On a short or leisurely bike ride, a chocolate digestive can make a perfectly ordinary snack. But on a long, strenuous ride, it’s not an obvious substitute for fast-absorbing carbohydrates. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the role of carbohydrates during endurance exercise and advises against large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise. So compare the amount per biscuit, when you plan to eat it and the allergens listed on the packaging.
If you cycle hard for more than an hour, you’ll need to consider how many carbohydrates you need along the way and how to combine food with drink. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses fast-absorbing carbohydrates for endurance exercise, but the total carbohydrate content of a biscuit doesn’t tell you how practical it is to eat while cycling.
On a short or leisurely ride, you might simply want something familiar to take with you or eat afterwards. In that case, portion size, packaging and when you eat it matter more than whether a biscuit can replace sports nutrition.
For you, the choice starts with the ingredients and allergens in the specific product. Chocolate digestives may contain wheat, milk and soya; even with a gluten-free product, you should check the other details on the current packaging.
First decide whether you’re looking for an everyday snack for a leisurely ride or something to eat during a long, strenuous effort. Then check the actual portion size and the ingredients of the product you plan to take with you.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Refuelling on a long ride | Work out the carbohydrates in the portion you’ll actually eat and consider whether you can have it with a drink while on the move. For endurance efforts lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends 30 to 60 g of fast-absorbing carbohydrates per hour as an amount that can help improve performance. | On a long, strenuous ride, I want to know how many carbohydrates the portion I take with me provides. Around 50% of consumers say suitable refuelling is their main concern when buying. |
| Portion size and when to eat | Check the amount per biscuit and the fat and fibre content on the label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise. | Before a leisurely ride, I want something small to eat without having to take a large portion with me. Around 30% of consumers prioritise portion size and stomach comfort. |
| Gluten and allergens | Read the ingredients list, check for a gluten-free label if needed, and look for relevant cross-contamination warnings. Check the packaging of the product you’ve chosen. | If I need to avoid gluten or another allergen, I first want to know whether this particular biscuit is suitable for me. Around 20% of consumers say suitability is their main concern when buying. |
The product name doesn’t tell you whether its carbohydrates will be available quickly enough during a long, strenuous ride. Chocolate digestives also contain fat and fibre.
Don’t automatically use a biscuit instead of the food and drink you’ve planned for the ride. Work out what you’ll get from each portion and try the combination on a similar ride first.
Even small biscuits can add up to a large portion. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre warns that foods high in fat, protein or fibre can stay in your stomach for longer just before exercise and may cause discomfort.
Keep any snack you have just before setting off small, and choose an amount you’ve previously been comfortable with during a similar effort.
According to Jumbo, Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Digestives Melkchocolade contains milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts. So the gluten-free label doesn’t answer every question about allergens.
Check all the ingredients and warnings relevant to your dietary requirements on the current packaging.
Ingredients and product ranges can change, so an older product description is no substitute for the information on the packet you’re buying.
Check the current packaging before you buy, especially if ingredients or allergens are an important factor in your choice.
Digestives without chocolate and varieties with milk or dark chocolate offer a choice of different biscuits.
The supermarket’s own brand offers a digestive with dark chocolate and a separate gluten-free variety with milk chocolate.
AH Digestive is a plain digestive without a chocolate coating, making it a different choice from a chocolate digestive.
Lidl lists Sondey Digestives pure chocolate as a chocolate digestive.
Biscoff with dark chocolate is an alternative in the chocolate biscuit category, but it isn’t a digestive.
These products are for anyone looking for an everyday chocolate biscuit before or after a short or leisurely ride. The two McVitie's varieties are digestives; Lu Scholiertje is an alternative with milk chocolate, not a digestive. For a long, strenuous ride, don’t choose your food based on this snack selection alone.
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A chocolate digestive for an everyday snack during a leisurely ride.
The pack contains 266 g. Check the label to see how many carbohydrates you’ll get per biscuit, and check for milk, soya, wheat and gluten if they’re relevant to you.
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A dark chocolate digestive for anyone who wants to take a biscuit along as a snack or have one after a ride.
The pack contains 266 g. Check the carbohydrates in the portion you’ll actually eat, and if you have dietary requirements, read the label for milk, soya, wheat and gluten.
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An option for a small snack break during a leisurely ride; these are butter biscuits with milk chocolate, not digestives.
The pack contains 150 g, with the biscuits wrapped in pairs. Check the nutritional information for the portion you eat and, if you have dietary requirements, read the allergen information too.
You can have them as a snack as part of a food and drink plan you’ve tried before, but don’t assume they’ll replace fast-absorbing sports nutrition. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends fast-absorbing carbohydrates during prolonged endurance exercise, so check the carbohydrates in the portion you eat and see how the biscuit suits you while cycling.
A small portion you’ve tolerated well before can make a suitable snack, but don’t eat lots of biscuits just before setting off. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise, as these can cause digestive discomfort.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, sports bars and gels are generally unnecessary for rides lasting less than an hour. In that case, a chocolate digestive is simply a snack, not something you need for the effort; remember to take a drink too.
No, that doesn’t follow from the gluten-free label. Jumbo lists milk, oats and soya in Lekker Vrij van Gluten Digestives Melkchocolade, and warns that the product may contain nuts. Check all the details relevant to you on the current packaging.
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging of the product you’ve chosen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergens in prepacked foods must be clearly listed in the ingredients; don’t rely on the product name or an old online description alone.
