Mini biscuits can make a small, measured snack around a regular training session, but they’re not automatically suitable fuel for a long run. For prolonged exercise, plan your carbohydrate and fluid intake first, and consider what you can tolerate during training. If you’re choosing biscuits, check the portion size, nutritional information and ingredients.
If you want a snack shortly before a run, the amount you eat and when you eat it matter more than the mini size alone. Voedingscentrum advises against large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise.
A multipack can be handy if you decide in advance how many biscuits to take. Both ALDI and Lidl list mini biscuits in packs of six.
If you have an allergy or need to avoid certain ingredients, check the label on the specific product you choose. For example, Lotus lists egg and gluten as allergens in its Mini Biscuits; check each product individually.
First decide whether you’re looking for a small snack around a regular training session or fuel for a long run. Only then is it useful to compare mini formats by portion size and label information.
When: If you want a small amount before or after a regular training session and can choose your own portion.
Consider: A mini biscuit isn’t a measured sports nutrition portion. Voedingscentrum says that the amount and nutritional content still matter if you eat shortly before running.
When: If you want to plan your carbohydrate and fluid intake during prolonged exercise.
Consider: Match your chosen products and amounts to your plan and to what you’ve tested you can tolerate. A small or sweet biscuit won’t automatically replace that plan.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and stomach comfort | Check the portion you’ve chosen and the amount of fat, protein and fibre in relation to when you’ll be running. | If I eat something shortly before training, I want to choose a small amount that I’ve tried before. For around 42% of consumers, timing and stomach comfort are the top priorities. |
| Portion size and taking it with you | Compare individual biscuits with multipacks and decide in advance how many to take. | When I’m out and about, I want to take a pre-selected amount rather than eat from a large bag. For around 33% of consumers, portion control and portability come first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for your chosen variety on the current packaging. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in these particular biscuits. Around 25% of consumers give this check the highest priority. |
The size doesn’t tell you how many carbohydrates you’ll get from the amount you choose, or how well you’ll tolerate it during a long run.
Decide how many to have in advance, use the nutritional information for that portion and try it during a training session.
Voedingscentrum advises against large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise. A small-looking biscuit doesn’t tell you what it contains.
Compare the label with your planned eating time, and don’t try something new for the first time during an important long run.
Recipes vary between products and varieties. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly listed on the label.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the product you’re actually buying, including any warnings about traces.
Lidl describes Sondey Mini Star as a product available in stores only. So a suitable pack size doesn’t tell you where you can buy it.
Check availability with the retailer before buying, and compare alternatives again by portion size and label information.
Worth considering if you’re comparing Lotus mini biscuits with its other small snack formats.
Worth considering if you want to compare cookie bites with other small biscuit formats.
Worth considering when comparing mini biscuits from a supermarket range.
Worth considering if you want to take mini biscuits in small packs.
Worth considering if you’re comparing individually wrapped mini biscuits with loose mini biscuits.
These mini biscuits may suit anyone who wants to put together their own small snack portion around a regular training session. For a long run, you’ll still need a separate fuelling and hydration plan that you’ve tested.
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For anyone who wants to choose their own small portion of mini biscuits as a snack. The pack contains 160 g; decide on your serving separately, and check the nutritional information and allergens on the label.
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For anyone who wants to make up their own snack portion from a pack of mini biscuits. The pack contains 425 g; check the nutritional information and ingredients for your chosen variety before deciding how much to have during training.
Only as a considered choice within a plan for carbohydrates, fluids and your personal tolerance that you’ve tried beforehand; mini biscuits won’t automatically replace such a plan. World Athletics recommends 30–60 g of carbohydrates per hour for exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, and up to 90 g per hour for exercise lasting more than 2.5 hours. Check how many carbohydrates your chosen portion provides.
Choose a small amount and check the fat, protein and fibre content. Voedingscentrum advises against large portions and foods high in these nutrients just before exercise; try your chosen amount during a regular training session first.
Check the label on the pack you’re buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly listed, and that mandatory food information for prepacked foods should appear on the packaging or on a label attached to it.
No, it’s a breakfast cake bar. Lotus lists xylitol as a sweetener; Voedingscentrum says that consuming large amounts of polyols can cause gastrointestinal symptoms. So assess this product based on its own ingredients and nutritional information, rather than treating it as an interchangeable alternative to a mini biscuit.
