Day walkers choosing a biscuit treat
A filled custard cream and a plain digestive offer different biscuit styles. Either can be one item in the food you take, rather than the whole plan for a demanding walk.
Who is this choice for?
Walkers comparing sugar and portions
Compare the particular recipes per 100g, then check the weight or serving information for the biscuits you intend to pack.
Walkers managing food allergies
Check the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statements before packing biscuits for yourself or someone else. A separately labelled free-from recipe needs its own check.
What should you check before packing?
Choose the biscuit style you want, compare like-for-like label figures, then decide how it fits with the rest of the food you are carrying.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Food for the walk | Consider the length and demands of the walk, and what other food and water you will carry. Ramblers advises adjusting walking supplies to your circumstances. | On a longer walk, I want food beyond a packet of biscuits. |
| Biscuit style and sugar | Check whether you want a vanilla-filled sandwich biscuit or a plain digestive. Tesco lists 28.3g sugar per 100g for its custard creams and 14.6g per 100g for its plain digestives; those figures apply to these recipes. | I want a filled biscuit as a treat, or I would rather pack one of the plain digestives I have compared. |
| Portions and packing | Compare fibre per 100g as well as sugar: Tesco lists 1.1g for its custard creams and 3.7g for its digestives. Use the chosen pack’s serving information when counting biscuits, and follow its storage instructions after opening. | I need to decide how many biscuits to carry and keep an opened portion protected in my bag. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and may-contain statement for the exact recipe. Tesco’s digestive listing says it may contain peanuts and nuts; a free-from custard cream is a separate product, not a property of all custard creams. | If I am avoiding an ingredient, the biscuit name alone is not enough for me to choose a pack. |
Packing and comparison mistakes
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Comparing one custard cream with one digestive as equal portions
Individual biscuits can have different serving weights, so per-biscuit figures are not necessarily a like-for-like recipe comparison.
Start with the two packs’ per-100g labels, then use each pack’s serving information to decide how many biscuits to take.
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Assuming a digestive meets every food or allergy need
Conventional digestive recipes can contain wheat and carry different precautionary allergen statements. A biscuit also does not replace planning food for the demands of a longer walk.
Check the current pack against the relevant allergy requirements and plan other food for the walk.
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Putting an opened packet straight into a walking bag
Tesco’s biscuit listings advise cool, dry storage and an airtight container after opening.
Transfer the portion you are taking to a protective, airtight container and take the packaging home.
Product lines to compare
McVitie's
Original Digestives are a plain digestive option available in several pack sizes listed by McVitie's.
- McVitie's lists 15.1g sugar and 3.7g fibre per 100g for The Original.
- The Original contains wheat and may contain milk; check the chosen pack.
Crawford's
The 300g custard creams listed by Tesco are vanilla-filled sandwich biscuits.
- Tesco lists 30.7g sugar per 100g for this Crawford's product.
- Check the current pack’s ingredients and availability before choosing it for a walk.
Tesco
Its listed 400g custard creams and 400g plain digestives provide two recipes to compare on the same per-100g basis.
- Tesco lists 28.3g sugar and 1.1g fibre per 100g for its custard creams, against 14.6g sugar and 3.7g fibre for its digestives.
- These are product-specific figures; check the current pack because recipes and allergen information can change.
Sainsbury's
Its listed 200g custard creams are a conventional filled-biscuit option in a different pack size.
- Sainsbury's lists 26.5g sugar per 100g for this product.
- Its listed ingredients include wheat and milk; check the current pack before sharing.
ASDA
ASDA lists conventional custard creams and digestives alongside a separately formulated Free From custard cream.
- The Free From custard creams have their own gluten-free and milk-free labelling.
- Do not apply that labelling to ASDA’s conventional biscuits; check the exact pack’s allergen information.
M&S
M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams are a 165g filled-biscuit product, distinct from its plain digestives.
- Ocado’s listing describes the Extra Cream product as having a 33% vanilla-flavoured filling.
- The Extra Cream listing declares wheat, milk and soya; its recipe should not be treated as interchangeable with the plain digestive.
Joybuy biscuit options
These options include a plain digestive, a gluten-free digestive and a gluten-free custard cream. Compare the exact pack labels before deciding which biscuit to carry on a hike.
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McVitie's Digestives the Original 2x315g
A plain digestive option if you prefer that biscuit style for your walk. McVitie's lists 15.1g sugar and 3.7g fibre per 100g for The Original; it contains wheat and may contain milk. Decide how much of the twin pack to carry.
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Schar Gluten Free Digestive Biscuits 150g
A gluten-free digestive option for a walk. Check the current pack’s full ingredients and precautionary allergen statements against your requirements before packing it.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A gluten-free custard cream option if you want a filled biscuit for the walk. Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statements rather than assuming it meets every dietary requirement.
Questions about biscuits for a hike
Are custard creams enough food for a long hike?
Do not rely on custard creams alone for a long or demanding walk. Ramblers advises adjusting food supplies to the circumstances of the walk and discusses carrying a mix of foods; plan what else you will take, including drinking water.
How should I pack biscuits from an opened packet?
Follow the chosen pack’s storage instructions and use a protective, airtight container. Tesco’s custard cream and digestive listings advise airtight storage after opening.
Can someone avoiding milk choose plain digestives instead?
Do not decide by the word “digestive” alone. Tesco’s custard creams contain milk, while McVitie's says its Original Digestives may contain milk. Check the current ingredients and precautionary statements for the exact pack against the person’s requirements.