While on holiday in Scotland I tried some plain oatcakes made by Goodfellows. They were a revelation. Though they had absolutely no sugar they were lovely and oaty, delicious plain with a cup of tea. They may not be suitable for all diabetics as they will be high in carbohydrates but for my type of low sugar and slow release carbohydrate diet they are a welcome alternative to conventional biscuits.
On returning to London I have been trying to track down plain oatcakes (yet to find a supplier of Goodfellows), surprisingly difficult as the alternatives all seem to have been made unpleasantly salty. I thought I'd create a table here of the results and add to it as I try others (note that percentages are based on the weight content declared on the product label per 100g):
| Oatcake | Sugar % | Price Guide per 100g | Flavour |
| Nairns rough oatmeal oatcakes | 1.2 | 30p (2008) | Taste too salty (salt content: 1.2%). 300g packs. |
| Paterson's olive oil oatcakes | 1.8 | 50p (2008) | Salty but slightly less salty than Nairns and taste okay with peanut butter |
| Sainsburys Organic Sunflower and Pumpkin Oatcakes | 3.8 | 40p (2008) | Excellent. Though there is added salt (1.25%) they do not taste salty, the flavour is suitably sweet (not as sweet as Goodfellows) and oaty. Great with cheese or even as very low sugar biscuits to go with a cup of tea (compare with a Rich Tea biscuit which has 20% sugar). |
| Orkney Oatcakes | 3.9 | 50p (2009) | Excellent, the thick version (200g packets) is highly recommended. Sweet tasting triangular biscuits, great on their own or with cheese. These can be bought on-line (made by Stockan & Gardens) but are hardly available in any shops in England. I purchased these in Asda in Berwick upon Tweed and the 100g thin version (no thick versions in stock) at Tesco in Redruth, Cornwall for a comparatively cheap 33p/100g. |
