Shoppers looking for a low-fat comfort drink
If you want a ready-to-drink milkshake as a cosy snack, compare the exact product's fat per 100 ml rather than judging it by its flavour or front-of-pack wording.
Who is choosing a milkshake?
A winter treat can meet a low-fat preference without making sugar, portion size or ingredients irrelevant.
Chocolate-drink buyers comparing sugar
If chocolate is the flavour you want, read the total-sugars line alongside any no-added-sugar claim. Milk sugars can still appear in that total, as the NHS explains.
Shoppers choosing a bottle or carton size
A single carton, a multi-serving bottle and a larger pack make different portions convenient. Check the declared serving and pack volume against the amount you expect to drink.
What should you check first?
Compare fat and sugars on the same per-100-ml basis, then check the serving size and ingredients for the particular drink you choose.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | Read fat per 100 ml. The Annex published on legislation.gov.uk sets a low-fat criterion of no more than 1.5 g per 100 ml for liquids; it gives semi-skimmed milk a separate 1.8 g provision. Check the exact drink rather than its category. | I want the milkshake I buy to meet the liquid-food low-fat criterion, not merely to sound like a lighter option. |
| Sugars | Compare total sugars per 100 ml and read the ingredients and any no-added-sugar wording. The NHS notes that the total on a milk drink's label includes naturally occurring milk sugars. | For a chocolate drink, I want to know how much total sugar the label lists, even when the pack says no added sugar. |
| Portion | Check pack volume and servings per pack, then use the amount you will drink when interpreting the per-100-ml figures. ASDA lists two 200 ml servings in its Yazoo Strawberry 400 ml bottle and five in its Yazoo Banana 1 L pack. | A clearly sized carton suits me, or I may prefer a larger bottle that I can divide into servings. |
| Milk ingredients | Read the allergen declaration. A lactose-reduced milk drink can still contain milk: Sainsbury's describes Yazoo Chocolate No Added Sugar as a lactose-reduced milk drink. | If I need to avoid milk, I cannot use lactose-reduced wording as a substitute for checking the ingredients. |
Label mistakes to avoid
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Reading “no added sugar” as “low fat”
ASDA lists 2.2 g fat per 100 ml for Mars Chocolate Milk Shake Drink, which is labelled no added sugar. That is above the 1.5 g-per-100-ml liquid-food criterion stated in the Annex published on legislation.gov.uk.
If low fat is your requirement, check the fat line first and assess the sugar wording separately.
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Stopping at the fat figure
ASDA lists 1.3 g fat per 100 ml for both FRijj Chocolate and Fudge Brownie, but their listed sugars differ: 11.4 g and 10.9 g per 100 ml respectively.
Compare fat and total sugars on the same per-100-ml basis, then look at the amount you intend to drink.
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Treating a whole bottle as one declared serving
ASDA's Yazoo Strawberry 400 ml bottle contains two listed 200 ml servings, while its Yazoo Banana 1 L pack contains five. Per-serving figures will not describe the whole pack.
Check both the serving size and the number of servings before interpreting the nutrition panel.
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Confusing lactose reduced with milk free
Sainsbury's describes Yazoo Chocolate No Added Sugar as lactose reduced, but it remains a milk drink. That distinction matters when choosing a product without milk.
Check the current pack's ingredients and allergen declaration rather than relying on the lactose wording.
Brand and product references
The figures below describe named drinks and pack variants, not every product made by each brand.
Yazoo
ASDA lists the Strawberry 400 ml and Banana 1 L drinks at 1.1 g fat and 8.7 g total sugars per 100 ml. Sainsbury's lists the No Added Sugar Chocolate carton at 1.4 g fat and 4.7 g sugars per 100 ml.
- These named flavours provide different sugar figures while each sits at or below the Annex's 1.5 g-per-100-ml low-fat criterion for liquids.
- No added sugar does not mean sugar free. The lactose-reduced Chocolate drink is still milk-based.
FRijj
ASDA lists FRijj Chocolate and Fudge Brownie 330 ml drinks at 1.3 g fat per 100 ml. Their total sugars are 11.4 g and 10.9 g per 100 ml respectively.
- Both named drinks fall within the 1.5 g-per-100-ml liquid-food low-fat criterion in the Annex published on legislation.gov.uk.
- Their listed total sugars per 100 ml are higher than those of the named Yazoo examples above; compare the particular flavour and portion.
Mars
ASDA describes the 400 ml Mars Chocolate Milk Shake Drink as no added sugar and lists 6.5 g total sugars and 2.2 g fat per 100 ml.
- Its no-added-sugar wording may be relevant if that characteristic and its chocolate, malt and caramel flavour are what you want.
- At the listed 2.2 g fat per 100 ml, this drink exceeds the Annex's 1.5 g-per-100-ml low-fat criterion for liquids. ASDA also declares milk and barley.
Joybuy product options
These avocado, kale and chia milkshake yoghurt-drink pack sizes offer a different flavour choice from the chocolate and fruit milk drinks discussed above. If you are choosing one for a low-fat requirement, check its current fat figure and sugar wording on the pack; the product descriptions also use “smoothie”, so do not assume a conventional milkshake flavour.
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LIGHT UP Zero Control Avocado Kale Chia Milkshake Yoghurt Drink, 3 × 220 ml
Three individually sized bottles may suit someone dividing a ready-to-drink purchase into separate portions. Check the current pack's fat and total-sugars figures and compare its sugar wording with the ingredients before relying on a no-added-sugar claim. Check the milk allergen declaration if you need to avoid milk.
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LIGHT UP Zero Control Avocado Kale Chia Milkshake Yoghurt Drink, 220 ml
The single 220 ml bottle gives you a defined pack size for one occasion. Before choosing it for a low-fat preference, check fat per 100 ml on the current pack. Compare the total-sugars figure and ingredients with any no-added-sugar wording, and check the milk allergen declaration if relevant.
Common questions
What fat figure should I look for on a low-fat milkshake?
Compare fat per 100 ml with the liquid-food low-fat criterion of no more than 1.5 g per 100 ml in the Annex published on legislation.gov.uk. The Annex sets out a separate 1.8 g-per-100-ml provision for semi-skimmed milk; check the exact drink's label rather than assuming every milkshake has the same fat content.
Does “no added sugar” mean a milkshake has no sugar?
No. The NHS explains that total sugars on a milk drink's label include naturally occurring milk sugars. Sainsbury's lists 4.7 g total sugars per 100 ml for Yazoo Chocolate No Added Sugar, while ASDA lists 6.5 g per 100 ml for Mars Chocolate Milk Shake Drink; read the sugars line as well as the claim.
Is a lactose-reduced milkshake milk free?
No: lactose reduced and milk free describe different things. Sainsbury's describes Yazoo Chocolate No Added Sugar as a lactose-reduced milk drink, so check the pack's milk allergen declaration if you need to avoid milk.