Jerusalem Post

ByDR. MAYA ROSMAN

The snack that seems “harmless” at all can affect sugar, satiety, and children’s health, and Dr. Maya Rosman urges parents to check what really hides inside it.

Simple biscuits, the kind eaten with tea or used in baking, are usually at the bottom of the nutritional value scale. In less gentle terms, they have not a single nutritional benefit, only ingredients that are each individually harmful to health and are better not to enter the body.
Although they are tasty and available, this is an ultra-processed product made from several leading ingredients that turn it into low-quality food:
1. White flour and low fiber – sharp rise in sugar

The main ingredient is white flour that has undergone significant processing, almost without dietary fiber. Without fiber, sugar and starch are absorbed quickly, causing a sharp rise in blood sugar and insulin levels, short satiety, and high caloric availability. Studies clearly show that consuming processed grains like the white flour used in biscuits directly affects the rate of carbohydrate absorption in the body.

A large systematic review found that when consuming whole grains, post-meal sugar levels are lower compared to consuming milled and processed grains, i.e., “white” grains from which almost all fiber has been removed (The American Journal of Medicine).

Another meta-analysis showed that whole grains contribute to better glucose level balance, while processed grains cause a faster and sharper rise in sugar and insulin (Nutrients). So it is important to remember that biscuits are based on fiberless white flour; the sugar and starch in them are absorbed particularly quickly, leading to a sharp rise in sugar, high insulin response, and very short satiety.

2. High amount of sugar
A large part of the biscuit’s weight comes from sugar – sometimes a quarter of the package. This is an energy addition with no significant nutritional value and also leads to rapid appetite afterward. It must be mentioned again: Sugar is the number one cause of all existing diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, inflammation in the body, belly fat… and more? Probably not surprising.
3. Refined and cheap fat
Most biscuits are made from refined vegetable oils (sometimes palm oil or another oil that has undergone deep refining). They provide a crispy texture but do not contribute health-wise. Pay attention to the ingredient list; in most cases, it will just say “vegetable oil,” without specifying which oil. Since the manufacturer has no reason to specify which oil they used, they won’t, and why should they? Because the oil used is not healthy. The law does not require them to tell us whether it is refined or cold-pressed, or whether it is quality olive oil or refined soy oil, only that they used “oil.”
4. “Empty” calories without vitamins or minerals
Unlike natural foods, biscuits contain almost no vitamins or minerals. They provide only energy – without real health contribution. Other snacks, such as almonds and nuts, contain quality fats, calcium, magnesium, good proteins… and more; fruits contain vitamins and dietary fiber, and even regular halva with sugar contains the benefits of the tahini in it. Biscuits – nothing.
5. Not satiating
The combination of white flour + sugar + fat causes the biscuit to disappear quickly in the stomach. Therefore, many eat 4–6 biscuits without noticing, leading to a large caloric surplus without a sense of satisfaction. The portion size suitable as a snack depends on the size of the biscuit; among the larger ones, 2 can be eaten with coffee as a mid-snack during a weight-loss diet; if small, then 3–4, depending on size and weight. And although this is a reasonable caloric option, health-wise it is certainly better to skip it.
6. Whole wheat biscuits?
There are also biscuits on the market based on whole wheat flour, and they are certainly healthier. But it is important to understand that their advantage is limited. Although whole wheat flour is richer in dietary fiber and therefore increases satiety and slightly moderates the rise in blood sugar, most “whole” biscuits still contain sugar, refined oils, and relatively low fiber due to the large amount of other ingredients. That is, even if the package shouts “whole,” in the end it is an ultra-processed, sweet, and easy-to-snack product, and the nutritional improvement compared to regular biscuits exists, but is not significant.
For example, I checked the ingredients of organic whole wheat biscuits, whose first ingredients are 66% organic whole wheat flour (contains gluten), organic brown cane sugar, organic vegetable oil.Small advantage? Yes. Healthy? Not really.
Why? Whole wheat flour is excellent, but brown sugar has no health advantage compared to regular white sugar; both are unnecessary for the body. Organic vegetable oil is nice, but again, they didn’t tell us which oil it is and whether it is refined or not, and believe me, they have a reason for not saying.
7. Spelt biscuits – they’re misleading you
Or, in gentler terms: “Not what you thought.”
The word “spelt” sounds healthy, but in most biscuits it is white spelt, which is essentially the same as regular white flour: The grain is milled, the fiber is removed, and the starches remain available and are absorbed quickly. For the body, white spelt = white flour, so the effect on sugar, insulin, and satiety levels is almost identical.
Brands exploit the healthy association of “spelt,” but if it is not whole spelt (sometimes 100% whole), and there is no significant fiber content, it is a regular biscuit with only a natural image but no health value.
In summary: Biscuits are at the bottom of the nutritional value scale because they mainly provide calories, sugar, and fat without any nutrients, without fiber, and without health benefits. Therefore, they are mainly suitable for occasional use in baking or as a treat, not as a daily food.