Shoppers choosing less sugar
If you want an oatcake instead of a sweet biscuit, compare sugars per 100g across the exact varieties, then consider your portion and topping.
Who is this choice for?
The useful comparison depends on whether sugar, other label values or gluten-free labelling matters most for your tea break.
Shoppers comparing the whole label
A lower sugars figure may still leave saturated fat, salt and total carbohydrate relevant to your choice.
Shoppers who avoid gluten
Look for an explicitly gluten-free oatcake rather than relying on an oat-based recipe, and check whether oats themselves are suitable for you.
What should you compare?
Compare sugars on the same per-100g basis first, then read the portion, ingredients and allergen information for the snack you intend to eat.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare sugars per 100g on the exact packs. Nairn’s lists 0.7g for Rough Oatcakes; Waitrose lists 15.9g for Nairn’s Fruit & Seed. | I want a plain base for my own topping, or I would rather have a sweeter oatcake on its own. Either way, I need to account for the portion and any topping. |
| Other nutrients | Read saturated fat, salt and total carbohydrate as well as sugars. ASDA lists 1.8g saturated fat per 100g for its Oatcakes; Nairn’s lists 9.1g for Gluten Free Original. | Sugar is not my only consideration, so I want to compare the other figures on the packs I am choosing between. |
| Allergens | Check the exact pack for a gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen warnings. M&S lists wheat flour in its Scottish Oatcakes; Nairn’s warns that its Gluten Free Original is unsuitable for people who react to avenin in oats. | If I avoid gluten or another allergen, an oat-based name alone does not answer whether this pack meets my requirements. |
| Tea-break format | Decide whether you want a topping base or a flavoured snack. Sainsbury’s lists four individually wrapped packs of six for its Rough Oatcakes; Waitrose lists pouches of three for Nairn’s Fruit & Seed. | A plain oatcake gives me a choice of toppings; for a snack without a topping, I would compare the flavoured product’s sugars figure first. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Assuming all oatcakes have similar sugars figures
Nairn’s lists 0.7g sugars per 100g for Rough Oatcakes, whereas the Fruit & Seed variety listed by Waitrose has 15.9g per 100g.
Compare the exact varieties before choosing between a plain topping base and a sweeter snack.
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Treating less sugar as the whole label story
The sugars figure does not give you the total carbohydrate figure. Saturated fat and salt also differ between the oatcakes listed here.
Read the values relevant to your choice on the same per-100g basis, then consider the portion you intend to eat.
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Assuming an oat-based recipe is gluten-free
A recipe description is not a gluten-free label. Packs can also carry allergen or manufacturing warnings, and oats themselves are unsuitable for some people.
If you need a gluten-free option, check that label and the allergen information on the exact pack.
Brand and product-line references
These figures describe the named varieties, not every oatcake made by each brand.
Nairn’s
Its named range includes plain, fruit-and-seed and gluten-free oatcakes.
- Nairn’s lists 0.7g sugars per 100g for Rough and 0.8g for Gluten Free Original; Waitrose lists 15.9g for Fruit & Seed.
- Nairn’s Gluten Free Original lists 9.1g saturated fat per 100g and warns that it is unsuitable for people who react to avenin in oats.
M&S
Its Scottish Oatcakes are a wheat-containing option.
- M&S lists 3.0g sugars per 100g for this variety.
- Its ingredients include sugar and wheat flour, and the listing says it is unsuitable for people with a milk allergy.
Tesco
Its Scottish Rough Oatcakes are a plain own-label option.
- Tesco lists oatmeal, palm oil, sea salt and a raising agent as ingredients.
- Tesco gives sugars as less than 0.1g per oatcake. Use a per-100g figure when comparing it with other packs on that basis.
Sainsbury’s
Its Rough Oatcakes come in four individually wrapped packs of six.
- Sainsbury’s lists 0.7g sugars per 100g for this variety.
- The listing gives 1.46g salt per 100g and warns that the product is unsuitable for people allergic to wheat, rye or barley because of manufacturing methods.
Waitrose
Its Rough Oatcakes are a plain option for adding a topping.
- Waitrose lists 1.4g sugars and 1.9g saturated fat per 100g.
- The ingredients include barley malt; Waitrose advises airtight storage after opening.
ASDA
Its Oatcakes are made with oatmeal and rapeseed oil.
- ASDA lists 0.8g sugars and 1.8g saturated fat per 100g.
- The listing says the product may contain milk, barley and wheat.
Joybuy options for a tea break
These options include two savoury Nairn’s oatcakes and a flavoured Gullon oat biscuit. Compare their exact labels if your priority is less sugar or you need to check allergens; the biscuit is not a plain oatcake for toppings.
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Nairn’s Gluten Free Cheese Oatcakes 180g
A cheese-flavoured oatcake for a savoury tea break, explicitly named as gluten-free. If you react to avenin in oats, check the pack before choosing it; compare its sugars, saturated fat and salt figures with other options.
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Nairn’s Marmite & Cheese Oatcakes 200g
The Marmite and cheese flavour makes this a savoury option to compare with plain oatcakes. Check the exact pack’s sugars, salt, saturated fat and allergen information; do not assume it meets a gluten-free requirement.
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Gullon Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties 285g
A dark chocolate and ginger oat biscuit rather than a plain oatcake for toppings. Compare the pack’s total sugars per 100g, ingredients and allergen information instead of relying on the Zero name.
Questions about oatcakes
Do ‘reduced sugar’, ‘low sugar’ and ‘no added sugar’ mean the same thing?
No. NHS food-label guidance describes 5g or less total sugars per 100g of solid food as low; a reduction compares a product with another, while ‘no added sugar’ does not mean zero total sugars. Read the sugars figure on the exact oatcake pack when comparing varieties.
Does a low sugars figure tell me the total carbohydrate?
No. The sugars figure is only part of the carbohydrate information. If total carbohydrate matters to your choice, read that figure on the exact pack and consider your intended portion; follow advice from your diabetes care team where relevant.
Can someone avoiding gluten choose any oatcake?
No. Look for an explicit gluten-free label and check the pack’s allergen information rather than relying on the word ‘oat’. The Food Standards Agency notes that oats remain an allergen even when labelled gluten-free, and Nairn’s warns that its Gluten Free Original is unsuitable for people who react to avenin.
How should I store an opened pack?
Follow the instructions on the pack you buy. Waitrose advises storing its Rough Oatcakes in an airtight container after opening; packaging instructions can differ between varieties.
Is a best-before date a safety deadline?
No. GOV.UK distinguishes best-before dates, which concern quality, from use-by dates, which concern safety. Follow the product’s storage instructions as well.