As someone who has spent the last 12 years sourcing and producing original biscuits for bakeries, cafes, and specialty stores across the U.S., I get asked a lot of questions about what makes our product different from the mass-produced stuff on grocery shelves. More and more, though, the question I’m hearing isn’t just “what’s in it” — it’s “do original biscuits even have any nutritional value?” Original Biscuits
I’ll be honest: when I first started in this industry, I’d have brushed that question off. Biscuits, right? They’re a treat, a side, a comfort food. Nutritional value isn’t the point. But over the past five years, as more of our customers — from health-focused coffee shop owners to small family diners catering to kids with dietary needs — started asking for clarity, I dug into the research, tested our own products, and had long conversations with the dietitians we partner with to refine our recipe. What I learned surprised me, and it’s changed how we talk about our original biscuits, both to retail partners and to the people who eventually eat them.
First, let’s set a baseline: when I say original biscuits, I’m talking about the kind made the way they’ve been made in the American South for over a century — no preservatives, no artificial flavors, no refined corn syrups, and no weird unpronounceable ingredients. Our recipe uses just six core ingredients: unbleached wheat flour, pasture-raised butter, whole milk, sea salt, a touch of baking powder, and a small amount of cane sugar (less than 2 grams per biscuit, for reference). That’s it. No additives, no “enriched flour” that’s had nutrients stripped and then added back in. That simple ingredient list is the first key to understanding their nutritional value.
Let’s start with wheat flour. Most people think white flour is nutritionally empty, but unbleached, whole-grain wheat flour — which is what we use for our original biscuits — is a source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and key B vitamins like thiamine, niacin, and folate. A single 50-gram original biscuit has about 2 grams of dietary fiber, which may not sound like much, but if you’re pairing that biscuit with a side of eggs or a bowl of chili, that fiber helps slow down the absorption of the other foods you’re eating, keeping you fuller longer and preventing blood sugar spikes. Compare that to a mass-produced biscuit made with refined white flour and added trans fats, which might have almost no fiber and leave you hungry an hour after eating.
Then there’s the butter. We use pasture-raised butter, not the cheap hydrogenated vegetable oils that are common in commercial biscuits. Pasture-raised butter is different from grain-fed butter because the cows are eating fresh grass for most of the year, which changes the fat profile. It’s a source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of fatty acid linked to reduced inflammation and improved body composition in research. It also has vitamin K2, which is important for bone health — something most people don’t get enough of in their diets. One biscuit has about 3 grams of saturated fat, but that’s natural saturated fat from animal products, not the artificial kind that’s been linked to heart disease. I know there’s a lot of confusion around saturated fat, but recent research from the American Heart Association has clarified that not all saturated fats are equal, and those from whole, minimally processed foods like pasture-raised butter aren’t the same as the trans fats found in processed snacks.
Whole milk is another core ingredient. We use whole milk from small dairy farms in Wisconsin, which means it’s not homogenized (we keep it that way for a richer flavor and better texture) and has all the natural fat, protein, and minerals intact. A biscuit has about 2 grams of complete protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids your body can’t make on its own. That’s a big deal, especially if you’re serving biscuits as part of a breakfast or lunch — the protein pairs with the fiber from the wheat flour to create a small, balanced meal. Whole milk is also a source of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, all nutrients that are hard to get in adequate amounts for many people. Even a small amount, like what’s in one biscuit, adds to your daily intake.
Now, I need to be honest here: original biscuits aren’t a superfood. They’re not going to cure anything, and you can’t live on them alone. A single one has about 150 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat, and 15 grams of carbohydrates. That’s not a huge amount of any one nutrient, but when you put it in context — as part of a meal, not as a standalone snack — it adds up. A lot of the criticism of biscuits comes from the commercial versions that are loaded with added sugars, preservatives, and refined ingredients. Those are the ones that have almost no redeeming nutritional value, just empty calories. Our original biscuits? They’re made with whole, recognizable ingredients, and that makes a difference.
I’ve seen this play out with our customers over the years. Last year, we started working with a diner in Atlanta that focuses on “farm-to-table” comfort food. They used to sell mass-produced frozen biscuits, but when they switched to ours, they noticed something right away: their customers were ordering fewer of them as a standalone snack, and more as part of a full meal with eggs, bacon, and veggies. The owner told me that people weren’t complaining about hunger an hour later, which was a common feedback before. That’s the nutritional value right there — it’s not about the biscuit itself being nutrient-dense, it’s about it being a better base for the other things you’re eating.
Another example: a coffee shop in Portland that does monthly “biscuit and jam” specials. They were getting pushback from customers who thought biscuits were “unhealthy,” so they started sharing our ingredient list and nutritional breakdown. Within three months, their biscuit sales were up 28%, because customers realized it was a better option than the croissants or sweet pastries they were used to. A croissant of the same size has 250 calories, 12 grams of saturated fat, and only 1 gram of fiber, compared to our biscuit’s 150 calories, 3 grams of saturated fat, and 2 grams of fiber. That’s a clear nutritional difference, even if both are considered “treat” items.
Of course, there are limits. Original biscuits are still a source of carbohydrates, so if you’re on a low-carb diet, they’re not going to work for you. We also don’t make any claims that our biscuits are “healthy” — we call them wholesome, comforting, and made with care. The key is that they don’t have the negative nutritional properties that come from heavily processed foods. That’s a distinction a lot of people miss when they think about biscuits.
What I’ve learned over the years is that nutrition isn’t just about counting calories or finding perfect foods. It’s about making better choices for the foods you already enjoy. If you love biscuits, why would you eat one made with refined flour and hydrogenated oils when you can eat one made with whole grains, pasture-raised butter, and real milk? That’s where the nutritional value comes in — it’s not that a biscuit is going to give you all the nutrients you need, but that it’s not a nutritional dead end, like so many of the products that line grocery store shelves.
As a supplier, that’s what I care about most. We’re not here to sell a “health food” — we’re here to sell a product that’s familiar, delicious, and better for you than the alternatives. We work with small bakeries and diners because they care about what goes into their food, just like we do. We don’t use any preservatives, so our biscuits are frozen fresh and shipped within 48 hours of baking, which means they’re as close to homemade as you can get without baking them from scratch every day.
If you’re a bakery, diner, or cafe owner looking for an original biscuit that’s made with quality ingredients, has a straightforward nutritional profile, and will appeal to customers who are asking for clarity about their food, we’d love to talk. We supply to businesses across the country, and we can work with you to adjust portion sizes or make small tweaks to the recipe to fit your menu needs. Whether you’re serving biscuits for breakfast, as a side with dinner, or as a part of a specialty sandwich, we can provide a product that’s consistent, delicious, and has the nutritional benefits that come from being made with real ingredients.
At the end of the day, original biscuits have come a long way from the days when they were just a heavy, unhealthy side. They can be a part of a balanced diet, as long as they’re made the right way — with whole ingredients, care, and no shortcuts. That’s the truth we’ve built our business on, and it’s what we’re excited to share with anyone who’s looking for a better biscuit for their customers.
Plain Cookies References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2024). FoodData Central: Wheat flour, whole-grain. Retrieved from USDA FoodData Central
- American Heart Association. (2020). Saturated fats and trans fats: What to know. Retrieved from American Heart Association
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2022). Whole grains and health: A review of the evidence. Retrieved from Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2021). Pasture-raised livestock and nutritional quality of animal products. Retrieved from FAO Publications
Guangdong Liangyu Food & Technology Co., Ltd.
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