by ANGELA DOWDEN, Evening Standard

More biscuits are eaten in Britain than in any other European country.

On average, each of us consumes 10kg per year - that's the equivalent of two digestives a day.

Absent-minded biscuit-munching every time you have a tea or coffee can play havoc with your waistline and arteries.

Most are high in fat and sugar and many contain trans fats caused by chemically hydrogenating oils to make them hard.

Evidence suggests trans fats may be even worse for the heart than saturated fat.

But choose the right types, however, and you can eat biscuits in moderation without feeling guilty.

Find out which biscuits are good for your conscience - and your waistline - below.

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Shortbread fingers.



Per biscuit: 71 calories, 4.2g fat, 6.1g sugar

Very high in sugar - a couple supply more than a quarter of a woman's saturated-fat intake and a fifth of a man's. Not as artificial as many other biscuits, though, as they are made with butter, flour and sugar, and few additives. Rating: 2/10

Digestives:

73 calories, 3.2g fat, 2.5g sugar



Medium-high fat and sugar, with a reasonable fibre content. This slows the rate at which sugar is released into your system so you're less likely to get a sugar rush followed by an energy crash.

Fairly high in salt - with 10 per cent of a woman's daily limit and seven per cent of a man's in two. Rating: 5/10

Hob Nobs:

68 calories, 3.1g fat, 3.6g sugar



Not as naughty as you'd expect as they are high in fibre, providing nearly a 10th of a woman's recommended daily intake (seven per cent of a man's). The nobbly, oaty bits also mean these biscuits give a smooth energy release despite their high sugar content.

But still a source of unhealthy hydrogenated and saturated fats, and as salty as digestives. Rating: 6/10

Chocolate Digestives:

88 calories, 4.2g fat, 4.7g sugar

A chocolate digestive has 15 extra calories and 1g more fat than the non-chocolate type. That's acceptable if you exercise selfcontrol and stick to just one or two. The chocolate bumps up the sugar content, but provides some diseasepreventive antioxidants. Rating: 4/10

Reduced Fat Digestives:

68 calories, 2.5g fat, 3.2g sugar

Twenty-five per cent less fat per biscuit sounds impressive, but what you lose in fat you gain in sugar. The calorie saving is only five per biscuit. Rating: 5/10

Custard Creams:

61 calories, 2.8g fat, 3.5g sugar



Better than other cream biscuits - they contain less fat than golden crunch creams or lemon puffs, for example. And they're generally less fattening than a reduced-fat digestive (biscuit size varies, though, so check calories on the pack).

But more sugary than a plain biscuit, which isn't good for your blood glucose control or teeth. Rating: 5/10

Jaffa cakes:

48 calories, 1g fat, 6.5g sugar



Only eight per cent fat, and low

calorie. They are also free from hydrogenated fats - the only downside being a high sugar content (50 per cent by weight). Best eaten after meals when they are less likely to trigger fluctuations in blood glucose.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Boasters:

93 calories, 5.7g fat, 4.6g sugar



High-calorie biscuits, with a quarter of a woman's recommended daily saturated intake in two. The hazelnuts supply a smattering of the heart-protective antioxidant vitamin E.

You can jettison 38 calories (and hydrogenated oils) by opting for a Maryland choc chip 'n' hazelnut cookie instead. Rating: 2/10

Lemon Puffs:

69 calories, 3.9g fat, 2.6g sugar

These are the worst cream biscuits - although they aren't as sweet as some, they are more than onequarter fat and have at least as many cholesterol-raising saturated fats as shortbread. Rating: 3/10

Jammie Dodger:

84 calories, 3.1g fat, 6.1g sugar

Sugar-loaded - there are one-and-a-half level teaspoons in each one.

They also contain carmoisine, a red colour recently implicated in children's disruptive behaviour, according to a study sponsored by the Food Standards Agency. A plus point is they don't contain hydrogenated oils. Rating: 2/10

Fig rolls:

63 calories, 1.4g fat, 6.2g sugar



Less fat than many "reduced fat" biscuits, and usually free from hydrogenated oils. High sugar, but some is provided naturally by the figs. A couple of the biscuits will supply a woman with around a tenth of her daily fibre needs. Rating: 7/10