# Diabetic Biscuits in Supermarkets UK



## Lawsuave

Dear all,
I have trawled all major supermarkets to attempt to find biscuits especially for diabetics with no results.

Boots have a range but taste is an issue. Holland & Barrett have virtually nothing to speak of. I was diagnosed in October 2009 with a reading of blood/sugar levels at 24. They kept me in hospital for 2 weeks to pump me full of various things.

I have often discussed with my other half starting a company with the sole purpose of producing quintessentially, a British Diabetic Biscuit range. We Brits love our dunkers and I for one always dunked for my country (meaning i ate too many of course) 

My profession is that of supply chain management / quality specialist but not in the food industry. I have already conjoured up some solid ideas as to how to go about manufacturing and marketing a full diabetic range to all major supermarkets. (Lord Sugar, excuse the pun, should do this on The Apprentice next year) If there are any of you that feel the same as I do perhaps a few of us could form a diabetic co-operative in order to maximise our efforts to get some proper products into the shops. I am sure there is a massive, pent-up demand for products that can be sugar-free and low carb and still have some flavour.

In case you are wondering I will be 58 on 19th June (tomorrow) but the only problem I seem to have is that of putting on weight since my diagnosis. I weighed 83Kgm when diagnosed. I gave up smoking on that day too. I now weigh 105Kgm. Adouble whammy of compensating for not smoking and eating too much low sugar but fatty/carbed foods. 

Let me know if there is any interest in creating a superb range of British biscuits for the likes of us. I not only have the enthusiasm and skill to put this together but I also have a few pounds ready to invest. I would need equally enthusiastic help and a few piggy banks broken open to assist.
Looking forward to any responders.
Regards, to all (This is my first post on here)


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## Northerner

Hi Lawsuave, welcome to the forum  Regarding 'diabetic' biscuits - I'm afraid you are unlikely to find a market for them. The accepted wisdom these days is to avoid like the plague anything labelled 'diabetic' (as the Boots range are). This is because it is now thought that it is far better to have the occasional treat of the real thing, preferably in combination with a meal, since you then avoid the potential tummy upsets caused by the sweeteners/polyols used in the 'sugar-free' products. Thorntons get a similar bad press amongst people with diabetes for their 'diabetic' chocolate and Easter eggs. 

On the other hand, creating low-carb recipes using natural ingredients might stand a better chance of success 

I moved your post to its own thread for clarity


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## Ellie Jones

I know that diabetic biscuits are about, as I have seen them, but never buy them as I don't buy anything that 'says' Diabetic friendly or suitable for diabetic's etc on the label!

As generally if it says this, it will have ingredients such as sorbitol in it or the various other sweeteners that are put in a lot of these types of products that cause upset stomach...


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## everydayupsanddowns

Hello Lawsuave

Welcome to the forums 

I'm afraid a 'diabetic-friendly biscuit' is going to be pretty much impossible. It's not the sugar in a biscuit which does the damage...

White flour (eg made up as bread) has a GI of over 70. Table sugar has a GI of 55-60ish. The less sugar and the more flour the biscuit contains, the more rapidly it will push up BG. You could slow down the absorption with lots of butter (shortbread seems to be about 60-65), but that's not going to do anything for the calorie count of it. You could try adding some fibre (digestives 60) or a hefty chocolate topping (chocolate is around 50-60). 

But none of that is going to mean that you have a product that someone with a difficulty processing carbs (which is essentially what diabetes is) can eat freely.

Plus the fact that if anything said 'diabetic' on it I for one would run a mile. My experience is that 'diabetic' foods taste awful, are no better for BG *and* give you the runs.

Sorry about that!


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## bigheadmike

dont eat diabetic specific foods, when i was diagnosed friends started buying me treats labeled diabetic and as nice a gesture it is, this crap gives you the trotts

treat yourself to a real biscuit now and then, you will enjoy this more


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## DeusXM

As Mike says, the issue isn't really with the sugar, it's what fundamentally makes a biscuit a biscuit. Simply making something with less sugar in it and claiming it's 'diabetic' is very unsound.

However......not all is lost....

It might be possible to make a genuinely low-carb biscuit using alternative flours - things like almond flour etc. That would be a good step forward; in fact an almond flour biscuit made with real sugar is probably easier to process for someone with diabetes than a wheat/oat biscuit stuffed with sorbitol. 

That then brings up something new for you to think about. You're not making a 'diabetic' biscuit. You're making a gluten free, low-carbohydrate biscuit.

I don't know about most people, but I hate the label 'diabetic'. For a start, it sounds far too much like 'pathetic' to me, and also I'm not 'a diabetic' who needs to eat 'diabetic' foods. I'm a person who happens to have diabetes and needs to consider more carefully what I eat. Put 'diabetic' food in front of me and I'll tell you to take it away, stop being patronising and bring me some real food. Put something low-carbohydrate in front of me and hey, I'm interested. Why? Because you've given me back my element of choice. It's a subtle but REALLY important distinction.

Why's this something new for you? Simple. So there's around 3.5 million people with diabetes in the UK. If they are anything like me, many of those 3.5 million will purposefully avoid 'diabetic' biscuits. But I bet a larger proportion would be interested in a low-carbohydrate biscuit. And guess what? Not everyone interested in low-carbohydrate foods has diabetes. There are literally millions of slightly dumpy Britons out there who are reading the Daily Mail and how some talentless reality star is on 'no carbs before Marbs'. There's your market, right there. 

