When choosing tinned custard while managing diabetes, start with total carbohydrate for the portion you will serve; a light or reduced-sugar description does not establish whether a portion fits your individual plan. Ambrosia lists 12.1g carbohydrate per 100g for its Light Devon Custard can, compared with 13.2g for Tesco Ready To Serve Custard and 13.0g for Sainsbury’s Stamford Street Co. Custard. Pack size and opened-storage instructions also matter if you want to use the whole tin.
If you use carbohydrate information to plan a portion, check the total carbohydrate in the amount you will actually serve. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust advises people who count carbohydrate to use the total carbohydrate figure rather than only the sugars figure.
If you want to compare sugar and fat declarations, check the named product behind a light claim as well as the total carbohydrate. Ambrosia’s Light Devon Custard can still lists carbohydrate and sugars on its label.
If you usually serve less than a full can, compare its stated portions with the amount you eat and check the instructions for leftovers. Sainsbury’s lists its Stamford Street Co. 400g tin as two 200g servings and says to use it within one day of opening.
Work out the carbohydrate in your intended serving first, then compare other label details and how you would use the opened tin.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate and serving size | Total carbohydrate per 100g and the amount in the portion you intend to serve. | If I count carbohydrate, a half-can serving matters more to my calculation than the per-100g figure alone. About 46% of consumers put carbohydrate for their actual serving first. |
| Sugar and fat declarations | Sugars, saturated fat and total carbohydrate per 100g; the named comparator behind a reduced claim. | If I am switching from standard custard, I want to know what a light label changes without assuming it makes any portion suitable for me. About 27% of consumers make that label comparison their primary concern. |
| Portions and leftovers | Can weight, stated portions and the exact pack’s instructions after opening. | When I eat only part of a tin, I need a portion I can plan for and a way to use the remainder within the stated period. For about 27% of consumers, using the whole tin is the main concern. |
Diabetes UK does not recommend foods labelled ‘diabetic’. Ambrosia’s Light Devon Custard can lists 12.1g carbohydrate per 100g, so its light description does not replace a check of the amount served.
Compare total carbohydrate for your intended portion, then check sugars, saturated fat and ingredients for any other needs.
Sainsbury’s lists 26.0g carbohydrate for a 200g serving of Stamford Street Co. Custard; Tesco lists 26.5g for a 200g serving of Ready To Serve Custard. Those serving figures are not interchangeable with the per-100g figures.
Decide how much you will serve and use the label figure that corresponds to that amount.
Sainsbury’s instructs shoppers to use Stamford Street Co. Custard within one day of opening. Follow the storage instructions on the exact product rather than applying another tin’s period.
Check whether you can use the remainder within the stated time and follow the pack’s transfer and refrigeration instructions.
Custard left beyond its stated opened-storage period may have to be discarded.
Its 400g Light Devon Custard can is a ready-to-serve option for comparing a light formulation with standard custard.
Tesco lists a standard 400g ready-to-serve tin and a reduced-fat custard in a 500g carton; the formats should be distinguished when comparing portions.
Sainsbury’s lists this ready-to-eat custard as a 400g tin with two 200g servings.
This ready-to-serve 400g tin is relevant if you want to check carbohydrate information while choosing a custard portion. Compare the exact pack label with the amount you plan to serve.
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This ready-to-serve tin is an option if you want to calculate a custard portion using the carbohydrate information per 100g. Check the exact pack for the figure you need and the instructions for storing any leftovers.
No. Diabetes UK does not recommend foods labelled ‘diabetic’. For a tinned custard, compare the total carbohydrate in the portion you would serve rather than relying on that description.
If you count carbohydrate, use total carbohydrate rather than only ‘of which sugars’. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust gives that advice in its carbohydrate-counting guidance; use the figure for the amount you actually eat.
No. Ambrosia says its Light Devon Custard has less sugar and fat than its standard Devon Custard, but the Light can still lists 15.7g carbohydrate per stated 130g portion. Compare that portion with the amount you intend to serve.
Follow the exact tin’s instructions. Sainsbury’s says to transfer leftover Stamford Street Co. Custard to a non-metallic container, refrigerate it and use it within one day of opening; do not assume another product has the same instructions.
Yes, if milk is relevant to your dietary requirements. The Ambrosia Light, Tesco Ready To Serve and Stamford Street Co. products described here declare milk ingredients or a milk allergen; check the label of the exact tin you buy because ingredients can change.