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McVitie's Digestive nutrition: sugar, calories, saturated fat, fibre and more
How much sugar is in Digestive? Each biscuit weighs 14.8g and contains just 2.8g of free sugar, one of the lower-sugar biscuits in this guide. The digestive is the UK's best-selling biscuit by volume. It was originally marketed in the 1890s as an aid to digestion.
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Sugar, calories and saturated fat by portion
The figures below show total sugar, calories and saturated fat for one to four biscuits, and for the full pack.
Single biscuit
1 biscuit
1 biscuit (14.8g)
2.8g
sugar
66
kcal
1g
sat fat
2.8g free sugar. 12% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
2 biscuits
2 biscuits
2 biscuits (29.6g)
5.6g
sugar
132
kcal
2g
sat fat
5.6g free sugar. 23% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
3 biscuits
3 biscuits
3 biscuits (44.4g)
8.4g
sugar
198
kcal
3g
sat fat
8.4g free sugar. 35% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
4 biscuits
4 biscuits
4 biscuits (59.2g)
11.2g
sugar
264
kcal
4g
sat fat
11.2g free sugar. 47% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
Full pack
Full pack (24 biscuits)
355.2g entire pack
67.2g
sugar
1584
kcal
24g
sat fat
67.2g free sugar in the full pack. 224% of the adult daily limit of 30g.
Sugar
McVitie's Digestive contains 2.8g of free sugar per biscuit. Each biscuit weighs 14.8g. Three biscuits deliver 8.4g of free sugar and 198 calories. The digestive is the UK's best-selling biscuit by volume. It was originally marketed in the 1890s as an aid to digestion.
All added sugar in Digestive counts as free sugar under NHS guidelines. Sugar from jam, chocolate, caramel, fondant or iced toppings all counts in the same way as sugar added to the biscuit dough itself.
At 2.8g per biscuit, Digestive is one of the lower-sugar options in this guide. Three biscuits deliver 8.4g of free sugar, which is 35% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
Digestive is one of the lower-sugar biscuits in this guide
McVitie's Digestive contains 2.8g of free sugar per biscuit (14.8g). Three biscuits deliver 8.4g of free sugar, 35 percent of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10 and 44 percent for a child aged 4 to 6. The digestive is the UK's best-selling biscuit by volume. It was originally marketed in the 1890s as an aid to digestion.
NHS recommended daily free sugar limits
Age 4 to 6No more than 19g per day
Age 7 to 10No more than 24g per day
Age 11 and overNo more than 30g per day
Source: NHS. Free sugars include all added sugars and do not include sugars naturally present in whole fruit, vegetables, or milk.
The table below shows 3 biscuits as a percentage of the daily free sugar limit for each age group.
Free sugar as % of daily NHS limit: 3 Digestive (8.4g sugar)
Age
Daily limit
3 biscuits
Age 4 to 6
19g
44%
Age 7 to 10
24g
35%
Age 11 and over
30g
28%
Adult
30g
28%
Source: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015). Red = High (over 75% of daily limit). Amber = Moderate (20 to 74%).
Calories
Each Digestive contains 66 calories. Three biscuits deliver 198 calories. The full pack of 24 biscuits contains 1584 calories.
For a child aged 4 to 6, three biscuits represent approximately 14 percent of their estimated daily calorie requirement. The calorie figure alone does not capture the full nutritional picture; the sugar and saturated fat content are equally important to consider.
Calories: Digestive by number of biscuits
1 biscuit
66 kcal
2 biscuits
132 kcal
3 biscuits
198 kcal
4 biscuits
264 kcal
66 kcal per biscuit.
Saturated fat
Digestive contains 1g of saturated fat per biscuit. Three biscuits deliver 3g of saturated fat, 15 percent of the adult daily guideline of 20g.
The saturated fat content is moderate for a biscuit. As with most biscuits, the fat comes from vegetable oil used in the dough and any chocolate or cream components.
Recommended daily maximum saturated fat intake
Age 4 to 6No more than 10g per day
Age 7 to 10No more than 13g per day
Age 11 to 17No more than 17g per day
AdultNo more than 20g per day
Source: NHS/SACN dietary fat guidelines. Saturated fat consumption is linked to raised LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk.
Fibre
Digestive contains 0.6g of fibre per biscuit. Three biscuits provide 1.8g of fibre, a small contribution toward the adult daily target of 30g.
The wholegrain ingredients in Digestive contribute to its fibre content. Wholegrain biscuits generally provide more fibre per gram than those made from refined flour, though biscuits remain a modest fibre source compared with wholegrain cereals, bread or fruit.
Protein
Digestive contains 1.1g of protein per biscuit. Three biscuits provide 3.3g of protein. Biscuits are not a significant protein source; protein in a child's diet comes primarily from dairy, meat, fish, eggs and pulses.
Fibre and protein per biscuit
Fibre0.6g of 30g target
2%
Protein1.1g of 24g target
5%
Adult fibre target: 30g per day (SACN). Child protein target shown: 24g per day (guide for a 7 to 10 year old).
Whole grain and processing
Digestive is made with wholegrain ingredients, and falls into NOVA group 4 under the food processing classification system used in nutrition research.
Whole grain
Digestive contains wholegrain ingredients, typically wholemeal wheat flour or rolled oats. This contributes to the fibre content at 0.6g per biscuit. Wholegrain biscuits provide more fibre than refined alternatives, though the overall fibre contribution per biscuit remains modest.
Processing (NOVA classification)
Digestive falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed foods. This reflects the combination of refined ingredients, added sugar, flavourings, and industrial processing methods used to produce the final product. The NOVA group 4 classification applies to the vast majority of packaged biscuits, regardless of whether they contain wholegrain ingredients.
Salt
Digestive contains 0.1g of salt per biscuit. Three biscuits contain 0.3g of salt. Salt is not the primary nutritional concern for most biscuits; the sugar and saturated fat content are more significant.
Frequently asked questions
Each Digestive weighs 14.8g and contains 2.8g of free sugar. Three biscuits deliver 8.4g of free sugar, 35 percent of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
Each Digestive contains 1g of saturated fat. Three biscuits deliver 3g, 15 percent of the adult daily guideline. For a child aged 7 to 10 whose guideline is 13g, three biscuits deliver 23 percent.
A child aged 4 to 6 (19g daily limit) would reach their limit at 7 biscuits. A child aged 7 to 10 (24g limit) would reach their limit at 9 biscuits.
Yes. Digestive contains wholegrain ingredients. This is reflected in its fibre content of 0.6g per biscuit, which is higher than comparable biscuits made from refined flour.
Yes. Under the NOVA classification system, Digestive falls into group 4, ultra-processed foods. This applies to the majority of packaged biscuits and reflects the combination of refined ingredients, added sugar and industrial processing involved in their manufacture.
At 2.8g per biscuit, Digestive is among the lower-sugar options. Most cream-filled, chocolate-coated or jam-containing biscuits contain significantly more sugar per piece.
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Nutrition data from UK product labels and manufacturer nutrition declarations. Daily limits: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015); SACN dietary fat guidelines; SACN fibre and protein Dietary Reference Values. For guidance only, not medical advice.
