Who is this choice for?

Shoppers watching the sugar figure

If you want a flavoured milk drink with dinner but would rather limit sugar, compare sugars per 100ml. A chocolate flavour name alone will not tell you what the nutrition panel says.

Shoppers wanting a smaller drink with dinner

If dinner is the main event, check the bottle or carton volume before choosing. Tesco lists Yazoo no-added-sugar drinks in 200ml cartons; Sainsbury's lists Müller Frijj Chocolate in a 330ml bottle.

Households that need to avoid milk

The cited Yazoo and Müller Frijj drinks contain milk ingredients. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you receive before deciding whether a drink is suitable.

What should you compare?

Start with what ‘mild’ means to you: a lower sugar figure, a smaller serving or a drink that is not described as thick.

Priority What to check Your needs
Sugars Compare total sugars per 100ml, not just a no-added-sugar claim. Yazoo lists 4.7g for Yazoo Kids Chocolate and 8.6g for Yazoo Chocolate; Sainsbury's lists 11.1g for Müller Frijj Chocolate. I want to limit sugar in the drink I have with dinner, so I'll compare the same measure across packs.
Serving size Check the volume you intend to drink. Tesco lists Yazoo no-added-sugar drinks in 200ml cartons and Yazoo milkshakes in 1-litre bottles; the cited Frijj bottle is 330ml. A smaller carton suits me if I only want a drink alongside the meal; a larger bottle calls for a decision about how much to pour.
Texture Read the description rather than judging by flavour alone. Sainsbury's describes Müller Frijj Chocolate as thick and smooth; that does not establish the texture of other drinks. If I don't want a thick shake with dinner, I'll check how the particular drink is described.
Milk ingredients Check the received pack's ingredients and allergen declaration. The Food Standards Agency identifies milk as an allergen, and the cited Yazoo and Frijj products list milk ingredients. Where milk is unsuitable for my household, I need a drink with an appropriate ingredient and allergen label.

Buying mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming every chocolate milkshake has a similar sugar figure

    Yazoo lists 4.7g sugars per 100ml for Yazoo Kids Chocolate and 8.6g for Yazoo Chocolate; Sainsbury's lists 11.1g for Müller Frijj Chocolate.

    Compare the per-100ml figures, then check the volume you plan to drink.

  • Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘sugar-free’

    Yazoo Kids Chocolate is labelled no added sugar, but Yazoo lists 4.7g sugars per 100ml and says it contains naturally occurring sugars.

    Read the total sugars figure as well as the claim on the front of the pack.

  • Picking a thick shake when you want a small accompaniment

    Sainsbury's describes the 330ml Müller Frijj Chocolate bottle as thick and smooth. That description may not match a preference for a drink that is less rich in texture.

    Check both texture descriptions and pack volume before choosing a drink to have beside dinner.

  • Skipping the allergen label

    The cited Yazoo and Frijj drinks contain milk ingredients. The Food Standards Agency identifies milk as an allergen.

    If milk is unsuitable for you, check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you receive before drinking it.

Brand and retailer options

These examples cover ready-to-drink flavoured milk and a powder you prepare with milk; the format matters as much as the flavour name.

Yazoo

Yazoo lists both standard Chocolate and a separate Kids Chocolate no-added-sugar drink.

  • Yazoo lists 4.7g sugars per 100ml for Kids Chocolate and says it contains naturally occurring sugars.
  • Standard Yazoo Chocolate contains added sugar and lists 8.6g sugars per 100ml; do not treat the two formulations as interchangeable.

Müller Frijj

Sainsbury's lists Müller Frijj Chocolate as a 330ml milkshake described as thick and smooth.

  • The stated texture gives shoppers looking for a thick drink a clear feature to consider.
  • The listed 11.1g sugars per 100ml is higher than the figures Yazoo gives for the two chocolate drinks discussed here.

Tesco

Tesco lists a no-added-sugar strawberry milkshake powder for preparing a drink with milk, rather than a ready-to-drink bottle.

  • The listed preparation uses 13g powder with approximately 200ml milk, making the mixing amount clear.
  • You need to prepare it, and the finished drink's nutrition also depends on the milk used.

Joybuy product options

This double-chocolate protein shake is an option to consider if you want a chocolate drink with dinner. Its 500ml bottle is a different serving size from the smaller cartons discussed above.

Applied Nutrition Protein Nutrition Shake Double Chocolate, eight 500ml bottles

Applied Nutrition Protein Nutrition Shake Double Chocolate, 8 x 500ml

For a drink alongside a TV dinner, consider whether a 500ml bottle is the serving you want. If sugar content, texture or milk ingredients determine your choice, check those details on the pack before drinking it.

Joybuy

Common questions

What does ‘mild’ mean for a milkshake with a TV dinner?

Choose the feature that matters to you: compare sugars per 100ml if you want to limit sugar, check pack volume for a smaller drink, and read texture descriptions if you want to avoid a thick shake. None of these details guarantees how mild a drink will taste.

Is a no-added-sugar milkshake sugar-free?

Not necessarily. Yazoo labels Kids Chocolate no added sugar but lists 4.7g sugars per 100ml and says it contains naturally occurring sugars.

Are the cited Yazoo and Frijj drinks suitable if I need to avoid milk?

The cited drinks list milk ingredients. If you need to avoid milk, choose a drink only after checking its own ingredients and allergen information; the Food Standards Agency identifies milk as an allergen.

Should I check the pack after reading a product listing?

Yes. Use the ingredients, allergen declaration and nutrition panel on the pack you receive when deciding whether that particular drink meets your needs.