For regular toddler snack times, choose from options such as fruit, vegetable sticks, plain unsweetened yoghurt or toast rather than making custard creams the default, in line with NHS snack suggestions and guidance from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition to limit snacks high in free sugars for children aged 1 to 5. If custard creams are an occasional treat, a portion pack can make serving decisions simpler, but the current allergen label and any childcare rules still matter; a larger shared pack needs an adult to select the portion.
If biscuits would be offered often between meals, start with the food itself rather than the number of packets. The NHS suggests alternatives including fruit, vegetable sticks, plain unsweetened yoghurt and toast for young children.
A retail portion pack does not establish what a particular setting will accept. Check its packed-food and allergy rules before choosing a biscuit for a lunchbox.
For an occasional custard-cream treat, Schär has a wheat-free, lactose-free product sold in separate portion packs. Check the current pack against the child’s specific requirements before serving it.
Decide whether the snack is for regular use or an occasional treat, then compare the serving format and the label against the child’s needs.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Regular snacks | Check whether the food is intended for frequent snack times. NHS suggestions include fruit, vegetable sticks, plain unsweetened yoghurt and toast; the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition advises limiting snacks high in free sugars for children aged 1 to 5. | For snacks offered regularly, I want choices other than a sweet biscuit. |
| Serving format | Check the number of portions and biscuits per portion, not just the total pack weight. ASDA lists Schär’s 125g custard creams as five 25g packs with two biscuits in each; a shared pack requires an adult to select a serving. | If I buy custard creams as a treat, I want to decide how many biscuits to offer before opening the pack. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen statements. The listed standard ASDA, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Crawford’s products contain milk and wheat; the Schär product is labelled wheat-free and lactose-free. | I need a pack that meets the child’s specific food requirements, rather than assuming every custard cream has the same ingredients. |
| Childcare rules | Ask the nursery or childcare setting about packed snacks and allergens. A portion wrapper does not replace its own food rules. | For a lunchbox, I want to know what the setting permits before packing a biscuit. |
More packets change how the biscuits are stored, not what they are. NHS sugar guidance identifies biscuits among sugary foods to cut down.
Choose regular snack foods separately. If buying custard creams for an occasional treat, decide the serving before opening a shared pack.
Listed standard products contain milk and wheat, while Schär’s portion packs are labelled wheat-free and lactose-free. Those descriptions are not interchangeable.
For a child with an allergy or intolerance, check the actual pack’s current ingredients and allergen statements before serving.
A nutrition label’s total-sugars value and dietary guidance on free sugars describe different measures. The total-sugars line alone cannot establish a child’s free-sugars intake.
Use the stated per-biscuit or per-portion figures when comparing packs, without treating them as a calculated free-sugars allowance.
These examples show differences in shared packs, portion packs and labels; they do not imply that each brand offers a suitable custard-cream multi-pack.
Its 300g Custard Creams are a shared-pack biscuit, not an individually portioned toddler snack.
Its listed 300g Custard Creams are a shared pack for occasional family use.
Tesco Custard Cream Biscuits come in a 400g shared pack.
Its listed 200g Custard Creams are a smaller shared pack.
ASDA lists its own 400g shared-pack custard creams and, separately, Schär’s five-portion-pack product.
Extra Cream Custard Creams are a 12-biscuit product; the mixed triple pack also contains other biscuits.
This portioned, gluten-free custard cream is an option to consider for an occasional treat when its current label meets the child’s requirements; it is not a substitute for choosing regular toddler snacks.
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For an occasional custard-cream treat where a separated serving and gluten-free formulation matter. The matching Schär 125g product is listed as five 25g portion packs with two biscuits per pack and is labelled wheat-free and lactose-free. Check the current pack’s allergen information before serving; portion packaging does not make biscuits a regular toddler snack.
They are better kept as an occasional treat than made the regular choice. The NHS suggests snacks such as fruit, vegetable sticks, plain unsweetened yoghurt and toast for young children, and its sugar guidance identifies biscuits among foods to cut down.
No. Separate packs can help an adult decide what to serve, but they do not turn custard creams into a regular snack choice. ASDA lists Schär’s 125g product as five packs containing two biscuits each.
The listed standard ASDA, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Crawford’s products do. Schär’s portion-pack product is labelled wheat-free and lactose-free, so check the current physical pack rather than applying one product’s allergen information to another.
Check the nursery’s packed-food and allergy rules before packing them. An individually wrapped biscuit may be easier to portion, but its packaging does not establish whether that setting permits it.