Digestive biscuits: what they contain and how to choose them

Why are they called ‘digestive’ if they don’t help digestion?

The name comes from nineteenth-century Britain. Back then, they were made with sodium bicarbonate, and people believed that by neutralising stomach acid, they helped with digestion. The recipe went into mass production and the name stuck, although that idea has no scientific backing.

In the European Union, a food can only claim to have a health effect, including on digestion, if that effect has been authorised after an assessment of the evidence [1]. A brand name that suggests such an effect must be accompanied by an authorised claim [1]. That is why many packets have an asterisk next to ‘digestive’, referring to a clarification: the term does not imply digestive properties.

If you are looking for something to help with heavy digestion or heartburn, biscuits will not help. Fat slows stomach emptying and, for some people, makes these symptoms worse . If this happens often, the eating guide for gastritis explains what is usually better tolerated.

What ingredients do digestive-style biscuits actually contain?

Almost all of them share four main ingredients: flour, vegetable fat, sugar and raising agents.

They are usually made with refined wheat flour, with some bran or a portion of wholemeal flour that gives them a rustic appearance. They are rarely entirely wholemeal. Fat accounts for around 16 to 22 g per 100 g . It is usually palm oil or high-oleic sunflower oil, which makes the biscuit crumble when you bite into it.

Sugar, at 15 to 25 g per 100 g , often appears under more than one name: sugar, glucose syrup or molasses. Raising agents, such as sodium or ammonium bicarbonate, and salt complete the recipe.

How do you read biscuit labels at the supermarket?

By law, the label has to give you two things that help you compare products: the ingredients list and the nutrition table per 100 g [3].

Ingredients are listed in order of weight at the time of manufacture: those present in the greatest quantity come first [3]. If the first ingredients are refined wheat flour, sugar or vegetable fat, it is an ordinary sweet biscuit, whatever stalk-of-wheat picture is on the box. If the box highlights ‘wholemeal’ or ‘oats’, the percentage must be stated in the list [3]. That way, you can see whether it makes up most of the flour or just a small amount.

In the nutrition table, look at the column per 100 g, not the ‘per biscuit’ or ‘per serving’ column, which varies from one brand to another. As a reference, the UK traffic-light labelling system considers the following amounts per 100 g [4]:

• Sugars. High above 22.5 g and low up to 5 g [4]. The claim ‘low in sugars’ is only permitted up to those 5 g [1].
• Saturated fat. High above 5 g and low up to 1.5 g [4].
• Total fat. High above 17.5 g [4]. Most digestive biscuits exceed that amount.
• Fibre. To be advertised as a ‘source of fibre’, a product needs at least 3 g; to claim ‘high fibre’, it needs 6 g [1].

The four types you will find at the supermarket

They are more alike than their boxes suggest.

• Classic. Refined flour with some bran, vegetable fat and around 20 g of sugar per 100 g . They contain around 470 kcal per 100 g .
• Wholemeal or oat. They contain somewhat more fibre, and some reach the 6 g per 100 g needed to be advertised as ‘high fibre’ [1]. Fat and sugar usually remain almost the same as in classic biscuits.
• No added sugars. Sugar is replaced with polyols such as maltitol. Sugar levels fall considerably, but energy barely does (around 430 kcal per 100 g) , because the fat is still there. If they contain more than 10% added polyols, the label must warn that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect [3].
• Chocolate-coated. The chocolate coating adds sugar and saturated fat, bringing them close to or above 500 kcal per 100 g .

Do digestive biscuits cause weight gain or help with weight loss?

No single food, on its own, makes you gain or lose weight. What matters is everything you eat and how you move over time.

What digestive biscuits do have is a lot of energy in a small volume. Four biscuits, about 60 g, provide around 280 to 300 kcal . For slightly less energy, you could have about 80 g of wholemeal bread with tomato and a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil .

The difference is clear on the plate. Bread with tomato takes up more space, requires more chewing and provides water and fibre. Biscuits are eaten quickly and are not very filling for the energy they provide, so it is easy for four to turn into six. If you want to lose weight, the eating guide for weight loss explains how to plan your meals throughout the day.

What alternatives are there for breakfast or an afternoon snack?

The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition recommends favouring homemade foods and, when buying processed products, choosing those with less salt, less sugar and fats other than olive oil [2]. At breakfast and snack time, that translates into options such as these.

• Wholemeal bread with extra virgin olive oil and tomato. A familiar option, with fibre and a good-quality fat.
• Oats with plain yoghurt and fruit. Oats provide fibre, including beta-glucans, and yoghurt provides protein.
• Whole fruit with a handful of nuts. It requires chewing, is filling and provides vitamins, minerals and good-quality fats.
• Homemade oat and banana biscuits. Mash a ripe banana and mix it with rolled oats. Bake for about 15 minutes at 180 °C, with no added sugar or fat.

What mistakes do we see in appointments?

These three things come up repeatedly when we review breakfasts and snacks.

• Eating twice as many because they are ‘wholemeal’. They contain a little more fibre, but almost the same energy as classic biscuits.
• Switching to ‘no added sugars’ and not connecting them with an upset stomach. Maltitol and other polyols can have a laxative effect if consumed in quantity [3].
• Cutting them out completely, then finishing half a packet at the weekend. If you like them, it is easier to stick with them if you give them a regular place, such as Sunday breakfast.