Choose by the carbohydrate in the portion you can carry and tolerate, rather than treating a custard cream as a complete fuelling plan. The Tesco and ASDA custard creams examined are sold in multi-biscuit packets, so if one self-contained item is essential, check a particular bar or gel for its portion size and carbohydrate content. For endurance exercise lasting 1–2.5 hours, the Australian Institute of Sport gives a guide of 30–60 g carbohydrate per hour and advises practising a food-and-fluid plan that suits your gut comfort.
If you are counting carbohydrate across a sustained run, work from the number of biscuits or other portions you will actually eat. Practise the food-and-fluid plan during training rather than relying on one biscuit to cover the run.
If you want to take just one self-contained item, distinguish a biscuit taken from a packet from a separately packaged bar or gel. Check the portion shown on the item you intend to carry.
If wheat or milk matters to your choice, read the actual pack before eating. ASDA Custard Creams and McVitie's Tasties Custard Cream Biscuits list both wheat and milk.
Start with the portion you can carry, then compare its labelled carbohydrate with the rest of your planned food and fluid for the run.
Consider when: You can carry a measured biscuit portion and have practised eating it while running.
Trade-off: The Tesco and ASDA examples come in multi-biscuit packets, so a biscuit is not a separately packaged bar.
Consider when: You want one solid item and its own label gives a carbohydrate portion that fits your plan.
Trade-off: A bar's name alone does not establish its carbohydrate content or how comfortable you will find it to eat during a run.
Consider when: Chewing a biscuit or bar during a run does not suit you.
Trade-off: Check the particular sachet's label and practise taking it as part of your fluid plan.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate per portion | Read the total carbohydrate for the amount you will eat, not just the packet weight. Tesco Groceries lists 8.4 g per biscuit and ASDA Groceries 8.1 g per biscuit; check a bar or gel against its own labelled serving. | I want to know what the portion in my pocket contributes to my whole-run plan, rather than count a full packet I will not eat. |
| Carrying format | Check whether the food is a multi-item packet, a separately packaged portion or a sachet. Also consider whether you will need to chew it while running. | If I can carry only one self-contained item, a biscuit taken from a larger packet may not meet that requirement. |
| Food and fluid | Practise the intended portion and drinking plan together. For endurance exercise lasting 1–2.5 hours, the Australian Institute of Sport advises finding an approach that suits individual hydration needs and gut comfort. | I would rather find out during training whether the food and the way I drink with it work for me. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current pack's ingredients and highlighted allergen information. ASDA Custard Creams and McVitie's Tasties Custard Cream Biscuits list wheat and milk; do not assume another product has the same ingredients. | Before carrying a biscuit, bar or gel, I need to check the specific item against my dietary restrictions. |
Tesco and ASDA state nutrition per biscuit for custard creams sold in multi-biscuit packets. The packet's weight does not tell you how much carbohydrate is in the portion you will carry.
Decide what one carried item means for your run, then check both the packaging and carbohydrate per edible portion.
Portioning biscuits from a larger packet also means deciding how you will carry only the amount you plan to eat.
These are different entries on a nutrition label. Tesco Groceries lists 8.4 g total carbohydrate per custard cream; its sugars and energy figures describe different measures.
When adding a portion to a carbohydrate plan, use the label's total-carbohydrate entry and the number of biscuits you intend to eat.
The Good Housekeeping Institute's 2020 custard-cream test assessed appearance, aroma, taste and texture, not use during marathon training. Its named M&S Custard Creams winner is not established as the same product as today's M&S Extra Cream variant.
Check the exact current pack for format, ingredients and portion nutrition instead of treating a historical taste result as a fuelling comparison.
These are references for checking particular biscuit packets, not a list of individually packaged training bars.
Tesco Custard Cream Biscuits are listed in a 400 g packet with nutrition stated per biscuit.
ASDA Custard Creams are listed in a 400 g packet with per-biscuit nutrition.
The Crawford's Custard Creams listing examined by Tesco Groceries is for a 300 g biscuit packet.
Iceland Foods lists McVitie's Tasties Custard Cream Biscuits as a 300 g packet.
Sainsbury's lists its Custard Creams as a 200 g packet with per-biscuit nutrition.
M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams are a distinct 165 g variant.
These options include gels, solid bars and a custard-flavoured snack pie. The pie is not a custard cream, and the bars are not all sports bars; compare the particular portion and format with what you plan to carry on a run.
No image available
A gel option if you would rather not chew a solid during a run. The listed pack contains 20 x 60g; check the carbohydrate per gel and practise how you will take it with your fluid plan.
No image available
Another gel format for a runner who does not want to chew a biscuit or bar. The listed pack contains 20 x 60g; check the individual gel's carbohydrate and caffeine information if either affects your choice.
No image available
A solid flapjack to consider if you prefer a bar to a gel. The listed pack is 3 x 50g; check the nutrition for one bar and practise eating it during training before relying on it for a run.
No image available
This is a custard-flavoured pie, not a custard-cream biscuit or sports bar. The 138g product contains six small packs; check the nutrition and ingredients for the portion you would carry.
No image available
A confectionery bar option if you want a solid item, rather than a product presented as sports fuel. The listed pack contains four bars and weighs 126g; check nutrition per bar and test whether eating it during a run suits you.
Do not treat one biscuit as a complete fuelling plan. Tesco Groceries lists 8.4 g carbohydrate per custard cream and ASDA Groceries 8.1 g, while the Australian Institute of Sport gives a guide of 30–60 g carbohydrate per hour for endurance exercise lasting 1–2.5 hours. Plan across the run's duration, including the other food and fluid you intend to take.
Choose the number of biscuits you intend to eat and practise carrying that portion during training. Tesco and Crawford's advise storing their biscuits in an airtight container after opening the packet; check the instructions on the pack you buy.
Do not assume a single item covers everything you want from a meal. The Australian Institute of Sport says a carbohydrate bar can contribute to post-exercise refuelling, while other foods should also be considered for total recovery needs; the NHS Eatwell Guide considers dietary balance over a day or even a week.
Read the ingredients and highlighted allergen information on the actual pack. UK government food-labelling guidance requires allergens in the ingredients list to be highlighted, and Food Standards Scotland says food businesses must provide information about allergens that must be declared in the UK. ASDA Custard Creams and McVitie's Tasties Custard Cream Biscuits list wheat and milk, but check the specific product you intend to eat.