Britannia Ragi Cookies: Is This A Diabetic-Friendly Biscuit?

Oats and quinoa were welcomed with open arms and we’re all guilty of having forgotten the original superfoods – Millets! Indian millets like ragi, jowar, and bajra are packed with nutrients and are a rich source of dietary fibre. With the increase in awareness about the benefits of millets, more and more brands are incorporating them in packaged foods like chips, cookies and even noodles. 

Britannia offers a wide and varied range of biscuits and cookies. They recently launched two variants in the diabetic-friendly range and here’s our Britannia NutriChoice Essentials Ragi cookies review. Are these really diabetic fiendly? How clean is the ingredient list? How do they taste? What about the sweetness? Can these biscuits be paired with tea or coffee? Read on.

Here’s all you need to know about Britannia NutriChoice Essentials Ragi cookies.

1. Packaging

These Ragi cookies are packed in a compact carton. Inside the carton, there are six packs, each holding three cookies. This type of packaging makes carrying snacks very convenient.

2. Main Ingredients

Ragi Flour (33%), Refined Wheat Flour (28%), Edible Vegetable Oil (Palm), Maltitol (965), Inulin, Milk Solids, Maltodextrin, Natural Fruit Fiber (Apple-1.6%), Raising Agents [503(ii),500(ii),450(i)], Iodized Salt, Emulsifiers (322, 412, 472e, 471), Cinnamon (0.5%), Dough Conditioner (223), and Sweetener (955) are the ingredients used in the making.

Before you skip this section, here is a breakup of what these words mean – 

• Malitol is a sugar alcohol which has a lower effect on blood glucose levels in comparison to table sugar.
• Inulin is a prebiotic fibre which is used in food products along with flour. Inulin helps slow down digestion, keeps you fuller for longer and can even control blood sugar levels.
• Maltodextrin is added to food products as a thickener or to increase the volume of the food. This has a high GI and can cause the blood sugar level to spike up.
• Sweetener 955 is an artificial sweetener called Sucralose which are safer than refined sugar for diabetics.

3. Taste

With the ‘0% sugar added’ claim are these cookies tasty enough to be paired with your evening cuppa? Could we taste the mild earthy, bitterness of ragi? What about the warm and sweet notes of cinnamon? Is there any industrial or artificial aftertaste?

4. Texture

Some like their cookies chewy, others prefer a cookie with a more pronounced crunch. Moreover, when cookies are made using naturally fibrous ingredients like ragi, the texture changes further. 

Did these feel fresh and fibrous? Was the bite retained or were they crumbly?

5. Appearance

These are decently sized cookies that retain a uniform shape and thickness throughout. ‘Nutrichoice’ has been embossed right at the center of these biscuits. 

6. Nutritional Information

Per 100 grams, Britannia NutriChoice Essentials Ragi cookies offer 478 kcal which is divided as 72 grams of carbohydrates of which added sugars are 0 gms, naturally occurring sugar is 3 gm and dietary fibre is 10 gm. It has 7 grams of protein, and 18 grams of fat. 

7. Shelf Life

These cookies have a shelf life of five months from the date of packing. 

Find out why Whole Foods Eggless Bajra Jaggery Cookies are a Mishry Top Pick!

Before we dive into the product review, let’s discuss more on Ragi and why it is labeled as a ‘diabetic-friendly’ ingredient. Fibrous foods that aren’t purely carbohydrates but also some percentage of proteins and fats are recommended for those with diabetes. This helps slow the release into the bloodstream which in turn does not result in a sugar/insulin spike aka sustained energy!

Britannia Nutrichoice Ragi cookies are packed individually, six packs of three cookies. The cookies are visually identical. They have a coffee-brown appearance.

Our first observation was that these cookies have a fibrous bite. Even the cross-sectional view (see image) backs the high fiber claim. Thumbs up!

Talking about the taste, these definitely weren’t as bitter as the grain itself. Similarly, these ragi cookies are very subtly sweet. The addition of iodized salt and cinnamon balance all flavors and make these cookies a decent option to be paired with an evening beverage. 

Since these cookies are marketed as diabetic-friendly snacks, the use of maltodextrin is undesirable. Maltodextrin barely lends any sweetness to dishes, it is primarily used as a thickener in processed foods. However, it is a source of simple carbohydrates which means an almost instant insulin spike. 

That said, this is still a healthier cookie choice than most refined flour and sugar loaded biscuits that are labeled as ‘healthy’. 

Did You Know- Maltodextrin has a GI value almost twice as much as table sugar. 

Features

• A 150-gram pack is priced at Rs 70.
• This has a shelf life of five months. 
• Main Ingredients- Ragi Flour (33%), Refined Wheat Flour (28%), Edible Vegetable Oil (Palm), Maltitol (965), Inulin, Milk Solids, Maltodextrin, Cinnamon (0.5%). 

Likes

• The fibrous bite- we are fans of that.
• These have a pretty decent taste.
• You can’t really taste the bitterness Ragi is known for.
• The sweetness is balanced.

Dislikes

• The use of maltodextrin bothers us. 

Best Suited For

These cookies make for decent travel-friendly snacks, thanks to the packaging. Dip/dunk or as they come, these would pair well with tea/coffee. 

Here are some interesting FAQs on Britannia Nutrichoice Essentials Ragi Cookies.

1. Are these cookies organic?

No, there is no such claim. 

2. What is the fiber content of this cookie?

Per 100 grams, there’s 10 grams of fiber. 

3. Do these cookies contain any extra added sugar?

Yes, artificial sweeteners have been added. 

4. Can ragi cookies be paired with tea or coffee?

Yes, they can be paired with both. Since these aren’t overly sweet or bitter, they would pair well with milk-based beverages like tea or coffee. 

5. Can these ragi cookies be consumed daily?

We recommend limiting the intake of processed foods.

Britannia Nutrichoice Essentials Ragi cookies are fibrous and showcase subtle flavors of cinnamon and ragi. After multiple taste tests and intense analysis of the ingredient list, here’s what we think.

These cookies are fairly good from the taste point of view and if you’re looking to add ragi to your diet, these cookies could be a good start. However, if you plan to consume these as a diabetes-friendly snack, you may want to consume them in moderation. If you are diabetic do consult your doctor or a certified nutritionist before adding any packaged food to your diet for a long term. 

* If you do agree with our review, please give it a thumbs up! And, tell us which one is your favorite from this list. If you don’t, please tell us why!

* Food & Beverage is a constantly evolving segment with new products launched daily. Our endeavor here is to help shoppers buy better. If there’s a product you would like us to review tell us by clicking here.

* Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.

* No part of this review is sponsored by any brand. All expenses were borne by us.