Biscuits : What brand or type do you buy or prefer?

Do you consume any foodstuffs with added plant sterols?

In 2012 my blood tests showed I had high cholesterol so I immediately cut right back on junk food, started eating a lot more seafood, changed my milk from Coles Full Cream to Dairyfarmers Heart Active and changed from Coles Butter to Flora ProActiv.

Both Heart Active milk and ProActiv spread have plant sterols added and both state that they can help reduce cholesterol by up to 10%.

My recent blood tests showed that my cholesterol is very good much to both my GPā€™s and my satisfaction.

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Thank you for your interest, Fred.
My specialist told me that, in my case,
diet would not make much of a difference
because my high cholesterol is due to my liverā€™s overproduction of it.
This is where Statins come in : stopping the liver producing too much cholesterol.

It was a surprise to me to learn of this health problem, a few years ago, as Iā€™d
always been careful with Fats in my diet and always kept my weight down.
Luckily my HDL levels are higher than the
LDL ones.

Actually I do buy Flora ProActive but it takes me a week to consume the
suggested dose of 25g a day. So Iā€™m not sure how effective it is.

I take a blood test every year, and more or less the level is around the 5 mark, which my doctor is happy with, and he completely disregards my complaints of the tablets having caused me to be forgetful, itā€™s all in my mind, he says :wink:

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I only use the Heart Active milk for my one-and only coffee at breakfast time daily, and it has around 250ml of milk in the mug,and I mostly only use the ProActiv spread if I have a slice of toast at breakfast, or a fresh bread or toasted sandwich during the day, other than adding it to steamed greens or potato mash, so I donā€™t consume very much of either daily but in my particular case, it is obviously helping.

One of my wifeā€™s sistersā€™ husband has high cholesterol which is apparently genetically inherited and he has to take medication for it.

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Thank you Fred.
Just had baked beans on toast for tea (sometimes I just canā€™t be bothered
cooking), and used ProActive as a spread.
My theory is that having been deprived of Fats for so long, my liver took matters in its own hands!:wink:

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I make these from time to time

Need to play around with flour and see if any other one will work as body hates gluten.

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Iā€™ve tried a few scotch fingers. At the moment I like Aldiā€™s. I find they absorb more tea than Arnotts. I like the challenge; how long can you dunk them before they fall into the mug.

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Its not. Its a real and documented problem with statins. As is muscle pain.

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Thatā€™s why so many older people take them, to have a reason for their forgetfulness.

I struggled so much with this, having been very lucky and never had to take any medications before, and after looking up all of the side effects, I just didnā€™t want it.
Also, I feel itā€™s a fairly new drug, and who knows what will be the results in the future, after they have had a lot of people on it, and can see the after effects more fully.
But, some time ago, sick of my complaining, my doctor asked me to stop taking Statins for 6 weeks. Apparently any side effects disappear fairly quickly.
My memory did not improve, but the cholesterol reading went up to 8.2,
even though I was making every effort with diet and exercise.

Itā€™s now been 4 years, and as Statins are
helping me to achieve a normal level of cholesterol and therefore protect from stroke and heart attack, I can only take my daily dose with no more grumbling.

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I purchase Arnotts Scotch Finger or Granita. I find these to be the 2 biscuits with taste/flavour and lowest sugar content.

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Yep same here and my Grandmother (GM) even oven roasted the peanuts herself. Also Coconut Macaroons filled with raspberry cream between two of them or just plain, either way never had anything similar since. I think my GM toasted the coconut first which is what I prefer for that extra taste and crispy shell, but I understand it is optional to do so. Just like the peanut ones my GM also did one with almonds instead. Now those take me back many many years.

@bripenny I like Granita as well but miss the ones that had the extra spice and dried fruit in them, just canā€™t seem to find them these days.

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I would have to agree the NZ Griffinā€™s Ginger Nuts are better than the Arnottā€™s. Thicker and better to dunk in your tea!

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I recall reading that the Arnotts ginger nuts recipe varies from state to state, canā€™t recall where. Ah here it is.

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I rarely buy biscuits but when I do, I get yoyos (possibly South Australia only). I usually make biscuits and use several recipes on a regular basis.

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Oh my goodness - who would have thought that we had 4 versions of Arnottā€™s ginger nut biscuits in Australia

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Great article which explains some past complaints.

Some years ago, my wife and other family members were complaining that the Gingernuts which they were buying in FNQ had changed much to their disgust.

There was even a rumour that some of them were made overseas.

Thankfully it has long been resolved.

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Agree re the gingernuts, however not the NSW/ACT ones as theyā€™re too hard. We stock up in Melbourne and Brisbane when we visit those places as Victorian and Queensland ones are so much easier to eat!

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At least four versions - they make different versions for different States.

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Gingernuts, yes, however not the awful NSW/ACT version.

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LOL! THats what I like about them. You can dunk them without them falling to bits.

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