If you are managing weight, treat a milkshake as an occasional drink and compare the energy and total sugars in the amount you will actually have; NHS guidance advises having sugary drinks and snacks less often and in smaller amounts. Mixing a measured serving at home gives you control over the preparation, while a ready-to-drink bottle needs no mixing but may contain more than one serving. “No added sugar” does not mean sugar-free.
The useful comparison depends on whether you want an occasional prepared drink, a bottle to take with you or control over what goes into the glass.
Compare the energy and sugars in your intended portion, rather than treating a sweet milk drink as an everyday substitute for water. The NHS advises having sugary drinks less often and in smaller amounts when trying to reduce calorie intake.
Check whether the nutrition panel describes one serving or the whole bottle. A no-added-sugar label still calls for a look at total sugars: Tesco lists 13g sugars per 200ml serving for its Mars No Added Sugar milk drink.
Measuring the syrup and milk lets you define the serving you are comparing. Sainsbury’s lists nutrition for a specific Crusha preparation made with 30ml syrup and 170ml semi-skimmed milk; a different recipe needs its own calculation.
Start with the amount you expect to drink, then read energy, total sugars and ingredients for that amount. For a mix, include the milk used to prepare it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion and energy | Check energy per serving, serving size and servings per container. Sainsbury’s lists 114kcal per 200ml for Yazoo Strawberry and five such servings in its 1-litre bottle; Tesco lists 126kcal per 200ml and two servings in the 400ml Mars bottle. | I want to know what the amount I plan to drink contributes, rather than counting a whole bottle as one labelled serving. |
| Total sugars | Read total sugars alongside any no-added-sugar claim. Tesco lists 13g sugars per 200ml for Mars No Added Sugar; the claim does not mean that naturally occurring sugars are absent. | If I am comparing sweeter drinks, I need the total-sugars figure for my portion, not just the wording on the front of the pack. |
| Preparation | For a mix, check the stated syrup quantity, milk type and finished volume. Sainsbury’s lists 87kcal and 8.6g sugars for a 200ml Crusha shake made with 30ml syrup and 170ml semi-skimmed milk; changing that recipe changes the comparison. | Mixing at home suits me if I want to measure each component. If I need a drink without preparation, I would compare the nutrition for the ready-to-drink portion instead. |
| Protein and product type | Read protein together with energy and sugars. Sainsbury’s lists 6.1g protein per 200ml for Yazoo Strawberry, while Tesco lists 7g per 200ml for Mars No Added Sugar; neither figure establishes that an ordinary milkshake is a complete meal replacement. | Protein may be one label detail I compare, but I do not want it to stand in for checking the drink’s portion or its place alongside a meal. |
| Ingredients and storage | Check the current pack for allergens and after-opening instructions. Tesco declares milk and barley for the Mars drink; Sainsbury’s says opened Yazoo Strawberry should be refrigerated and drunk within three days. | I need to check ingredients that matter to me and whether I can use the container within its stated storage period. |
A no-added-sugar drink can still contain sugars. Tesco lists 13g total sugars and 126kcal per 200ml for Mars Chocolate Flavoured Milk Drink No Added Sugar.
Compare total sugars and energy for the portion you intend to have, rather than relying on the front-of-pack claim.
Tesco lists two 200ml servings in the 400ml Mars bottle, while Sainsbury’s lists five 200ml servings in the 1-litre Yazoo Strawberry bottle. Drinking more than one serving changes the amount represented by the nutrition figures.
Check servings per container and decide whether you will pour a measured amount or drink the entire bottle.
Ordinary flavoured milk drinks may list protein, but that figure alone does not establish that they provide a complete meal. NHS weight-loss guidance addresses the wider eating pattern as well as limiting sugary drinks and snacks.
Consider the milkshake as a drink or part of a snack, and assess a meal separately rather than using the protein number as a shortcut.
The Food Standards Agency identifies milk as an allergen. Tesco’s Mars product also declares barley, so its ingredients matter beyond the drink’s energy and sugar figures.
Read the pack’s ingredient, allergen and storage information before use, particularly where an ingredient must be avoided.
These examples show how labelled servings and preparation instructions differ; a brand name alone does not establish the nutrition of every product it sells.
Ready-to-drink flavoured milk, including the Strawberry Milk Drink 1L listed by Sainsbury’s.
Ready-to-drink milkshake represented here by the 330ml chocolate bottle listed by ASDA Groceries.
Chocolate-flavoured ready-to-drink milk represented here by the 400ml No Added Sugar product listed by Tesco.
Tesco’s milkshake category listing includes ready-to-drink flavoured milk and no-added-sugar milkshake mixes.
Sainsbury’s product listings provide examples of both ready-to-drink flavoured milk and syrup mixed at home.
These are ready-to-drink milkshake-style and yoghurt-drink options for comparing bottle size and current pack information. They are not alternatives to the measured syrup-and-milk preparation discussed above.
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The 250ml can gives you a defined ready-to-drink portion. If you are comparing sugars, check the current pack’s total-sugars figure rather than reading a no-added-sugar claim as sugar-free; the drink contains milk.
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The 220ml bottle is a smaller ready-to-drink format. Its sugar claim and ingredient information conflict, so check the current pack before relying on its total-sugars figure or no-added-sugar wording. It contains milk.
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Each ready-to-drink bottle is 330ml. Compare nutrition for the whole bottle if that is the amount you plan to have, and check current sugars and allergen information on the pack. It contains milk and is not a substitute for a varied diet.
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At 500ml per bottle, this format calls for a whole-bottle check if you intend to drink it all. Read current energy, total sugars and allergen information before choosing a portion; it contains milk and is not a substitute for a varied diet.
No. Tesco lists 13g total sugars per 200ml for Mars Chocolate Flavoured Milk Drink No Added Sugar and states that it contains naturally occurring sugars. Compare the total-sugars figure for the amount you intend to drink.
Choose by the preparation and portion you will actually use. Sainsbury’s lists 87kcal for a 200ml Crusha shake made with 30ml syrup and 170ml semi-skimmed milk; that figure changes if you change the recipe. A ready-to-drink bottle avoids mixing, but check whether its nutrition panel covers your full portion.
Do not assume it can: a protein figure on a flavoured milk drink does not establish that it is a complete meal replacement. NHS guidance on trying to lose weight focuses on an eating pattern that fits everyday life while reducing calories, and advises having sugary drinks and snacks less often and in smaller amounts.
Read the current product’s ingredients and allergen declaration. The Food Standards Agency identifies milk as an allergen, and Tesco’s Mars No Added Sugar drink declares both milk and barley; do not assume another milkshake has the same ingredients.
Follow the instructions for the particular product. Sainsbury’s says opened Yazoo Strawberry Milk Drink 1L should be refrigerated and drunk within three days; its Crusha syrup listing says to refrigerate after opening and use within one month.