Biscuits - India's most consumed junk food.
and how brands fool you with fancy words..
While growing up, my go-to chai time snacks were biscuits. I loved Parle-G, Jim-jam, and Bourbon so much that I used to finish a pack every day. I'm pretty sure many of you did the same! Biscuits were cheap, easy to find, and most importantly, tasty!
But now I am a more informed consumer :P, and I read labels. Here are the top 3 ingredients in our favorite biscuits like Bourbon: Maida, sugar, and palm oil!
Even knowing this, if you still want to choose these biscuits, go ahead! but not being aware is more harmful. In this blog, we will explore the biscuit category and uncover how brands mislead us, using simple English but with an OG twist!
Lets see if a “Digestive” biscuit is really healthy?
Now that we know regular biscuits contain maida, palm oil, and sugar, brands are introducing unique options like "Digestive" biscuits or "Zero sugar" biscuits. Let's check some brand labels to see if they are truly "Digestive" or just a marketing trick.
The front of the pack clearly highlights "Goodness of wheat" and "High Fiber." Let's flip the pack to see if that's actually true.
Top 3 ingredients: Maida, Wheat Flour, Palm Oil! In a pack that claims "Goodness of Wheat," Maida is the first ingredient (50.5%)— how ironic is that.
Want to read more about palm oil, here is the OG blog: Read More
Having a few biscuits with chai every day a problem?
Many of us might think, whats the harm in eating just 2-3 biscuits with chai everyday?
Well, more than the quantity, the problem is the frequency. It's not going to affect you overnight, but the compounding effect can be significant over time.
| Issues | Culprits |
| Blood sugar spikes | Maida, High GI starch derivatives |
| Poor satiety | Low protein and fiber |
| Bad Heart health | Palm oil |
What a truly honest biscuits/ cookie should look like?
So next time, don't be fooled by brand commercials. Instead, look for the best product on the shelves (or while scrolling :P)
1. Ingredients you can understand: An honest brand doesn’t hide behind a long and chemical-sounding names.
2. Ingredients you can count on fingertips: If a brand has countless number of ingredients, that’s a red flag!
3. Real grain, not just refined flour in disguise: Most biscuit brands claim “wheat” or “multigrain” while being 70-80% Maida, so watch out!
4. Fats that are named, not hidden: “Vegetable oil” tells you nothing, brand should clearly state the fat sources such as sunflower oil, ghee etc.
5. Sweetness that’s minimal and explained: Brand should keep the sugar low and visible on the label instead of “No added sugar” tag while adding sugar cousins.
OG Recommendation
Who doesn't love biscuits, especially the cream-filled ones—or should we say "creme" filled? What's the difference? Cream means milk fat, while creme means vegetable oil, flavors, and additives. So next time you pick up cream-filled biscuits, watch out for an extra "e"!
Just make sure you know what's in your biscuits and choose a brand that is honest and doesn't play "hide & seek" with the label. :P
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