Portion-conscious biscuit shoppers
If you are keeping track of calories, the number of biscuits you eat matters alongside the figure printed for one biscuit. The NHS notes that a manufacturer’s portion may differ from yours.
Who is this comparison for?
Sugar and fibre comparers
If you are considering an unfilled or reduced-sugar digestive instead of a custard cream, compare sugar and fibre separately from calories. A difference in one figure does not establish the difference in another.
What should you compare?
Start with the portion you are likely to eat, then compare nutrients that matter to you on the same basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion calories | Check kcal per biscuit and the number you expect to eat. Tesco lists 59 kcal per custard cream and 68 kcal per digestive; compare per 100 g when biscuit sizes differ. | I want to account for the biscuits I actually eat, rather than treating the pack’s serving size as my portion. |
| Sugar | Compare sugar on the same serving basis. Tesco lists 3.4 g per custard cream and 2.0 g per digestive; McVitie’s lists 1.3 g per The Light One biscuit. | If sugar is my priority, I want to compare the specific packs without assuming that the lower-sugar biscuit also has fewer calories. |
| Fibre | Read the fibre figure for the particular product. Tesco lists 0.5 g per digestive, while McVitie’s lists 1.2 g per The Light One biscuit; these are not figures for every digestive. | I would rather use the labelled amount than take the word “digestive” as a description of what the biscuit will do. |
| Ingredients | Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety. Do not assume that filled and unfilled biscuits have the same ingredients. | When I need to avoid an ingredient, I want to check the biscuit I am buying, not rely on its type or an older listing. |
Common comparison mistakes
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Assuming less sugar means fewer calories
Tesco’s digestive lists less sugar per biscuit than its custard cream, but more calories per biscuit: 2.0 g versus 3.4 g sugar, and 68 kcal versus 59 kcal.
Compare both figures for the number you plan to eat, and use per-100 g labels when the biscuits differ in size.
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Reading “The Light One” as a calorie promise
McVitie’s lists 68 kcal per The Light One biscuit and 71 kcal per Original biscuit. Its “30% less sugar” statement compares sugar with an average digestive biscuit, not calories with a custard cream.
Consider the reduced-sugar variety for its stated sugar and fibre figures, while checking calories separately.
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Applying an older taste result to a different biscuit
The Good Housekeeping Institute’s 2020 taste test named M&S Custard Creams; the M&S product described here is Extra Cream Custard Creams. That test assessed taste, not suitability for weight management.
Check the current product name and nutrition label instead of treating the taste-test result as a comparison of today’s varieties.
Brand and product references
Tesco
Its cited custard cream and plain digestive both have per-biscuit nutrition figures, making them a specific filled-versus-unfilled comparison.
- Tesco lists 59 kcal and 3.4 g sugar per custard cream, against 68 kcal and 2.0 g sugar per digestive.
- These figures describe the cited products; check the pack you buy for current information.
McVitie’s
The manufacturer lists figures for both Original and The Light One plain digestives.
- McVitie’s lists 1.3 g sugar, 1.2 g fibre and 68 kcal per The Light One biscuit; Original lists 2.2 g sugar, 0.5 g fibre and 71 kcal.
- McVitie’s “30% less sugar” statement compares The Light One with an average digestive biscuit, not with custard creams.
Asda
Its cited classic custard cream provides another product-specific per-biscuit reference.
- Asda lists 59 kcal and 3.4 g sugar per biscuit for its cited 400 g pack.
- Asda advises shoppers to check the label because ingredients and nutrition information may change.
M&S
Its Extra Cream Custard Creams and plain Digestive Biscuits can be compared using their per-100 g listings.
- M&S lists 502 kcal and 40.2 g sugar per 100 g for Extra Cream Custard Creams, against 488 kcal and 18.2 g sugar for Digestive Biscuits.
- Those listings do not establish how the two products compare per biscuit.
Sainsbury’s
Its cited 200 g custard cream has a per-biscuit nutrition table.
- The listing gives 59 kcal and 3.3 g sugar per biscuit.
- Check current stock before planning a purchase; the cited listing was marked out of stock.
Crawford’s
A traditional vanilla-filled custard cream identified in an Iceland Foods listing.
- The cited ingredient information identifies wheat and milk ingredients, which are important to check against dietary restrictions.
- The cited listing does not provide a comparable nutrition figure for choosing between these biscuit types.
A digestive option on Joybuy
This sugar-free-labelled digestive is an option to consider if you are comparing digestives with custard creams; check its current pack information against the portion you intend to eat.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
If you are considering a sugar-free-labelled digestive, compare the current pack’s calories and sugar figures with the custard cream you would otherwise choose, using the portion you expect to eat. The product information warns that excessive consumption may produce a laxative effect.
Questions about choosing biscuits
Does “digestive” mean the biscuit helps with digestion or weight loss?
The name does not establish either effect. If you are managing your weight, compare the calories in the portion you eat; the NHS explains weight loss in terms of overall energy intake and use.
What should I check if I have a food allergy?
Check the current pack’s ingredient and allergen information for the exact biscuit, rather than relying only on an online listing. For example, the cited Tesco custard cream lists wheat flour and milk-derived whey.