Digestive biscuits - How to choose the right one?

There is nothing like dunking a crisp, feather-light biscuit in a hot cup of tea or coffee. It is one of the simplest pleasures life has to offer. In recent days, we are all becoming health conscious and this has given rise to a new breed of digestive biscuits. So, are digestive biscuits really all that healthy? Which one is right for you? Read on and find out.

 

Dt. Kavita Agarwal

M.Sc - Dietitics / Nutrition, Diploma in Food & Nutrition & Diabetic Educator , B.Sc. - Home Science

Dietitian/Nutritionist, Delhi  •  8 years experience

What’s in a name?

As implied by the name, do digestive biscuits really aid our digestion? Well, these biscuits originated in the 1890’s with a prime motive to help the process of digestion with the use of sodium bicarbonate. They were prepared from course brown bread, sugar, wholemeal, salt, oatmeal, skimmed milk, raising agents and emulsifiers.

You might be eating these biscuits, thinking that they provide you health benefits, but is that true? Here are the factors you should consider in order to pick the right digestive biscuit:

1. Nutritional profile: Take a look at the ingredients of the digestive biscuit to see whether they have valuable contents that will indeed be healthy. Typically, these biscuits don't fare well when it comes to their nutritional content. They do not have any vitamins or minerals, but they do have proteins and fiber content that can be beneficial. The reduced fat and whole wheat variants can help with weight management and lower the risk of heart diseases. So, it is ideal for whole-wheat flour to be listed as its first ingredient.
2. Type of biscuit: From the plain old, humble wheat digestives to chocolate, reduced fat and more, digestive biscuits are available in a lot of varieties. Regular digestive biscuits consist of coarse wholemeal wheat flour with added sugar and salt. These qualify as good snacks that can keep the hunger pangs at bay and aid to keep you feeling full. However, if you opt for chocolate digestives, you will be adding more calories.
3. Watch the sodium content: When chosen right, digestive biscuits with whole wheat are beneficial. They are also good in natural fibers that can help to combat constipation. Another ingredient to watch out for is the sodium or salt content. Typically a serving of two of these biscuits has 160 milligrams of sodium. So, people with high blood pressure must watch out for this and choose right.
4. Taste and texture: Semi-sweet biscuits with a hint of salt taste the best when it comes to digestive biscuits. Also, a crispy texture is desired without being too dry, crumbly or plastic-like. Always read the back panel to understand its calorie content, fiber, sugar and salt contents as well.