In the search for products that are apparently beneficial to health, we come across the legendary Digestive cookies. It does not matter which brand makes it, since over time we see that even private labels have their own version of the cookie. Are they as healthy as they seem? Do they help intestinal transit? We are tired of hearing that processed products should be avoided, but for a few years the popularity of this sweet has been increasing. We are going to analyze their content to really know if we should eat them or not.
Digestive is synonymous with "digestives"?
Brands are very clever and use similar words to distract the end consumer. In an artisan way, sodium bicarbonate was added to this type of cookies to improve digestion, although with the baking process this property is lost and the result is a common cookie. So no, they are not digestive as we are led to believe.
Should companies rename them? Of course, to avoid misunderstandings or wrong thoughts among your consumers, but it is something that is not convenient.
Not high in fiber, not low in sugar, not healthy fats. Processed digestive biscuits should be avoided, as should industrial pastries.
Let's analyze its ingredients
I repeat: no matter the brand, most have a very similar composition.
In the case of Fontaneda's Digestive, its components are: Cereals 68.8% (wheat flour 54.7%, whole wheat flour 14.1%), sugar, high oleic sunflower oil 12.7%, fat from palm, sugar syrup, raising agents, fructooligosaccharides syrup, salt and emulsifiers.
- Cereals 68.8%. It turns out that 54.7% of cereals are made up of refined flours and only 14.1% is whole wheat flour. So we are facing a mostly refined processed product, despite the fact that its appearance is totally healthy with that image of wheat in its packaging.
- Sugar. As a second ingredient we have sugar. Great! You already know that the list of ingredients is ordered according to the amount it contains of each one. In addition, the list continues with other types of sugars such as syrups. In fact, 6 Digestive cookies (75gr) contain 21gr of this substance.
- Sunflower oil Extra virgin olive oil is always better.
- Palm fat . In an ultra-processed and refined product, this top ingredient cannot be missing. We tell you in this article why it is so bad for your health.
- Raising agents . Chemicals and more chemicals.
Do they really still look so healthy to you? What's more, do you think the price they usually have is fair to end up being just as inadvisable as Maria cookies?
