Parents bringing a child aged 12–23 months
The NHS recommends full-fat yoghurt and fromage frais up to age two. Check the pack for ingredients, allergens and storage directions before choosing a pot for brunch.
Who is this for?
The choice changes depending on who will eat the fromage frais and who is serving it.
Hosts serving a young child
An individual pot can be served separately from adult dishes. Keep its packaging available so the child’s parent or carer can check the ingredients and milk allergen information.
Families avoiding cow’s milk
Standard dairy fromage frais contains milk. Dairy-free yoghurt alternatives need a separate label check: Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust notes that some are not fortified and some are low in protein or energy.
What should you check?
Choose the dairy type first, then compare the ingredients and a serving format that works at the table. A baby label or fruit flavour does not replace those checks.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Look for full-fat fromage frais or yoghurt for a child under two. Check rather than relying on a product’s age-related or diet-style name; the NHS recommends full-fat dairy in this age group. | I’m choosing for a child aged 12 months to under two and want the product to fit the NHS’s general full-fat dairy guidance. |
| Sweetening | Compare plain or unsweetened products with the ingredients of flavoured ones. Tesco Groceries lists sugar in its strawberry-and-raspberry fromage frais pouches and its mixed-fruit pots. | For a routine option, I’d rather add fruit myself than assume a fruit-flavoured pot has no added sugar. |
| Milk and alternatives | Read the complete allergen declaration on the pack. If cow’s milk must be avoided, check a dairy-free alternative’s calcium fortification, protein and energy information with the child’s parent or carer. | The child cannot have cow’s milk, so a standard dairy fromage frais is not an option for our brunch. |
| Serving and storage | Compare individual pot or pouch sizes with how you plan to serve the food. Follow the exact pack’s refrigeration and instructions for use after opening. | I’m serving several guests and want to put the child’s portion in a separate bowl without leaving the dairy out beyond its pack directions. |
Common mistakes
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Choosing a fat-free adult product for a 12-month-old
The NHS recommends full-fat yoghurt and fromage frais up to age two, whereas Tesco Groceries describes its Healthy Living Natural Fromage Frais as fat-free.
Start with full-fat dairy for a child in this age range unless their clinician or dietitian has advised otherwise.
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Treating “no refined sugar” as “unsweetened”
Tesco Groceries describes the Ella’s Kitchen Stage 1 fromage frais as containing fruit purée and agave nectar. Its wording does not make it a plain, unsweetened product.
Read the current ingredients list when comparing it with plain fromage frais or other flavoured pots.
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Assuming dairy-free yoghurt is a like-for-like swap
Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust notes that some dairy substitutes are not fortified and some are low in protein or energy.
If the child avoids cow’s milk, check the alternative’s allergen declaration and nutritional information in line with their existing dietary advice.
Brand references
These examples show different pack and ingredient choices; a brand name alone does not establish whether a particular product suits the child.
Ella’s Kitchen
Tesco Groceries lists Ella’s Kitchen Stage 1 Fromage Frais in six 55g pots.
- The small pots offer an individual serving format.
- Tesco’s ingredient description includes agave nectar alongside whole-milk fromage frais and fruit purée; do not read “no refined sugar” as “unsweetened”.
Petits Filous / Yoplait
Tesco Groceries lists a Petits Filous strawberry-and-banana fromage frais multipack labelled “No Added Sugar”, as well as a variety multipack.
- Multipacks provide individually packed servings to compare for a shared brunch.
- Check the ingredients, nutrition and allergen information on the exact pack rather than applying one product’s label claim across the range.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label fruit fromage frais in 80g pouches and 50g pots.
- The listed formats give a choice between pouches and smaller pots for separate servings.
- Both product ingredient excerpts identify milk and sugar, so neither should be assumed to be an unsweetened dairy choice.
Joybuy product option
This strawberry Greek yoghurt is a yoghurt alternative for the brunch decision, not a fromage frais product. Check its current pack against the child’s dairy needs before treating the age label as enough to choose it.
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Ella’s Kitchen Greek Yoghurt with Strawberry, 6+ Months, 90g
This strawberry yoghurt offers a 90g option for an individual brunch serving, but it is not identified as fromage frais. For a child under two, check the current pack’s fat content, pasteurisation, ingredients, milk allergen information and storage directions against their needs; the age label does not establish those details.
Questions about serving
Can a 12-month-old have fromage frais?
Yes, fromage frais can be an option at 12 months. The NHS recommends full-fat yoghurt and fromage frais up to age two; check the product label and follow any individual advice for a child who must avoid cow’s milk.
Full-fat or fat-free: which should I choose under two?
Full-fat is the general starting point for a child under two, according to NHS guidance on yoghurt and fromage frais. Follow a clinician’s or dietitian’s advice if the child has different dietary requirements.
Are fruit-flavoured pots suitable for brunch?
They can be a practical individual serving, but fruit flavour does not mean no added sugar. Tesco Groceries lists sugar in the ingredients of its fruit fromage frais pouches and pots, so compare the current pack with a plain or unsweetened option.
What if the child has a milk allergy?
Do not serve standard dairy fromage frais to a child who must avoid cow’s milk. Check the complete allergen declaration and follow the child’s existing advice; Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust notes that dairy-free alternatives vary in fortification, protein and energy.
How should I keep fromage frais during brunch?
Follow the refrigeration and after-opening directions on the exact pack you serve. Keep the packaging available so the parent or carer can also check its ingredients and allergens.