HOT CROSS BUNS TEST

Here, Sophie Medlin, of City Dietitians in London, assesses various ‘healthier’ hot cross buns — and we then rated them.

TESCO FREE FROM

4 x 70g buns, £2.20, tesco.com CLAIM: ‘Gluten, wheat and milk free.’ PER BUN: Calories 161; saturated fat 0.2g; sugar 12.2g; fibre 6.3g; protein 2.8g. VERDICT: A mix of gluten-free grains, fibrous psyllium husk and bamboo fibre, provides 21 per cent of your daily fibre. Butter and milk have been replaced with rapeseed oil and dried egg white. HEALTH RATING: 8/10 TASTE: Nice, sticky fruit and cinnamon, but very dry. 4/10

SERIOUSLY LOW CARB

4 x 55g buns, £3.99, seriouslylowcarb.com CLAIM: ‘A fraction of the carbs of a regular hot cross bun. High in protein and fibre.’ PER BUN: Calories, 113; saturated fat 1.2g; sugar 4.2g; fibre 4.6g; protein 10.7g VERDICT: Using a reduced-carb, protein-rich wheat flour, these buns have 80 per cent less carbs than regular buns. The low-calorie sweetener erythritol may cause bloating. HEALTH RATING: 6/10 TASTE: Over-spiced; minimal fruit. 2/10

SAINSBURY’S BE GOOD TO YOURSELF

6x 70g buns, £1.10 sainsburys.co.uk CLAIM: ‘Less than 3 per cent fat.’ PER BUN: Calories 186; saturated fat 0.7g; sugar 11.6g; fibre 1.9g; protein 5g VERDICT: These have a few more calories and fat than some buns, and there are several ultra-processed ingredients. HEALTH RATING: 2/10 TASTE: Juicy but stodgy and a bit dry. 3/10

WAITROSE WHOLEMEAL

4 buns, £1.65 waitrose.com CLAIM: ‘Made with wholemeal flour.’ PER BUN: Calories 187; Saturated fat 1.5g; sugar 12.4g; fibre 4g; protein 6.7g VERDICT: Not quite as much extra fibre as you might expect, just 13 per cent of your daily needs — and three teaspoons of sugar, most of it coming naturally from the fruit, but also some dextrose. HEALTH RATING: 6/10 TASTE: Top quality fruit. 7/10

MANDY FRANCIS