A chocolate digestive usually isn’t the obvious snack to choose just before a workout. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises avoiding large portions and foods high in fat or fibre immediately before exercise. If you’re not training for around two to three hours, plan a meal with a drink; a biscuit could be a small extra, provided you know you tolerate it well. Check the portion size and allergen information on the packaging too.
If you’re looking for a little something just before your workout, focus on when you eat it, the portion size and what you know you can tolerate. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises avoiding large portions and foods high in fat or fibre at this point, so the type of chocolate shouldn’t be your first consideration.
If you’re training in around two to three hours and already have a meal planned, you could consider a biscuit as an extra snack. Think about it alongside your meal, what you’ll drink and the portion size you can tolerate; it’s not a meal replacement.
The standard McVitie’s, Verkade and Jumbo varieties reviewed list ingredients including wheat, milk and soya. If you need to avoid an ingredient, check the allergen information and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the current packaging before you buy.
First, work out how long it is until your workout and whether the biscuit will be eaten alongside a meal. Then compare the actual portion size and nutritional information. If you have dietary restrictions, check the ingredients and allergens first.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and tolerance | Consider how long it is until your workout and compare the fat and fibre per 100 g with the amount you actually plan to eat. | If I’m about to exercise, I don’t want a snack that feels too heavy. This is the main consideration for around 42% of consumers. |
| Meal and portion size | Check the portion size and carbohydrates per portion; consider the biscuit as an addition to your planned meal. | If I’m eating before a workout, I only want a little something extra, not a meal replacement. Around 33% of consumers say portion size is what they pay most attention to. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list and check for wheat, milk and soya, as well as any ‘may contain’ warnings. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, my chosen biscuit must fit my diet first. This is the main concern when buying for an estimated 25% of consumers. |
The product name doesn’t mean a biscuit will sit comfortably just before exercise. For the McVitie’s variety described by Jumbo, there’s also no product claim that the biscuit’s ingredients aid digestion.
Give more weight to when you eat it, the portion size, the ingredients and how well you tolerate it than to the name.
The McVitie’s and Jumbo dark chocolate digestives listed by Jumbo each contain around 24 g of fat per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises avoiding foods high in fat or fibre immediately before exercise.
If your workout is about to start, consider a small snack with ingredients you know you tolerate better at that time.
The dark chocolate digestives reviewed list wheat, milk and soya. The Jumbo variety also carries a warning that it may contain barley, oats and rye.
Check the current allergen information on the packaging every time you buy, even if you already know the product.
The McVitie’s Digestives Dark Chocolate described by Jumbo are wheat biscuits topped with a layer of dark chocolate.
Verkade’s product range includes a digestive with dark chocolate.
Jumbo Digestive Biscuit Dark Chocolate is the own-brand variety reviewed, in a 300 g pack.
AH Digestive Dark Chocolate is an own-brand biscuit. The product information reviewed states that it contains 30% dark chocolate.
Lotus Biscoff with dark chocolate is a speculoos biscuit with chocolate, not a digestive.
These two McVitie’s varieties are chocolate digestives you could consider as a small addition to a planned meal. If your workout is about to start, when you eat, portion size and how well you tolerate it matter more than whether you choose milk or dark chocolate.
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A milk chocolate digestive to consider as an addition, not a meal replacement, if your workout isn’t until later.
Check the nutritional information per portion and the allergen details on the packaging before deciding whether this variety suits your mealtime.
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A dark chocolate digestive you could have alongside a meal before a later workout, rather than as a replacement for that meal.
Compare the portion you plan to eat with the nutritional information on the packaging, and read the allergen information before choosing this variety.
It shouldn’t be your default choice: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises avoiding large portions and foods high in fat or fibre immediately before exercise. The McVitie’s and Jumbo dark chocolate digestives listed by Jumbo each contain around 24 g of fat per 100 g, so consider how long it is until your workout, the portion size and what you know you can tolerate.
At that point, a biscuit should only be an addition to a planned meal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having a proper meal with a drink in this timeframe. Choose how much biscuit to have based on your overall meal and how well you tolerate it.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging, even for a dark chocolate biscuit. The standard varieties reviewed list wheat, milk and soya. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be clearly indicated on the label.
Store them in a cool, dry place and seal the pack securely after opening. Joybuy’s product information for McVitie’s also recommends protecting them from direct sunlight, heat and moisture. Follow any additional instructions on the packaging you buy.
