Gym-goers watching sugar
If you want something sweet after exercise but are checking sugar content, start with the nutrition panel rather than the biscuit category. Sainsbury’s lists 3.3g sugars and 0.7g protein per custard cream.
Who is choosing this snack?
Occasional biscuit snackers
If you chiefly want a custard cream, you can treat it as a sweet biscuit rather than expecting it to cover every post-exercise need. The British Nutrition Foundation discusses carbohydrate and protein as distinct considerations in sport and exercise.
Buyers choosing food for schools in England
Check school-food requirements separately from retail rules about promotions of foods high in fat, sugar or salt. The Department for Education’s guidance addresses food provided in state-funded schools in England; a biscuit’s category name alone does not establish its regulatory status.
What should you check?
Decide whether you need a custard cream biscuit or are willing to change format, then compare the sugar declaration, the rest of the snack and any ingredient restrictions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar content | Check sugars per 100g and per serving on the current label. Sainsbury’s lists 26.5g per 100g and 3.3g per biscuit for its Custard Creams; confirm what any reduced-sugar wording refers to. | I want the sugar figure for the biscuit I would actually eat, not an assumption based on its name. |
| Post-exercise snack | Check protein and carbohydrate on the label, and consider fluids alongside food. The Association for Nutrition’s recovery guidance discusses refuelling, protein and rehydration in relation to the workout. | After exercise, I may want more from a snack than a sweet biscuit alone; what matters will depend on the session and the rest of my food and drink. |
| Format | Check whether the product is a ready-to-eat biscuit, a bar or a mix requiring preparation. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Instant Custard Mix is made with boiling water and lists 4.7g sugars per prepared 82g portion; it is not a biscuit. | A custard-style flavour might suit me, but I need to know whether I am buying something I can eat straight from the pack. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact product. Sainsbury’s Custard Creams list wheat flour and milk-derived whey powder. | If wheat, milk or another ingredient affects my choice, I need to check the pack rather than assume similar-looking snacks share an ingredient list. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming a classic custard cream is reduced sugar
Sainsbury’s lists 3.3g sugars per biscuit for its Custard Creams, while M&S lists 40.2g per 100g for Extra Cream Custard Creams. Neither product description establishes a reduced-sugar claim for that biscuit.
Compare current labels using the same per-100g basis, then look at the serving you expect to eat. Check a reduced-sugar claim on the particular product you choose.
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Making a sweet biscuit the whole post-gym snack
Sainsbury’s lists 0.7g protein per custard cream. The Association for Nutrition’s recovery guidance considers carbohydrate, protein and rehydration, with needs varying by exercise type and intensity.
If your session calls for a more substantial snack or meal, consider the biscuit alongside other food and fluids rather than relying on it alone.
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Applying retail HFSS rules to school meals
UK Government guidance on foods high in fat, sugar or salt addresses specified retail promotions and placement in England. The Department for Education sets out separate requirements for food provided in state-funded schools in England.
For school provision, check the current Department for Education guidance and the particular food being served; do not infer a product’s classification or school-food status from the term ‘custard cream’.
Relevant brand references
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Custard Creams provide a standard biscuit reference when checking the nutrition of a particular product.
- The product lists 3.3g sugars and 0.7g protein per biscuit.
- Its listed ingredients include wheat flour and milk-derived whey powder; check the current pack if these ingredients matter to you.
M&S
M&S describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as a biscuit with more vanilla cream and custard powder.
- Its nutrition declaration gives figures per 100g, which can be compared with another biscuit’s per-100g declaration.
- M&S lists 40.2g sugars, 23.4g fat and 4.0g protein per 100g for this product, and advises shoppers to read the current label because product information can change.
Tesco
Tesco No Added Sugar Instant Custard Mix offers a different custard-style format, not a custard cream biscuit.
- Tesco labels the mix no added sugar and lists 4.7g sugars per prepared 82g portion.
- It requires preparation with boiling water and lists 0.7g protein per prepared portion. ‘No added sugar’ does not mean sugar-free.
Joybuy snack options
These options range from a cream-flavoured biscuit and a bar to savoury cakes and other snack bars. They are different formats to consider alongside the custard-cream decision, not a list of reduced-sugar custard creams; check each current pack against your sugar, ingredient and serving needs.
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Grenade High Protein Low Sugar Oreo Flavour Bars, 4 x 60g
The Oreo-flavoured bar is a different ready-to-eat format if you want a cream-flavoured snack after the gym. The pack contains four 60g bars; it is not a custard cream biscuit. Check the current nutrition and ingredient label rather than treating wording in the product name as a comparison with custard creams.
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Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream Biscuits, 210g
These cookies-and-cream biscuits keep a sweet biscuit format, but they are not identified as custard creams. The pack is 210g. ‘No added sugar’ does not mean sugar-free or establish a reduced-sugar comparison, so check sugars per 100g and per serving on the current label.
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Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes, 100g
These lentil cakes are a savoury option if the sweet custard-cream flavour is not essential. The pack is 100g. They are not a cream-filled biscuit; compare the current sugar and protein declarations with the serving you plan to eat.
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Nature Valley Protein Peanut & Chocolate Bars, 4 x 40g
This peanut-and-chocolate bar changes both the flavour and format from a custard cream. The pack contains four 40g bars. If reducing sugar is your main reason for switching, check the current sugars declaration rather than relying on ‘Protein’ in the name.
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Cadbury Brunch Peanut Cereal Bars, 4pk, 112g
These peanut cereal bars offer a different snack format, not a custard-cream flavour. The four-pack weighs 112g. Check the current sugar declaration before choosing them for a reduced-sugar brief.
Questions about custard creams after the gym
Can custard creams be my whole post-gym snack?
A custard cream alone may not cover what you want from a post-exercise snack. Sainsbury’s lists 0.7g protein per biscuit, while the Association for Nutrition’s recovery guidance considers carbohydrate, protein and rehydration; the relevance of each depends on the exercise and what else you eat and drink.
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean sugar-free?
No. Tesco lists 4.7g sugars per prepared 82g portion for its No Added Sugar Instant Custard Mix. It is a custard mix rather than a custard cream biscuit, so check the product format as well as the sugar figure.
Can instant custard mix take the place of a custard cream?
It can provide a custard-style option if you are willing to change format, but it cannot replace a ready-to-eat biscuit like for like. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Instant Custard Mix is prepared with boiling water and lists 0.7g protein per prepared portion; consider the rest of the snack or meal too.
Do retail HFSS rules determine whether custard creams can be served in English schools?
No: retail promotion rules and school-food requirements are separate. UK Government guidance describes retail restrictions for specified foods in England, while the Department for Education’s school-food guidance addresses food provided in state-funded schools in England. Check the applicable school-food requirements and the particular product rather than assuming its status from the biscuit category.