One- or two-person dessert shoppers
If custard is for one evening, a ready-to-serve pack with a manageable serving suggestion may be more useful than a larger carton. ASDA Groceries suggests two servings for its 400g Light Custard tin.
Who is this for?
Shoppers comparing fat and saturates
If these are your main considerations, compare the per-100g figures on the exact product rather than relying on the word “light”. The NHS gives separate food-label thresholds for total fat and saturated fat.
Households planning several desserts
A larger pack may suit custard served across more than one meal, provided its contents can be used in line with the opened-pack instructions. Tesco Groceries lists reduced-fat own-label cartons in 500g and 1kg sizes.
What matters when choosing?
Start with the nutrient you want to compare, then decide how much custard you will serve and whether the remaining pack will be used.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fat and saturates | Compare both figures per 100g on the exact tin or carton. The NHS defines low fat for foods as no more than 3g fat per 100g and low saturated fat as no more than 1.5g saturates per 100g. | If fat is my main consideration, I want to compare custards on the same per-100g basis before deciding how much to serve. About 36% of consumers put fat and saturates first. |
| Pack size and leftovers | Check the net weight, suggested servings and storage instructions after opening. | For dessert with one other person, I would rather choose a pack that fits the evening than leave much of it unused. About 29% of consumers prioritise portion fit and avoiding leftovers. |
| Sugars and energy | Read sugars and kcal per 100g separately from fat, then consider the amount you will pour. The NHS defines low sugars for foods as no more than 5g per 100g. | A reduced-fat label would not answer my questions about sugars or energy. Roughly 21% of consumers make checking those figures their primary concern. |
| Repeat servings | Consider a larger pack only if you expect to use several portions and can follow its opened-pack storage directions. | When custard is planned for more than one meal, I want enough in the pack without committing to a tin for each serving. Around 14% of consumers put flexibility for repeat servings first. |
Pitfalls to avoid
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Reading “light” as low in every nutrient
A lower fat figure does not establish a lower sugars figure. ASDA Groceries lists 1.6g fat and 8.3g sugars per 100g for its Light Custard tin, compared with 1.4g fat and 12g sugars per 100g for its 30% Less Fat carton.
Read fat, saturates, sugars and energy as separate entries on the nutrition panel.
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Comparing unlike serving sizes
ASDA Groceries suggests two servings for its 400g Light Custard tin and four portions for its 500g 30% Less Fat carton. Their stated portions are therefore not the same size.
Compare the per-100g figures first, then use the amount you intend to serve to judge your portion.
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Choosing a large carton for a one-off dessert
A carton intended for several servings may leave more custard than one or two diners want that evening.
Check the serving information and opened-pack storage directions before choosing the larger format.
Custard left unused beyond the pack’s storage instructions may have to be discarded.
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Assuming a familiar brand means an equivalent low-fat tin
The Bird's example identified by Premier Foodservice is a ready-to-serve 12 × 1kg format, while the M&S examples are whole-milk or luxury custards. Neither is a like-for-like example of a low-fat tin.
Check the precise product name, format and nutrition panel rather than using the brand alone to make the comparison.
Brands and ranges for reference
Ambrosia
A ready-to-serve option when you want to compare a branded low-fat tin with light custard in other pack formats.
- Sainsbury's lists Ambrosia Low Fat Custard Can 400g as a low-fat food.
- Check the exact variant: ASDA Groceries lists 2.0g fat and 7.4g sugars per 100g for an Ambrosia Light 500g carton, figures that should not be applied to the tin.
ASDA
Own-label ready-to-serve options in both tinned and carton formats.
- ASDA Groceries lists its 400g Light Custard tin at 1.6g fat per 100g and suggests two servings.
- Its 500g 30% Less Fat Custard is a carton, not a tin, and lists 12g sugars per 100g; both cited products contain milk.
Tesco
An own-label carton range to consider if you expect to use custard over several servings.
- Tesco Groceries lists Reduced Fat Custard in 500g and 1kg sizes alongside Ambrosia low-fat products.
- Use the exact pack’s nutrition panel before comparing its fat or sugars with a 400g tin.
Bird's
A reference point if a larger ready-to-serve format is also under consideration.
- Premier Foodservice identifies a Bird's ready-to-serve custard in a 12 × 1kg foodservice format that can be served hot or cold.
- That listing is not evidence that this product is a low-fat tin; it lists milk as an allergen.
M&S
A contrasting custard range rather than a direct example of low-fat tinned custard.
- M&S lists Silky Smooth Custard made with whole milk and a separate Madagascan Vanilla Luxury Custard.
- M&S lists 13.6g fat per 100g for the Madagascan Vanilla Luxury Custard; do not treat these named products as low-fat tin alternatives.
Joybuy custard options
These ready-to-serve custards cover different TV-dinner plans: a larger Ambrosia pack for repeat servings, a 500g Morrisons option and a 400g Ambrosia low-fat tin. Check each pack’s nutrition and serving information when comparing them.
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Ambrosia Light Devon Custard 1kg
Consider this 1kg pack if you expect to serve custard more than once. For a single TV dinner, decide how you would use and store the remainder, and check the exact pack’s nutrition panel before comparing it with a tin.
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Morrisons Ready To Serve Custard 500g
This 500g ready-to-serve option is described as a tub rather than a tin. If low fat is your priority, compare its current per-100g panel with the tinned options and follow the pack’s directions for any custard left after dinner.
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Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g
This 400g low-fat can fits the tinned format at the centre of the TV-dinner choice. Check its own per-100g fat, saturates and sugars figures and its serving guidance before comparing it with another custard.
Questions about low-fat custard
Does low-fat custard also have to be low in sugar?
No. The NHS sets a separate low-sugars threshold for foods of 5g or less per 100g. ASDA Groceries lists 8.3g sugars per 100g for its Light Custard tin and 12g per 100g for its 30% Less Fat carton, so check sugars independently of fat.
How do I compare the fat in two custards?
Use the fat figures per 100g on both packs before looking at serving figures. The NHS defines low fat for foods as 3g or less per 100g and low saturated fat as 1.5g saturates or less per 100g; a pack’s suggested serving may differ from the amount you use.
Can I use these custards if I need to avoid milk?
Do not assume that a low-fat custard is milk-free. ASDA Groceries identifies milk in its cited custards, and Premier Foodservice lists milk as an allergen in Bird's ready-to-serve custard. Check the current allergen statement on the exact product before choosing it.
Should I choose a tin or a carton for one TV dinner?
A 400g tin is a practical choice when one or two people want custard that evening; ASDA Groceries suggests two servings for its Light Custard tin. Choose a larger carton when you expect to use several portions and can follow its opened-pack storage instructions.
Is a front-of-pack traffic-light label enough?
Use it as a starting point, then read the per-100g nutrition panel and serving information. The Food Standards Agency reports that consumers use traffic-light labels to assess nutrients including fat and sugar; checking the full panel also lets you compare custards with different suggested portion sizes.