Ginger biscuits are, well… biscuits.

They’re sweet treats made with sugar, fat, and flour.

So (and this'll come as no surprise)...

We're not going to recommend these ingredients become staples of your weight loss efforts.

But let’s not stop there.

Instead, let's examine answers to five crucial questions about ginger biscuits, ginger itself, and whether they deserve a place on any diet-friendly shopping list.

1) Ingredients in a ginger nut biscuit

First, let’s look at the exact ingredient list you’ll find on a packet of McVitie’s Ginger Nut biscuits:

The three primary ingredients, then, are:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Vegetable oil

Ground ginger (the type you find on a spice rack) and some flavourings foot the bottom of the bill. Meaning, ginger itself is one of the least prevalent ingredients in these fiery little biscuits.

So…

The primary ingredients in a ginger biscuit are not healthy.

But what about the calories?

Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional information…

2) How many calories are in a ginger biscuit?

In a single McVitie’s Ginger Nut biscuit, there are 47 calories.

Relative to other biscuits, this is actually pretty low.

There are a couple of other biscuit types that’ll be consistently lower in calories than this:

• Rich tea biscuits (43 calories each)
• Malted milk (43 calories each)

But is this a good deal?

Is 40-50 calories (per biscuit) a bargain for your body?

How far you'd have to run to burn off 47 calories

To burn off 47 calories, you’d have to run about half a mile.

So if you ate four, you’d need to run two miles at a reasonable pace to burn off the roughly 200 calories you’d just eaten.

But that’s not the real problem.

The real problem is far worse.

The biggest challenge for people trying to lose weight (and how to overcome it)

If you’re trying to lose fat, you need to be in it for the long haul.

You’re going to have to stay motivated.

The best way to stay motivated when losing weight, as with achieving any goal, is to get a big win early and keep the momentum up from there.

That means losing a meaningful amount of weight each and every week.

Every small win gives you a boost in confidence. The thrill of seeing yourself moving towards your goal each week is the exact thing which gives you the discipline to stick to the diet.

Exactly how much weight to lose each week for maximum momentum

So…

Let’s say a “meaningful” amount of weight loss in a week is 1.5lbs for the average man, and 1lb for the average woman.

To lose 1lb of fat per week, you’d have to eat 500 calories below maintenance every day.

How about losing 2lbs a week?

Doubly motivating.

But doubly difficult.

In a calorie deficit of 500 calories, 100 calories matters.

It's 20% of the entire deficit.

But just two ginger biscuits.

You also need to be aware of the risk of becoming deficient in various micronutrients while you’re dieting. If you don’t pack every calorie at your disposal as full of nutrients as possible, you’re guaranteed to start lacking something.

And the price you’ll pay?

• Strong cravings
• Low energy
• Low sex drive
• A slower rate of weight loss

When every calorie matters, indulging in sweet treats isn't a good idea.

3) Can ginger biscuits help with weight loss?

So...

When trying to lose weight, every calorie matters. And ideally those calories should come from healthy, nutrient-dense foods as much as possible. Ginger biscuits are primarily flour, sugar, and vegetable oil, and eating just a couple a day makes it easy to overeat by 100+ calories.

So why would anyone think ginger biscuits are good for weight loss at all?

One user on Quora, says:

“Some studies suggest that ginger may be beneficial for weight loss. Compounds in ginger have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They may help a person burn fat and regulate their blood sugar.”

Unfortunately, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the ginger come packaged in sugar and fat.

Consider these two important points:

1. If you want the healthy properties of ginger, just buy fresh root ginger.
2. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds don’t help you lose weight.

This second one is important. Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds are good for you. But going from being overweight to a healthy weight will do more for your health than any antioxidant or compound.

And if ginger biscuits slow that weight loss down?

They’re not helping, they’re hurting.

4) How to force your body to become a fat burning machine

Weight loss is an energy equation.

Not a “do I have enough antioxidants” equation.

If you’re eating too many calories, you’ll gain weight. If you’re eating fewer than your body burns on a daily basis, you’ll lose weight.

To facilitate eating fewer calories than you burn (which is called being in a calorie deficit), it’s best to prioritize foods that are:

• Whole and unprocessed.
• High in fibre or protein.
• Contain all or much of their natural water.\

Can You Build Muscle in a Calorie Deficit? (Here’s How)

Some people can build muscle in a calorie deficit. This is called “body recomposition”. Muscle mass increases while fat mass decreases. However, most people with experience lifting weights won’t be able to build much muscle mass while in a calorie deficit.

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Why unprocessed foods?

Because they’re more filling, more nutritious, and less calorie dense.

In other words, it’s harder to eat too many calories when you eat only whole and unprocessed foods.

Biscuits are processed. The fibre and water is removed from the wheat when it’s turned into flour. They then add more sugar, fat, and flavourings to create the final product.

If you eat plenty of food that’s high in protein and fibre, while low in overall calories, you’ll find yourself with more energy, feeling fuller for longer, and losing weight quickly, easily, and sustainably.

5) Ginger's biggest and most surprising health benefit

Okay, we’ve lambasted the ginger biscuit long enough.

What about ginger itself?

Could this be the secret reason for the underground murmurings about ginger biscuits and their effects on weight loss?

After all, our friend from Quora pointed out ginger’s antioxidant contents and anti-inflammatory properties.

That sounds good, right?

Well… sort of.

Antioxidants are great. Anti-inflammatory properties are great. But we’ve already established they won’t help you with weight loss.

And here’s the real problem:

Examine.com (an excellent source of studied, science-backed information) lists what  ginger is strongly proven to be good for.

Are you ready?

Here’s the list…

• Nausea

…That’s it.

Literally. That’s all.

There’s some decent evidence that it can increase gastric emptying rate. (Which means the stomach lets food into the intestines sooner after eating.)

What does this have to do with weight loss, though?

You guessed it. Nothing at all.

Conclusion

We’re not saying you can’t enjoy a sweet treat from time to time.

Nor that you ginger biscuits are the cause of all your weight loss struggles.

But they’re certainly not great food choices while looking to lose weight.

If you want to lose weight, that starts in the kitchen. And eliminating calorie dense, nutrient poor foods is one of the best ways to start.

The basic, boring advice works:

1. Develop an exercise habit
2. Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods
3. Learn to cook tasty meals from scratch

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Your body can build muscle without carbohydrates. But ketogenic diets and other diets very low in carbs can slow down your gains.

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