Picnic planners looking for low fat
Check fat per 100 ml on the exact flavour and pack size. A no-added-sugar label or a lighter-sounding name does not tell you whether a drink meets the low-fat condition.
Who is this for?
Groups packing individual drinks
Small cartons or bottles make portions easier to plan. Check whether each drink needs chilling before the picnic and what its label says about storage after opening.
Shoppers considering protein shakes
Compare the bottle size, sugars and sweeteners as well as fat. Check the milk-allergen information rather than assuming a protein drink, or a lactose-free one, is milk-free.
What should you check?
Start with the fat figure for the exact drink, then decide whether its portion and storage instructions work for the picnic you are planning.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | Read fat per 100 ml on the current pack. UK nutrition-claims legislation sets a general low-fat limit of 1.5 g per 100 ml for liquids, with a separate 1.8 g per 100 ml condition for semi-skimmed milk. | I want a drink that meets the low-fat brief, not just one that sounds lighter than another flavour. |
| Sugars and sweeteners | Compare sugars per 100 ml on the same basis, then read the ingredients for sweeteners. No added sugar does not mean sugar-free or low fat. | I may prefer a no-added-sugar drink, but I still want to know how much sugar it contains and whether it uses sweeteners. |
| Portion | Check the volume of each carton, bottle or can and the number in the pack. Compare nutrition per 100 ml before considering how much each person will drink. | For a group, individual portions may be easier to hand out; a larger bottle may suit someone planning to drink or share more. |
| Picnic storage | Read the exact pack’s instructions before and after opening. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping dairy foods that normally need refrigeration cool at a picnic. | I need a plan for carrying and serving the drinks, particularly if they will spend time outside in summer weather. |
Picnic packing mistakes to avoid
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Taking ‘no added sugar’ to mean low fat
Tesco Groceries lists 2.2 g fat per 100 ml for the checked Mars No Added Sugar milk drink, above the general UK low-fat limit for liquids.
If low fat is your requirement, read the fat figure first. Compare sugars and sweeteners as separate choices.
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Comparing drinks by the whole container
A 200 ml carton and a larger bottle represent different amounts to drink, so their per-container figures do not provide a like-for-like comparison.
Compare fat and sugars per 100 ml, then consider the portion each person is likely to have.
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Leaving chilled dairy drinks without a cooling plan
The Food Standards Agency advises keeping dairy products that normally live in the fridge cool at a picnic.
Pack those drinks in a cool bag or box with ice or frozen gel packs, and take them out when needed.
A cool bag or box and cooling packs add equipment to carry.
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Assuming UHT covers storage after opening
Unopened and opened storage instructions can differ. Tesco Groceries says to refrigerate the checked Yazoo No Added Sugar drink after opening.
Follow the instructions on the exact pack and keep opened dairy drinks chilled.
Brand and product-line references
These examples illustrate label differences between specific drinks; check the current pack rather than applying one flavour’s figures to a whole brand.
Arla Protein
The checked vanilla milkshake is a 482 ml protein drink with 0.9 g fat and 4.7 g sugars per 100 ml on its Tesco Groceries listing.
- The listing says this unopened drink can be kept outside the fridge, offering a different packing option from a drink that must stay chilled.
- It contains milk, despite being described as lactose-free, and the bottle is larger than a 200 ml individual carton.
MaxiNutrition
The checked chocolate MaxShake is a 330 ml drink labelled low fat and no added sugar by ASDA Groceries.
- Its listed nutrition gives 1.2 g fat and 4.2 g sugars per 100 ml.
- The checked drink contains milk and a sweetener; no added sugar does not mean sweetener-free.
Yazoo
Tesco Groceries lists both a standard 400 ml chocolate drink and a No Added Sugar Chocolate multipack of six 200 ml cartons.
- The checked multipack provides individual portions and lists 1.4 g fat and 4.7 g sugars per 100 ml.
- The checked standard chocolate bottle also lists 1.4 g fat per 100 ml, but its sugars figure is 8.6 g per 100 ml. Both examples contain milk.
Müller Frijj
The checked 330 ml chocolate milkshake sits at 1.5 g fat per 100 ml on its Sainsbury's listing.
- That figure is at the general UK low-fat limit for liquids, though the checked listing does not present the drink as low fat.
- The same listing gives 11.1 g sugars per 100 ml; compare that separately from fat.
Mars
The checked 400 ml No Added Sugar chocolate milk drink is an example of why sugar wording cannot stand in for a fat check.
- Tesco Groceries lists 6.5 g sugars per 100 ml for this variant, so its sugar content can be compared on the same volume basis as other drinks.
- The listing gives 2.2 g fat per 100 ml, above the general UK low-fat limit for liquids, and identifies milk and sweeteners.
Joybuy protein shake options
These ready-to-drink protein shakes come in portioned multipacks for the picnic brief. Check each current nutrition label and storage instructions before deciding what to pack.
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Grenade Salted Caramel Protein Shake, 8 × 330 ml
The 330 ml bottles offer individual portions for a picnic. This milk-containing drink uses sweeteners; check its current fat figure and unopened storage instructions, and keep drinks that require chilling cool.
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Applied Nutrition Vanilla Ice Cream Protein Nutrition Shake, 8 × 500 ml
Each 500 ml bottle is a larger portion than the smaller drinks here, so consider how much each person will have. Check the current fat and sugars figures, the ingredient list if avoiding sucralose, and the pack’s unopened storage instructions; refrigerate after opening as directed.
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Applied Nutrition Strawberries & Cream Protein Nutrition Shake, 8 × 330 ml
The 330 ml bottles provide separate servings for a group. This drink contains milk and sucralose; compare its current fat and sugars figures, check unopened storage directions and refrigerate after opening as directed.
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REP Vanilla Protein Shakes, 8 × 250 ml
The 250 ml cans are the smallest individual portions in this selection. The drink contains milk; read the current can’s nutrition information on a comparable volume basis and follow its storage directions, including refrigeration after opening.
Common questions
What counts as a low-fat milkshake in the UK?
For a low-fat claim on a liquid, UK nutrition-claims legislation sets a general limit of 1.5 g fat per 100 ml; it specifies a separate 1.8 g per 100 ml condition for semi-skimmed milk. Check the figure on the current pack of the drink you intend to buy.
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean low fat or sugar-free?
No. Those descriptions address different characteristics. Tesco Groceries lists 2.2 g fat per 100 ml for the checked Mars No Added Sugar milk drink, while its checked Yazoo No Added Sugar chocolate drink still lists 4.7 g sugars per 100 ml. Read the fat, sugars and ingredients information separately.
Can an unopened UHT milkshake travel without a cool bag?
Follow the storage instructions for that exact drink rather than relying on ‘UHT’ alone. The checked Arla Protein Vanilla listing says the unopened drink can be kept outside the fridge; the Food Standards Agency advises keeping dairy foods that normally need refrigeration cool at a picnic. Follow the pack’s separate instructions after opening.
Are lactose-free or protein milkshakes suitable for someone with a milk allergy?
Do not assume they are. The checked lactose-free Arla drink and the dairy protein drinks discussed here contain milk. Check the current allergen statement on the exact pack before serving.