Students stocking a shared fridge
A larger chilled bottle may suit repeated servings or sharing, provided you can keep it refrigerated and finish it within the pack’s opened-bottle instructions and use-by date.
Who is this choice for?
Students comparing fat and sugar
Compare similar finished drinks per 100 ml, then consider how much you will pour. A lower fat figure does not establish a lower sugars figure.
Students carrying a drink to campus
A single ready-to-drink bottle may be easier to carry than a 1 L pack. Check its nutrition per 100 ml separately: the smaller format does not determine its fat or sugars content.
What should you compare?
Start with the finished drink’s nutrition per 100 ml, then choose a pack size you can store and use as directed.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition label | Compare total fat, saturates and sugars per 100 ml across similar ready-to-drink products. Check the amount you expect to drink, not just the front-label wording. | I want to compare fat and sugars on the finished drink’s label. In a Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland survey of 611 food shoppers interviewed from September to November 2024, 49% actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food; that figure is not specific to students or milkshakes. |
| Bottle size | Check whether a 1 L bottle fits your fridge and likely number of servings. A 330 ml or 400 ml bottle offers a different amount to carry and finish. | Will I share a larger bottle, or do I want one drink to take out with me? |
| Chilled storage | Read the use-by date and opened-pack instructions. Tesco and Sainsbury’s specify refrigeration and use within five days of opening for their listed 1 L drinks, without exceeding the use-by date. GOV.UK chilling guidance says to set a fridge to 5°C or below. | In a shared kitchen, I need space to refrigerate an opened bottle and a plan to finish it in time. |
| Ingredients | Check the exact pack’s allergen statement and ingredients, especially when changing flavour. The listed Mars No Added Sugar drink contains milk and barley and has sweeteners. | If milk, barley or sweeteners matter to me, I need to check this bottle rather than assume another flavour has the same ingredients. |
What is easy to overlook?
-
Treating “1% fat milk” or “no added sugar” as the finished drink’s fat figure
Those phrases describe different things. Tesco lists 2.2 g fat per 100 ml for Mars No Added Sugar, compared with Sainsbury’s listed 1.2 g per 100 ml for its chocolate milkshake.
Use the finished drink’s nutrition panel to compare fat, saturates and sugars per 100 ml.
-
Opening a 1 L bottle for an occasional drink
Tesco and Sainsbury’s instruct buyers to refrigerate their listed 1 L drinks and use them within five days of opening and by the use-by date.
Choose the larger bottle when you expect to finish or share it within those limits; otherwise, consider a smaller pack.
-
Checking fat but overlooking sugars
Sainsbury’s lists 8.9 g sugars per 100 ml for its 1 L chocolate milkshake, while the listed Müller Frijj chocolate drink has 11.1 g per 100 ml. A fat comparison alone does not tell you the sugars content.
Read both figures per 100 ml and consider the amount you intend to drink.
-
Assuming ingredients stay the same across drinks
The listed examples contain milk, and Tesco’s Mars No Added Sugar listing also identifies barley and sweeteners. Ingredients can differ between products and variants.
Check the allergen statement and ingredients on the exact pack you buy.
Brand and product references
These figures describe the named chocolate drinks, not every flavour or pack sold under each brand.
Sainsbury’s
Its listed 1 L chocolate milkshake has the lowest declared total fat per 100 ml among the chocolate drinks compared here.
- Sainsbury’s lists 1.2 g fat, 0.7 g saturates and 8.9 g sugars per 100 ml.
- Keep refrigerated; once opened, use within five days and by the use-by date.
Tesco
Its listed 1 L chocolate-flavoured milk is another chilled, larger-bottle option for comparing fat and sugars per 100 ml.
- Tesco lists 1.5 g fat, 0.9 g saturates and 8.0 g sugars per 100 ml.
- Keep refrigerated; once opened, use within five days and by the use-by date.
Yazoo
Yazoo’s chocolate milk drink offers another named variant for a per-100 ml comparison.
- Yazoo lists 1.4 g fat, 0.9 g saturates and 8.6 g sugars per 100 ml for its chocolate drink.
- These figures do not establish the nutrition of other Yazoo flavours or ranges.
Müller Frijj
The listed chocolate milkshake comes in a 330 ml ready-to-drink bottle rather than a 1 L pack.
- Sainsbury’s lists 1.5 g fat and 0.9 g saturates per 100 ml for this chocolate variant.
- Its listed sugars figure is 11.1 g per 100 ml; check the label for the flavour you choose.
Mars
The listed No Added Sugar chocolate-flavoured milk drink is a distinct choice when added sugar is the main consideration.
- Tesco lists 6.5 g sugars per 100 ml for the 400 ml drink; “no added sugar” does not mean sugar-free.
- Tesco also lists 2.2 g fat and 1.4 g saturates per 100 ml. It contains milk and barley and must be refrigerated and used within three days of opening.
Ready-to-drink options on Joybuy
These Applied Nutrition options are protein nutrition shakes sold in multipacks, rather than the conventional supermarket milkshakes discussed above. Compare the current pack’s nutrition and ingredients with the kind of drink you want.
No image available
Applied Nutrition Protein Nutrition Shake, White Chocolate Flavour, 8 × 330 ml
The 330 ml bottles offer a ready-to-drink format for taking one out with you, but this is a protein nutrition shake rather than a conventional milkshake. The listing says to refrigerate after opening and consume within 12 hours. It identifies milk as an ingredient and advises under-18s to consult a qualified health professional; check the current pack before buying.
No image available
Applied Nutrition Protein Nutrition Shake, Double Chocolate Flavour, 8 × 500 ml
Choose the 500 ml bottle size only if that amount suits how you will carry and use the drink. This is a ready-to-drink protein nutrition shake, not a conventional grocery milkshake. The listing says to refrigerate after opening and consume within 24 hours, identifies milk as an ingredient and advises under-18s to consult a qualified health professional.
No image available
Applied Nutrition Protein Nutrition Shake, Strawberries & Cream Flavour, 8 × 330 ml
This 330 ml ready-to-drink protein nutrition shake offers a strawberry-flavoured alternative to the chocolate options. Check the pack’s per-100 ml fat, saturates and sugars figures rather than assuming flavours match. The listing says to refrigerate after opening and consume within 12 hours, identifies milk as an ingredient and advises under-18s to consult a qualified health professional.
Common questions
Is a no-added-sugar milkshake automatically lower in fat?
No. Tesco lists 2.2 g fat and 6.5 g sugars per 100 ml for Mars No Added Sugar, while Sainsbury’s lists 1.2 g fat and 8.9 g sugars per 100 ml for its chocolate milkshake. Compare both figures on the finished drinks; “no added sugar” does not mean sugar-free.
How should I store an opened bottle in student accommodation?
Follow the bottle’s storage and date instructions. Tesco and Sainsbury’s say to refrigerate their listed 1 L drinks and use them within five days of opening and by the use-by date; Tesco says to refrigerate the listed Mars drink after opening and use it within three days. GOV.UK chilling guidance says to set a fridge to 5°C or below.
Can I rely on the smell of a milkshake after its use-by date?
No. The Food Standards Agency’s student food-safety guidance says a use-by date concerns safety: food can look and smell fine after that date and still be unsafe. Follow the pack’s storage instructions as well as its date.
Which ingredients should I check before switching milkshakes?
Check the allergen statement and ingredients on the exact flavour and pack. The listed milk drinks contain milk, while Tesco’s listing for Mars No Added Sugar also identifies barley. Check for sweeteners if you prefer to avoid them, and recheck the label when buying a different variant.