Who needs to check what?

Long-run fuel planners

If you are considering biscuits during a run, compare total carbohydrate for the portion you would eat and practise with that snack in training. A sugars figure is only part of the carbohydrate figure.

Lower-sugar biscuit shoppers

Compare sugars per 100g across the exact products you are considering. A lower figure within a shortlist does not, by itself, establish a ‘reduced sugars’ claim.

Runners with dietary restrictions

Check the supplied pack’s ingredients and allergen information, then consider whether the intended portion is practical for you to eat during training.

What matters when choosing?

Start with the label comparison that answers your biscuit-shopping question, then assess the portion you would actually take on a run.

Priority What to check Your needs
Listed sugars Compare sugars on the same per-100g basis. Sainsbury’s lists 26.5g, Tesco 28.3g and Asda 29g per 100g for the specified custard creams; these retailer figures do not establish a ‘reduced sugars’ claim. I want a custard cream with a lower listed sugar figure, without treating a comparison between these packs as a claim on the pack.
Carbohydrate per portion Check total carbohydrate, not just ‘of which sugars’, for the number of biscuits you plan to eat. Sainsbury’s lists 8.6g, Tesco 8.4g and Asda 8.1g carbohydrate per biscuit for their specified products. For a long run, I need to know what the portion I can carry and eat contributes, rather than choosing on sugars alone.
Ingredients and use Read the supplied pack’s ingredients and allergen information. Practise eating the intended portion during training and consider how you will carry it. Will this biscuit suit my dietary restrictions and be comfortable and convenient to eat while I am running?

What is easy to overlook?

  • Calling the lowest figure ‘reduced sugars’

    A per-100g difference between selected biscuits does not establish that any one of them carries a substantiated ‘reduced sugars’ claim.

    Describe the comparison as a lower listed sugars figure; check the exact pack if a ‘reduced sugars’ claim matters to your purchase.

  • Choosing running food by sugars alone

    ‘Of which sugars’ does not show the full carbohydrate in a biscuit. The Australian Institute of Sport also advises practising a fuelling plan that suits the activity, hydration needs and gut comfort.

    Use total carbohydrate for the portion you intend to eat, and try that portion on a training run.

  • Assuming an unfamiliar alternative will suit a run

    Ingredients differ between products. The NHS notes that foods with substantial added polyols carry a warning about possible laxative effects; this does not mean the custard creams compared here contain polyols.

    Read the alternative’s ingredients and any pack warnings, and try it during training rather than for the first time on race day.

Brand and product references

These figures describe the specified products and pack sizes, not every biscuit sold under each brand.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s Custard Creams 200g are a conventional custard-cream option.

  • Sainsbury’s lists 26.5g sugars and 68.8g carbohydrate per 100g; its per-biscuit figures are 3.3g and 8.6g respectively.
  • The product is not presented as ‘reduced sugars’. Check the supplied pack for ingredients and allergens.

Tesco

Tesco Custard Cream Biscuits 400g are a conventional custard-cream option.

  • Tesco lists 28.3g sugars and 70.1g carbohydrate per 100g, or 3.4g sugars and 8.4g carbohydrate per biscuit.
  • The listing makes no ‘reduced sugars’ claim for this product; check the supplied pack because ingredients and allergen information can change.

Asda

Asda Custard Creams 400g are another conventional option for a per-100g comparison.

  • Asda lists 29g sugars and 68g carbohydrate per 100g, or 3.4g sugars and 8.1g carbohydrate per biscuit.
  • The product information identifies wheat and milk allergens and advises checking the supplied label for changes.

Crawford’s

A Tesco listing provides figures for Crawford’s Custard Creams 300g.

  • That listing gives 30.7g sugars and 68.3g carbohydrate per 100g.
  • Those figures describe the listed 300g product, not every Crawford’s pack.

McVitie’s

Morrisons lists McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams Biscuits 300g.

  • The Morrisons product information identifies milk and wheat in the ingredients and notes that the biscuits may contain sesame.
  • Check the current pack for nutrition figures before comparing its sugars or carbohydrate with another product.

M&S

M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams 165g are a distinct extra-filling version.

  • M&S lists 40.2g sugars, 68.2g carbohydrate and 23.4g fat per 100g for this product.
  • Do not apply these extra-cream variant figures to other M&S custard creams.

Joybuy product option

This gluten-free custard cream is an option to assess against your ingredient requirements and training-snack plans. Compare the current pack’s sugars and total carbohydrate before deciding how it fits your run.

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g pack

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g

The 125g gluten-free custard-cream pack may be relevant if you are comparing ingredients for a training snack. Check its current nutrition and allergen information, then try your planned portion during training before relying on it during a run.

View on Joybuy

Common questions

Should I use sugars or total carbohydrate when assessing a biscuit for a run?

Use total carbohydrate for the portion you plan to eat; ‘of which sugars’ is part of that total. Tesco, for example, lists 8.4g carbohydrate and 3.4g sugars per biscuit for its Custard Cream Biscuits 400g. Those figures do not set an individual fuelling target.

Does a lower sugars figure mean a custard cream is labelled ‘reduced sugars’?

No. Having the lower per-100g figure among a few compared products does not establish a ‘reduced sugars’ claim. If that claim is important to you, check the exact pack rather than relying on its position in a shortlist.

What should I check when my custard creams arrive?

Read the supplied pack’s nutrition table, ingredients and allergen information, especially if you used an online listing to compare products. Tesco and Asda both advise checking the pack because product information can change.

Do custard creams need preparing before a training run?

Packaged custard creams need no preparation, but decide in advance how you will carry and eat the portion you intend to use. Follow the pack’s storage instructions; Tesco’s listing says to keep its biscuits in a cool, dry place and in an airtight container once opened.