For a half-term shortbread treat, compare total sugars per 100g across the exact products, then check how much is in the biscuit or pack you expect to serve. A smaller portion can supply less sugar even when its per-100g figure is higher. None of the five shortbreads compared below meets the NHS guide of 5g total sugars per 100g or less for a low-sugars food; for routine children’s snacks, NHS Healthier Families suggests fruit or vegetables instead of biscuits.
If shortbread is one of the treats you are packing or serving, compare the sugar in the amount you plan to offer, not just the wording on the front of the packet. Per-100g figures help you compare recipes; per-biscuit or per-pack figures help you plan a portion.
Check the ingredients and precautionary allergen wording on the exact pack before sharing it. The shortbread examples discussed here include products containing wheat and milk, and some carry nut-contact warnings.
Start with the snack you intend to serve, compare exact products on the same per-100g basis, then look at the portion and the rest of the label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars in shortbread | Compare total sugars in g per 100g on the exact packs. Check saturates per 100g alongside them. The NHS low-sugars guide for solid food is 5g per 100g or less; a lower figure than another shortbread does not by itself meet that guide. | I want to choose between biscuit treats without mistaking a relative sugar difference for a low-sugars claim. |
| Amount served | Look for sugars per biscuit or sealed pack and check the stated serving size. If those figures are absent, use the pack’s nutrition information and the amount you intend to serve rather than assuming a smaller-looking biscuit contains less sugar. | For a day out, knowing what is in the portion I offer matters more than the size or name of the multipack. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients and any precautionary allergen wording on the particular variant. Do not transfer information from another flavour or pack in the same range. | Before sharing shortbread, I need to check whether this pack is suitable for a child with a relevant allergy. |
| Everyday snacks | Decide whether this is an occasional biscuit treat or a routine snack. NHS Healthier Families suggests fruit and vegetables in place of biscuits for children’s everyday snacks. | I may want shortbread on one occasion, but I also need other options for snacks throughout half term. |
Across the five plain products compared in the brand references, the declared total sugars run from 14.8g to 17.1g per 100g. All exceed the NHS guide of 5g per 100g or less for a low-sugars solid food.
Describe one exact product as lower in listed sugars than another only when their current labels support that comparison.
The amount served affects the sugar in a snack. Sainsbury’s Highland All Butter Fingers and Waitrose Shortbread Fingers each list 3.0g sugars per biscuit, although their per-100g sugars and saturates differ.
Check the portion you expect to serve, and read the saturates figure as well as the sugars figure. The printed serving size does not determine how much someone will eat.
Dean’s of Huntly lists 17.1g sugars per 100g for its 130g plain rounds and 24.0g per 100g for its 130g chocolate-chip rounds. A brand name alone cannot establish the nutrition of a particular flavour.
Match the flavour and pack size when comparing labels, and check the ingredients on the pack you buy.
These figures describe specific UK-listed products, not every shortbread made by each brand. The five plain products are useful for comparing declared sugars per 100g; a per-biscuit comparison needs the relevant pack information too.
The maker lists a 160g pack of fingers, while a separate Wee Shorties listing provides nutrition for a 25g mini-finger pack.
Its plain and chocolate-chip 130g rounds illustrate why the flavour matters in a sugar comparison.
Ocado lists M&S All Butter Shortbread Fingers in a 210g pack.
Its 200g Shortbread Fingers listing gives both per-100g and per-biscuit figures.
Its Highland All Butter Shortbread Finger Biscuits listing gives figures for both a 200g pack and one biscuit.
This 25g shortbread pack is an option to consider when planning the amount of biscuit to take on a half-term outing. Compare its current nutrition label with other shortbreads if reducing sugar is your main aim.
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The 25g pack gives you a defined amount of shortbread to plan for an outing. Before serving it, check the pack’s sugars and saturates information and its ingredients if allergies are relevant; the pack size alone does not establish that it is lower in sugar than another shortbread.
No. A comparison between two products is not a low-sugars classification. The NHS guide for solid food is 5g total sugars per 100g or less; the five plain shortbreads compared in the brand references all list more than that. Check the exact products’ labels before describing one as lower in sugar than another.
No. A mini pack tells you how much is supplied, not whether its recipe has less sugar per 100g. Sainsbury’s lists Walker’s Wee Shorties at 4.1g sugars per 25g pack and 16.2g per 100g; Walker’s lists the same per-100g sugars figure for its 160g fingers.
Read the ingredients and any precautionary allergen wording on the particular pack before serving it. The shortbread examples include wheat and milk ingredients, and some carry nut-contact warnings. GOV.UK guidance says specified allergens used as ingredients in prepacked food must be clearly labelled in the ingredients list.
Follow the directions on the pack you buy. Sainsbury’s Highland All Butter Shortbread Finger Biscuits specify an airtight container after opening for quality; another product may have different directions.
The Department for Education’s English school-food guidance addresses food provided by state-funded schools, not a family’s snack purchase for home. England’s retail rules described by the Department of Health and Social Care concern specified promotions by qualifying businesses, rather than a general ban on buying shortbread. Food provided through a school-run holiday programme is a different setting and should be assessed under its applicable requirements.