Exercise-goers looking for a lower-sugar biscuit
You want a portable sweet snack, but need to distinguish a reduced-sugar claim from a Bourbon that simply has a lower sugars figure than another product.
Who is choosing?
The useful starting point is whether you need a Bourbon biscuit, an explicit reduced-sugar claim, or a snack that fits the exercise you have planned.
People considering a small snack before activity
The timing and length of your session affect what you need from a snack. Check the portion you would actually eat as well as the per-100g nutrition figures.
Gluten- or milk-free Bourbon shoppers
You need the relevant dietary information on the specific product. A gluten- and milk-free Bourbon is not necessarily a reduced-sugar one.
What should you check?
Decide first whether the Bourbon format or a reduced-sugar claim is essential; then compare the label and your intended portion.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar wording and labels | Look for an explicit reduced-sugar claim and its comparison basis. Read sugars per 100g separately; a lower figure than another Bourbon does not establish a reduced-sugar claim. | I want to know what the label actually says, not infer a claim from the biscuit type. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 survey, 49% of the 611 people interviewed between 16 September and 23 November reported actively using traffic-light labels when shopping for food; that measures label use, not demand for reduced-sugar Bourbons. |
| Portion and timing | Compare per-100g values for products, then check per-biscuit values for your portion. University College London Hospitals advises that, when no meal was eaten 2–3 hours beforehand, a snack 60–90 minutes before exercise should include carbohydrate and protein with minimal fat. | If I eat shortly before a session, I need to consider when I last ate and whether a biscuit alone fits that situation. |
| Dietary suitability | Check the current pack’s gluten, milk, ingredient and allergen information. Sainsbury’s identifies its Free From Bourbon Creams as gluten free and milk free; the listing gives 24.3g sugars per 100g. | A Bourbon-style biscuit must meet my gluten- or milk-free requirement. I would not treat “free from” as a sugar-reduction claim. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “Free From” as “reduced sugar”
Sainsbury’s Free From Bourbon Creams are labelled gluten free and milk free, but their listing does not describe them as reduced sugar. The two descriptions answer different buying questions.
If sugar reduction is essential, check for an explicit claim as well as the sugars figure on the nutrition panel.
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Comparing only the per-biscuit figure
Tesco lists 3.5g sugars per Bourbon biscuit and 25.2g per 100g. Sainsbury’s standard Bourbon lists 3.4g per biscuit but 25.8g per 100g. Per-biscuit figures alone therefore give a different comparison.
Use per-100g figures to compare the products, then per-biscuit figures to work out the portion you intend to eat.
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Treating a biscuit as the whole pre-exercise snack
For a snack 60–90 minutes before exercise when no meal was eaten 2–3 hours earlier, University College London Hospitals advises carbohydrate and protein with minimal fat. A sweet biscuit does not automatically cover all of those considerations.
Take account of the session and your last meal when choosing whether to eat a biscuit alone or alongside another food.
Brand and product references
These details concern the named biscuit listings, not every product made by each brand.
Sainsbury’s
Its listed standard Bourbon and Free From Bourbon Creams serve different dietary needs.
- Sainsbury’s lists 25.8g sugars per 100g for its standard Bourbon and 24.3g per 100g for its gluten- and milk-free version.
- Neither listing describes the biscuit as reduced sugar.
Tesco
Tesco’s listed Bourbon Creams are a standard Bourbon option.
- The Tesco listing gives 25.2g sugars per 100g and 3.5g per biscuit, and identifies the product as suitable for vegans.
- The listing does not describe these Bourbon Creams as reduced sugar.
Waitrose Essential
Essential Bourbon Creams are a standard cream-sandwich biscuit in the Waitrose listing.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 27.8g sugars per 100g and 3.9g per biscuit, and identifies the product as suitable for vegans.
- The listing does not describe it as reduced sugar.
M&S
M&S describes its Extra Cream Bourbon Creams as having extra chocolate cream.
- The M&S nutrition panel lists 36.7g sugars per 100g.
- This product is not presented as a reduced-sugar Bourbon.
McVitie’s
Rich Tea The Light One is a reduced-sugar biscuit alternative, not a Bourbon.
- Tesco’s listing describes it as having 30% less sugar than a typical semi-sweet biscuit and gives 12.8g sugars per 100g.
- That comparison does not establish a reduced-sugar claim for McVitie’s Bourbon biscuits.
Joybuy biscuit options
These options include cookies-and-cream and sandwich biscuits, plus an oat-and-ginger biscuit. They offer formats to consider if you are willing to move away from a Bourbon; check each pack’s sugar wording and nutrition panel for the distinction that matters to you.
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Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
A cookies-and-cream biscuit rather than a Bourbon. Its name says “No Added Sugar”; check the pack’s sugars per 100g, ingredients and portion information before choosing it for a pre-exercise snack.
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Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
This is a sandwich cookie, not a Bourbon. Check how the “Zero Sugar” wording on the product relates to its current nutrition panel and the portion you plan to eat.
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Gullon Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties 285g
These dark chocolate and ginger oat biscuits offer a different flavour and format from a Bourbon. Read the current pack’s sugar wording and nutrition values rather than inferring them from “Zero” in the name.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Bourbon with the lowest sugars figure count as reduced sugar?
Not on that figure alone. Sainsbury’s Free From Bourbon Creams list 24.3g sugars per 100g—the lowest declared figure among the Bourbon listings compared here—but Sainsbury’s describes them as gluten free and milk free, not reduced sugar. Look for an explicit reduced-sugar claim if that is your requirement.
Can I have a Bourbon biscuit 60–90 minutes before exercise?
A biscuit can be part of a snack, but do not assume it covers everything you need for the session. When no meal was eaten 2–3 hours beforehand, University College London Hospitals advises a snack with carbohydrate and protein and minimal fat in that 60–90-minute window. Consider your last meal and the activity you have planned.
Is a Free From Bourbon automatically lower in sugar?
No. “Free From” identifies a dietary distinction, not a sugar-reduction claim. Sainsbury’s lists its Free From Bourbon Creams as gluten free and milk free, with 24.3g sugars per 100g; check both the dietary information and nutrition panel for your needs.