt may not be equally convenient to serve.

Criteria What to check Who is this for?
Place in the meal and age Check the type of dairy product and serve it as one part of the meal, not as dinner on its own. For children under 3, consult Manger Bouger’s guidance on plain dairy and reduced-fat products. If my child is under 3, I want to choose suitable dairy without mistaking it for the whole meal. Age and its place in dinner would be the top priorities for around 42% of consumers.
Recipe and sugars Read the ingredients list, then compare the sugars per 100 g and per portion served. The word ‘fruit’ alone does not tell you how much added sugar a product contains. For a fruity touch, I’d rather know what’s in the pot than rely on its name. Limiting added sugar would be the top priority for around 33% of consumers.
Portion and storage Check the pot’s weight, texture and the storage instructions for the specific product you buy. Any stated time out of the fridge for a pouch does not apply to other products. When dinner needs to be prepared or taken along quickly, I need a format that’s easy to serve and store as directed on the packaging. This convenience would come first for around 25% of consumers.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming ‘with fruit’ means ‘low in sugar’

    The recipes for Danonino and Les Mixés listed by Auchan, as well as Yoplait’s recipe for Grands Filous, include sugar in their ingredients. The presence of fruit alone does not tell you everything about a recipe.

    Compare the ingredients list and sugars per 100 g, then work out the amount in the portion you plan to serve. Plain dairy with fruit on the side gives you another way to choose what goes into the meal.

  • Making yoghurt the whole dinner

    Yoghurt can be the dairy component or dessert in a meal, but it should not replace the other parts of dinner. Manger Bouger also recommends taking into account the dairy products served throughout the day.

    Decide where it fits into the meal before choosing between plain dairy and a fruit recipe.

  • Applying an adult ‘low-fat’ rule to a toddler

    Manger Bouger’s weaning chart rules out 0%, skimmed and semi-skimmed dairy products before the age of 3. Auchan’s Les Mixés recipe mentioned here contains partially skimmed milk, so it’s worth checking the label on a family-sized yoghurt before serving it to a child of this age.

    Check the type of milk and dairy product stated on the packaging rather than relying on the picture on the pot.

  • Assuming storage guidance for a pouch applies to every pot

    Carrefour’s product information for the Petits Filous strawberry and peach pouch states that it can be kept out of the fridge for up to 8 hours, after which it should be thrown away. This guidance applies to that specific product, not to all fruit dairy products.

    Follow the storage instructions and use-by date on each pack, including after opening.

Brands to compare by checking the label

These ranges illustrate differences in recipe and portion size. The brand name is no substitute for checking the specific variety you’re buying.

Danone

Danonino includes small pots of fruit fromage frais. The Danonino product information published by Auchan describes a recipe that contains sugar.

  • The 50 g pot makes it easy to choose a small portion.
  • The recipe mentioned contains an average of 6.2% added sugar, so it’s not the same as plain fromage frais.

Yoplait

Grands Filous Pots Fruits Mixés is a range of fruit fromage frais in 100 g pots, which Yoplait presents for different occasions.

  • Yoplait states that the recipe mentioned contains 5% fruit.
  • The same product information states that it contains 6.2% added sugar. Consider the pot size and recipe as part of your child’s meal.

Carrefour

Carrefour Extra offers stirred fruit yoghurts in 125 g pots, in a family multipack.

  • Carrefour’s product information lets you check the ingredients in the strawberry variety, including its strawberry and strawberry purée content.
  • For this variety, it states that the product contains 6.9% added sugar. Check the recipe for the flavour you choose.

Auchan

Auchan Les Mixés is a 125 g pot of stirred fruit yoghurt, rather than plain dairy.

  • Auchan’s product information states that the recipe mentioned contains 5% fruit.
  • It also lists 7.9% added sugar and partially skimmed milk, both of which are particularly worth checking for a child under 3.

A plain dairy option to discover on Joybuy

This plain fromage frais gives you the option of serving fruit separately. It is not a fruit yoghurt and is not a complete dinner on its own.

Nestlé P'Tit Smooth With Plain Fromage Blanc, 4 pots of 90 g

Nestlé P'Tit Smooth With Plain Fromage Blanc, from 6 months, 4 × 90 g

Serve plain fromage frais for dessert, with a fruit suitable for your child’s age served separately.

Pack of 4 × 90 g pots; the product name states ‘6+ Months’. For a child under 3, check the packaging for the fat content, ingredients and nutritional information for this product.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Can fruit yoghurt make up a toddler’s dinner?

No, fruit yoghurt should not make up dinner on its own. It can be served as the dairy component or dessert in a meal suitable for your child. Manger Bouger recommends also considering the other dairy products they eat during the day.

Which dairy product should I choose for a child under 3?

Manger Bouger’s weaning chart recommends plain, unflavoured dairy and rules out 0%, skimmed and semi-skimmed products before the age of 3. To add a fruity touch, you could offer a fruit suitable for your child’s age or unsweetened fruit purée separately.

Does the word ‘mild’ help me choose a fruit yoghurt?

No, it doesn’t tell you enough about the recipe or the amount of sugar. To compare pots of different sizes, read the ingredients and check the sugars per 100 g, then consider the portion you’ll serve and whether your child is already happy with the texture.

What should I check on the label if my child is allergic to milk?

Read the ingredients list and allergen information for the product you buy rather than relying on the front of the pot. France’s Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control reminds shoppers that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted on food labels.

Can a dairy pouch be left out of the fridge all evening?

Only follow the time stated for the specific pouch. Carrefour’s product information for the Petits Filous strawberry and peach pouch allows up to 8 hours out of the fridge, after which the product should be thrown away. This does not apply to other products.