At the risk of sounding really prejudiced and possibly a bit sexist, think how many slightly overweight secretaries and HR managers there are, who can't stop having a jammy dodger for elevenses and are convinced the reason they're in their mid-30s and still single is because they're a bit pudgy. Seriously though, there's a real cross-gender, cross-age market out there for biscuits that won't make you quite as fat, and it's probably accessible by making a biscuit that's low/no carb overall. The fact that it would also be easier for 'a diabetic' to eat is just a happy side effect, further reinforcing the wisdom that a healthy diet for someone with diabetes is a healthy diet for everyone.


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## mrpistachio

Always found diabetic biscuits to be a bit of a con to be honest - they may taste nice (well, kind of) but they've always given me the runs. I'm not sure what it is *in* the biscuits that does that, but alas! :s


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## DeusXM

It's the sugar alcohols AKA bulk sweeteners. Generally, anything that ends in an -itol - sorbitol, malitol etc. Interestingly enough, aside from making your digestion more excitable, quite a few people with diabetes find that they actually have the same effect on your blood sugar as actual sugar.


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## Northerner

Another reason not to buy 'diabetic' products is that they usually carry a price premium to exploit people's fears and for those less-informed, consolidate the misconception that the 'ordinary' stuff is forbidden


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## Pumper_Sue

Diabetic Biscuits in Supermarkets UK?

Would these biscuits be type 1, 1.5, 2 or MODY?


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## Amanda102

We were told on diagnosis that the only thing my daughter couldn't eat was anything labelled 'for diabetics'. On holiday in the states we bought some sugar free popcorn not thinking it through and my daughter was ill with stomach ache and diarrhoea for a whole day. We'll not make that mistake again!


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## Vicsetter

Well here's your recipe: http://www.elanaspantry.com/biscuits/
Almond flour and Agave Nectar, no wheat, gluten or sugar, best of luck selling it.

If you can give up smoking you can stop eating biscuits, they are not compulsory and however you cut it they will contribute to weight gain if you don't compensate for it!  Now how about sugar free jam (without artificial sweeteners) that would be interesting.  
I don't think many of us would have a problem eating one or 2 biscuits, it's stopping at 1 or 2 that's hard.

There probably is more market for Gluten free products, most diabetics can get around the biscuit problem, but coeliacs have real problems.

What is your diet, Lawsuave?  Why the weight rise, was it snacking to compensate for the cigs?


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## everydayupsanddowns

Vicsetter - SuperJam by that Scottish lad? Not sugar free, but the berry-based ones don't seem to spike me to badly


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## Northerner

Diabetic Jam, eh? Cue for a poem! 

Ah! You?re diabetic? Well, don?t worry my dear,
We?ve got all sorts of goodies that are suitable here!
There?s diabetic chocolate and diabetic cake,
And diabetic jam ? took me ages to make!

And diabetic sweets in all sorts of flavours ?
For someone like you they?re heavenly saviours!
So don?t feel deprived, they?re especially for you!
I?ve heard sugar would kill you ? is that really true?

Now you might find the sweeteners are rather emetic,
But you?ll just have to suffer since you?re diabetic?
I should also mention they cost twice the price
Of ordinary sweet stuff, but don?t taste as nice?

What?s that? You?re declining? Well how can that be?
But you can't eat normally, like people like me!
You can? Well, my goodness, I?ve learned something new!
My business is finished, and no thanks to you!

(C) Northerner 2009


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## trophywench

LOL, I make me own diabetically friendly (ie very low carb, but NOT low calorie and defintely not low fat!) biscuits and cakes.  I haven't made the triple choc chip muffins myself, as I find them far too rich.  Mind you that could have been cos I postively slathered on the Clotted Cream.

But I like the Brownies - a Lot.  And the Cheesy ones.

I say 'the' in all cases since the recipes aren't mine.  And they are all copyright to their authors.

Have to say, I can afford to eat normal biscuits anyway (afford diabetically I mean!) and just, as Northie says, enjoy one occasionally.

I wouldn't want to encourage anyone to eat stuff they don't really need to eat, except very occasionally as a treat, whether it's low carb or not.  Sorry, it's one foot on the slippery slope to me .....


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## Andy HB

Low carb biscuits?

Just make 'em smaller and in small packets so the temptation to keep eating until the packet is empty doesn't cause quite so much damage!

That'd work for me (I too am opposed to anything labelled 'diabetic').

Andy


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## Caroline

Personally I avoid anything labelled diabetic. My grown up son trying to be helpful bought me some diabetic jam. When he tried it and when hubby tried it we all agreed it was truely awfull and the exercise was never repeated again. Many 'sweets' have sorbitol or xylotol in them which is known for its laxative effect so if I want sweets I'll ask someone to pop to the shop and get me a small pack of jelly babies or a small bar of chcolate. I don't go because i usually end up with half the shop.


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## trophywench

Andy - Weightwatchers biccies often come in individual packs of 2 inside the cardboard box, and the ingredients don't make you blench.


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## Pumper_Sue

There's a brand of biscuits on the market now which states suitable for diabetics.
Out of interest I looked at the carb content











65 gms per 100 gms


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## everydayupsanddowns

'Diabetic' anything is a complete non-starter.

There is *NO SUCH THING*.

Suitable for which diabetic? Carb counting T1 on Apidra? T2 on D&E? What is their opinion/understanding on the relative merits/perils of fat? Are they an ultra low carber, low carber, moderate carber or all-the-carbs-I-can-eat-er.

At best a 'diabetic' product is useless, at worst it's playing on fears and misconceptions (and sometimes just trying to fleece family members who bless 'em just know no better).

No no no no!

Please don't waste time on this. People with diabetes do *NOT* need special food.


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## Twitchy

> Please don't waste time on this. People with diabetes do *NOT* need special food.



unless of course you come up with truely calorie, carb & diahorrea free chocolate...in which case I think you'd have a far wider market than just diabetics!!!


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