Choose shortbread labelled gluten free on the specific pack, then check its other ingredients and the carbohydrate in the portion you would actually eat. It can contribute carbohydrate as a familiar training snack, but a gluten-free label does not establish that a buttery, crumbly biscuit will suit you while running; practise with your intended portion before relying on it.
If you intend to carry shortbread, the carbohydrate figure for the amount you will eat matters more than the figure for 100 g. You also need to decide whether a biscuit is practical before, during or after your run.
Check that the gluten-free claim applies to the exact product, alongside its ingredients and allergen warnings. Oat-based recipes call for a separate decision: Coeliac UK notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive to gluten-free oats.
Gluten-free butter shortbread and milk-free, oat-based shortbread meet different ingredient needs. Read the particular pack rather than assuming that every product in a free-from range excludes the same allergens.
Start with the product’s gluten-free claim and other ingredients, then work from the portion you plan to eat towards a snack you can carry and use comfortably.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim | Look for a gluten-free claim on the specific pack, not just a wheat-free-sounding name. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten free as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold. | I need to know that the claim applies to the biscuit I am buying, rather than to its brand or another product in the range. |
| Carbohydrate per portion | Use a per-biscuit figure where one is given, or establish the weight you will eat before using a per-100 g figure. Tesco lists 12.9 g carbohydrate per 20 g Free From Shortbread Biscuit; Waitrose lists 11.3 g per Free From Gluten Butter Shortbread. | A 100 g figure is not the amount I will consume if I pack one or two biscuits. I want to plan around my actual portion. |
| Eating while running | Consider the intended portion, its fat content, whether it crumbles and when you would eat it. The Australian Institute of Sport discusses compact carbohydrate sports foods for exercise, but that does not establish equivalent practicality for shortbread. | If I plan to eat during a run, I would rather try the biscuit in training than assume it will work like a familiar running fuel. |
| Milk and other allergens | Read the ingredients and precautionary warnings on the exact pack. Walker’s, M&S and Waitrose list butter containing milk in the gluten-free shortbreads described here; warnings for other allergens differ by product. | Gluten free is only one of my requirements if I also need to avoid milk, soya or nuts. |
| Oats | Identify whether the recipe uses gluten-free oats. Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive to them. | I may prefer to check an oat-free ingredient list if gluten-free oats do not suit me; a gluten-free claim alone cannot answer that question. |
The checked butter shortbreads contain milk, while other recipes and packs have different ingredient lists and precautionary warnings.
Check the exact pack against every ingredient you need to avoid, not just its gluten-free claim.
Per-100 g nutrition helps compare products, but it can substantially overstate what you would get from one biscuit.
Use the maker’s per-biscuit figure or weigh your intended portion, then try carrying and eating that amount in training.
Coeliac UK notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive to gluten-free oats.
Check whether an oat-based recipe suits you; if oats are a concern, compare it with the ingredient lists of the gluten-free butter options.
These details concern the named gluten-free products, not every shortbread made by each brand.
Its Gluten Free Shortbread Rounds use a rice, potato-starch and maize flour blend.
Made Without Wheat All Butter Shortbread Rounds are marked gluten free.
Free From Gluten Butter Shortbread has nutrition listed both per shortbread and per 100 g.
Free From Shortbread Biscuits are a gluten-free, milk-free oat-based option.
The maker describes its Vegan Scottish Shortbread as free from gluten and milk and made with gluten-free oat flour.
This oat biscuit is an alternative to shortbread for someone considering a gluten-free biscuit during training. It is not a shortbread variety, so assess its ingredients and your intended portion on their own terms.
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This gluten-free oat biscuit offers a different format if you are weighing up biscuits to carry for training. It is not shortbread; check the portion you intend to eat, whether oats suit you and the listed may-contain-milk warning if you avoid milk.
No. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten free as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold to the final consumer, rather than absolute zero. Check that the claim is on the specific product you choose.
No. Coeliac UK says a small number of people with coeliac disease remain sensitive to gluten-free oats. Check whether the shortbread contains oats and consider your own tolerance separately from its gluten-free claim.
Use the pack’s per-biscuit figure if it gives one. If it only gives carbohydrate per 100 g, multiply that figure by the weight of your portion in grams and divide by 100; use the current pack’s figures.
Check the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary statements for all ingredients relevant to you. The products discussed here differ: some contain milk or soya, some use oats, and some carry nut-related warnings.
Follow the instructions on your pack. Tesco and Waitrose advise keeping their shortbreads in a cool, dry place and using an airtight container after opening.