Who is choosing custard?

Families comparing nutrition labels

If you want custard to share after baking with children, compare fat, saturates and sugars per 100g. A lighter-sounding name alone does not tell you all three figures.

Bakers who want a quick dessert finish

A ready-to-serve custard can go alongside a finished sponge, crumble or fruit dessert without making custard from powder. Ambrosia says its light canned custard can be served hot or cold; an adult should manage any heating.

Households checking ingredients

Check the current pack when milk is a concern. The Ambrosia and Sainsbury's lighter ready-to-serve products list milk ingredients, while Bird's Original Custard Powder carries a precautionary milk statement.

What matters when buying?

Start with whether the custard will be served with a finished bake or used in the recipe itself. For ready-to-serve choices, the NHS advises comparing nutrition information per 100g; also consider the portion you expect to serve.

Concern What to check Who this matters to
Fat, saturates and sugars Compare all three figures per 100g on the current label, then consider your serving size. I want a lower-fat accompaniment for a family dessert, but I also want to know its sugar figure before choosing. About 42% of consumers put this nutrition comparison first.
Ready-to-serve convenience Check that the pack is a tin if that matters, and read the hot-or-cold serving and heating instructions. When the baking is finished, I want to serve custard without making it from powder while children wait. Ready-to-serve convenience comes first for about 33% of consumers.
Ingredients and handling Check the current allergen label and opened-pack storage instructions; keep heating with an adult. Before sharing dessert, I need to check milk ingredients and know how to handle hot custard and leftovers. Those ingredient and handling checks are the primary need for about 25% of consumers.

Checks worth making

  • Do not read “lower fat” as “lower sugar”

    Ambrosia lists 7.4g sugars per 100g for its light can; Sainsbury's lists 11.8g per 100g for its lighter ready-to-eat custard. Their fat figures differ too, so a single front-of-pack description cannot stand in for the nutrition panel.

    Compare fat, saturates and sugars on the same per-100g basis, then look at the amount you plan to serve.

  • Do not assume every ready-to-serve pack is a tin

    Sainsbury's describes its lighter custard as a 500g ready-to-eat product. If cupboard storage in a tin is part of your purchase decision, the pack format matters as well as the nutrition figures.

    Confirm the packaging on the product and its label before treating it as a tinned-custard alternative.

  • Do not heat custard in a metal can

    The ready-to-serve heating instructions call for transferring custard to a saucepan or microwaveable container. Hot custard and heated containers need careful handling around children.

    Have an adult transfer, heat, stir and check the custard before serving, following the pack's heating instructions.

  • Plan for the opened pack

    Ambrosia's light can and Sainsbury's lighter custard state that opened product should be refrigerated and consumed within three days. Ingredients and storage instructions should be checked on the pack you buy.

    Choose a pack size that suits the amount you expect to use, and follow its label after opening.

    Custard left beyond the pack's stated opened-storage period may go to waste.

Relevant brands for reference

Ambrosia

Ambrosia Ready To Serve Light Devon Custard Can 400g is a tinned option for serving hot or cold with a finished dessert.

  • Ambrosia lists 2.0g fat, 1.0g saturates and 7.4g sugars per 100g for this light can. Its “30% less sugar and fat” description compares it with Ambrosia's own standard Devon Custard.
  • It contains milk ingredients. Refrigerate any unused custard after opening and consume it within three days, according to Ambrosia's instructions.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's Ready To Eat Lighter Custard 500g is a ready-to-serve option when a tin is not essential.

  • Sainsbury's lists 1.5g fat and 0.8g saturates per 100g. Its “50% less fat” statement is a comparison with its own standard custard.
  • It lists 11.8g sugars per 100g and contains cows' milk; check its packaging if you specifically need a tin.

Tesco

Tesco's own Ready To Serve Custard 400g offers another nutrition label to compare when shopping for a dessert accompaniment.

  • Tesco lists fat and saturates per 100g for its own ready-to-serve custard, making a like-for-like label comparison possible.
  • At 3.8g fat and 2.6g saturates per 100g, this Tesco product is above the NHS low-fat and low-saturates thresholds of 3g and 1.5g per 100g.

Bird's

Bird's Original Custard Powder is a preparation-based alternative, not tinned ready-to-serve custard.

  • Bird's instructions allow different milk types and adjustments to the amount of milk for the desired consistency.
  • The standard directions require milk, sugar and heating. The product information also says the powder may contain milk.

M&S

M&S Silky Smooth Custard 400g is a food-cupboard option with a whole-milk recipe, rather than a lower-fat choice.

  • Its stated nutrition figures allow comparison with lighter ready-to-serve products.
  • M&S lists 3.7g fat and 2.6g saturates per 100g and specifies refrigeration and consumption within two days of opening.

Tinned custard on Joybuy

For serving custard alongside a finished family bake, this selection is a lower-fat 400g tin. Check the requirements of any recipe that calls for custard to set during baking.

Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g can

Ambrosia Low Fat Custard 400g

A 400g can for serving custard with a finished dessert. Check the current label for nutrition and milk ingredients; if serving it hot, an adult should transfer it to a suitable container and follow the heating instructions.

View on Joybuy

Common questions

Does lower-fat custard also contain less sugar?

Not necessarily. Ambrosia lists 2.0g fat and 7.4g sugars per 100g for its light can, while Sainsbury's lists 1.5g fat and 11.8g sugars per 100g for its lighter ready-to-eat custard. Check both figures on the current label.

Which of these ready-to-serve custards meet the NHS low-fat threshold?

The NHS defines low fat as 3g of fat or less per 100g. Ambrosia lists 2.0g per 100g for its light 400g can, and Sainsbury's lists 1.5g per 100g for its lighter 500g ready-to-eat custard. If you need a tin, confirm the packaging rather than relying on the fat figure alone.

Can children heat tinned custard themselves?

An adult should handle heating during a baking activity with children. Follow the custard's instructions for transferring it from the can, heating it in a saucepan or microwaveable container, and checking it before serving.

Is custard powder automatically suitable for someone with a milk allergy?

No. Bird's Original Custard Powder says it may contain milk, and the Ambrosia and Sainsbury's ready-to-serve products list milk ingredients. Check the current ingredient and allergen information on the specific pack before choosing.

How long can opened ready-to-serve custard be kept?

Follow the individual pack's refrigeration and after-opening instructions. Ambrosia's light can and Sainsbury's lighter custard specify consumption within three days of opening; M&S Silky Smooth Custard specifies two days.