Parents are paying closer attention to the sugar content in everyday foods and drinks, especially the ones aimed at kids. The World Health Organization recommends keeping free sugars including those added via jaggery, honey, or syrups, not just refined sugar under 10% of daily energy intake for both adults and children, with extra benefits below 5%.
This is why parents prefer to buy drinks made of “no refined sugar” or “naturally sweetened” chocolate drink powders. However, they should understand what these expressions mean.
Unlike refined sugar which is stripped down to almost pure sucrose during processing, leaving behind nothing but empty calories, jaggery & date powder retain the minerals naturally present in their source. Jaggery contains meaningful iron (around 11 mg per 100 g), along with calcium, magnesium, potassium and B-complex vitamins. Further, Dates add dietary fibre (roughly 7–8 g per 100 g), potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and antioxidants like flavonoids and carotenoids.
This matters since growing children need iron for healthy oxygen transport, calcium and magnesium for developing bones, B6 for brain development, and fibre for digestion. However, It’s worth noting that jaggery and dates are still forms of sugar and contribute to total daily sugar intake. The benefit is the added trace minerals, not a meaningfully lower glycemic impact. Portion size and total added sugar per serving still matter. That is the real distinction: white sugar offers sweetness and nothing else, while unrefined sweeteners deliver sweetness with genuine nutrient value.
If you are a parent in search of a chocolate milk mix that does not contain any refined sugar, here are five such mixes with various techniques used for sweetness, protein and nutrition.
- Tata 1mg GroGood Milk Mix for 7-12 Years
Overall best for age-specific nutrition with jaggery and dates
Tata 1mg GroGood Milk Mix is made especially for children aged 7-12. It has been sweetened naturally with jaggery and date powder and does not contain any refined sugar, artificial sweetener, artificial flavoring or preservatives. One serving of GroGood (33.4g) has 0g of refined added sugar, and about 9.88g of free sugars from dates and jaggery. This roughly amounts to 40% of the ~25g (six teaspoons) suggested as a sensible daily free-sugar limit for a child by WHO.
A single serving of this drink has about 9 grams of protein from a blend of milk protein concentrate, skimmed milk powder and casein. It is also fortified with 21 vitamins and minerals including calcium, vitamin D, algal DHA and lactoferrin. Lactoferrin is the ingredient that stands out here. It is a protein found naturally in milk that may help the body absorb iron and support immune defences, and it rarely appears in everyday kids’ milk mixes.There are also several whole food ingredients like ragi, chia seeds, flaxseeds, almonds and walnuts.
Its biggest strength lies in its attempt to balance the two. It is a chocolate-flavored product without using refined sugar but replacing it with jaggery and dates
As per Tata 1mg, all batches undergo testing as a part of quality control procedure at the brand. It is necessary to make sure that all reports and testing procedures remain available for parents, since it gives an opportunity for independent verification of this aspect instead of yet another claim on the packaging.
Sweetener Profile: jaggery powder and date powder, no refined sugar and artificial sweeteners used.
Important note: The product contains milk, nuts and seeds, therefore is not recommended for consumption by lactose intolerant and allergy sufferers of these ingredients.
- Little Joys Nutrimix 7+ Chocolate
Best plant protein-based alternative
The brand Little Joys Nutrimix has a special version for children between ages seven and 12 years old. Similar to GroGood, it uses natural sugars like dates and jaggery and does not contain any form of refined sugar or preservatives.
Proteins in this product are partially derived from plant-based sources including moong dal, peas, and brown rice. Other ingredients of this formulation include ragi, bajra, almonds, walnuts, calcium, and DHA.
This makes it an interesting alternative for those who prefer formulations containing plant-based proteins, millets, and nuts. Another version of Little Joys’ 7+ Nutrimix is available without any sugars, which differentiates it significantly from its jaggery & date alternative.
Parents need to make sure which one they are buying, as “with dates and jaggery” and “without any added sugar” are two different products.
Sweetener Profile: Either with jaggery and dates as sweeteners or with an alternate unsweetened formulation.
Important note: Protein and nutrient composition may vary depending on age groups and pack variations. For the selected 7–12-year-old product, the panel needs to be considered instead of the claimed values on the younger child packs.
3. Gritzo SuperMilk Overall Growth for 7–12 Years
Better suited for age- and gender-specific formulation
The Gritzo SuperMilk comes in various formulations, depending on age, gender, and purpose. The product line includes an Overall Growth formulation for children in the age group of 7-12 years, which supplies 9g of protein per serving from a milk protein combination. It also has 20 vitamins and minerals.
The beverage has no refined sugar, maltodextrin, preservatives, artificial sweetener, artificial flavour, and artificial color. However, it uses unrefined cane sugar, not jaggery or dates, as its sweetener.
This difference is significant because although it is less processed than regular sugar, the unrefined cane sugar is still an added sugar. Comparing the grams of total and added sugar per serving will be helpful while selecting among different products for kids.
According to Gritzo, all batches are tested for safety and purity. This makes it a close competitor to GroGood in terms of formulation based on age and quality testing.
Sweetener Profile: Unrefined cane sugar, with no refined sugar or artificial sweeteners which are cleaner than refined sugar. However, it’s worth noting that it lacks the mineral density of jaggery or dates.
Important note: This is not an option which uses jaggery or dates as the sweetening agent. Such parents may prefer GroGood.
4. Slurrp Farm Magic Milk Mix – Millet Chocolate
The best simple millet based chocolate mix
The Magic Milk Mix by Slurrp Farm takes the route of being a more food-oriented product. It is made using jowar, oats and cocoa, and is sweetened using jaggery. The product does not contain any preservatives, wheat, artificial colours and flavors.
In comparison with Little Joys and Gritzo, this is a much more straightforward chocolate milk mix, and not an age-specific fortification product. This may be appealing to parents who are looking for a shorter and more familiar list of ingredients and are not necessarily in need of a high-protein or micronutrient-based product.
The combination of jowar and oats also separates it from milk protein based products.
Sweetener Profile: Jaggery, with no processed sugar.
Important note: This is not designed for the dietary needs of 7-12 years old. Those parents who want to meet the nutritional deficit of their child with regard to proteins and minerals should not equate the two products.
In the products reviewed, Tata 1mg GroGood appears to be the best overall product for kids aged 7-12 years. It has 9g of protein, 21 vitamins and minerals, DHA, lactoferrin, nuts, seeds and millets, combined in a chocolate drink sweetened with jaggery and dates, and not with refined sugar or artificial sweeteners.
While Little Joys is the only plant-based protein option, Gritzo provides personalized formulas, depending on age and gender. Slurrp Farm may be preferred by those looking for a simple drink from the millets. Pro-To-Grow gives a wider variety of the ingredients traditionally used.
Irrespective of what is written on the front of the packaging, parents should look at the first ingredients listed, sugar content and size of a single portion. Not all sugars are equal. Jaggery and dates contain minerals that refined sugar loses entirely, so one must check the sweetener behind a “naturally sweetened” label.
