Revealed: Yoghurt on Pret’s new children’s menu contains more sugar than packet of Haribo

A yoghurt for children sold at Pret contains more sugar than a packet of Haribo sweets.

The chain yesterday launched its kid-sized range of sandwiches and snack pots, designed for four to 10 year olds.

However, one of the offerings, a kids’ mango and banana yoghurt pot, has 7.9g of sugar per serving.

For comparison, a mini bag of Haribo Starmix has 7.5g.

Nutritionists claimed children would be better off swapping Pret’s yoghurt for a piece of fruit, or a pot of plain yoghurt with fresh fruit, to bring down the sugar content.

Pret’s kids’ mango and banana yoghurt pot has a whopping 7.9g of sugar per serving. For comparison, a mini bag of Haribo Starmix has 7.5g

The NHS recommends that children aged four to six should have no more than 19g of free sugars per day, while seven to 10-year-olds should limit intake to 24g.

This only applies to sugar added to foods, such as flavoured yoghurts, cereal and fizzy drinks, or those found naturally in fruit juices, smoothies and honey. 

Health chiefs don’t set limits on the sugar found in fruit, vegetables and milk.

The Pret treat is made with natural yoghurt, mango and banana purees, coconut milk, mango and lemon juice, along with turmeric. 

Per 100g, it has 100 calories, 8g of sugar, 0.3g of fibre and 6g of protein.

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE? 

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower-fat and lower-sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide  

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The chain said just 1g of its sugar content came from fruit purees, while the rest was from lactose — a sugar found naturally in dairy products. 

Meanwhile, Haribo is made with sugars, fruit juice from concentrate and flavourings.

Per 100g, Starmix contains 342 calories, 47g of sugar and 6.6g of protein.

However, it is served in 16g packs, while Pret’s yoghurt comes in a nearly 100g pot.

The Pret kids menu also includes cheese, ham and chicken and cucumber sandwiches on malted bread, a pizza toastie and humus and cucumber snack pot.

However, the ham sandwich and pizza toastie contain more than half of the maximum daily recommended salt intake for a child aged four to six (1.64g and 1.57g, respectively). 

It is also around a third of the up to 5g limit advised for seven to 10 year olds.

Rob Hobson, registered nutritionist based in London and author of Unprocess Your Life, warned that the Pret kids yoghurt is more of a ‘sweet treat’ than a healthy snack.

He told The Telegraph: ‘Yoghurt is healthy, but that fruit puree at the bottom is really sugary. 

‘So you are maybe better to have a plainer yoghurt and some fresh fruit. A better option might be the sandwich and some fruit.

‘You would be better off picking some fruit or maybe going to buy a yoghurt that has less sugar and checking the back of the packet.’

Hannah Hope, a nutritionist based in St Albans, told the newspaper: ‘Pret may have been better opting for a plain yoghurt with berries in for a lower sugar option for children.’

A Pret spokesperson said: ‘Comparing the serving sizes of a 100g yogurt pot and a 16g bag of sweets is incredibly misleading.

‘Like-for-like, there is six times more sugar per gram in Haribo sweets compared to our Kids’ Mango & Banana Yogurt Pot. 

‘Our kids yogurt pot is made up of simple ingredients, which contain naturally occurring sugars, and gives children far more nutritional value than a pack of sweets. 

‘We always provide all the relevant nutritional information so customers can make the right choice for them or their children.’