Yes, breakfast biscuits CAN be good for you - if you pick the right one. Our ... trends now
When pushed for time, should you start your day with a breakfast bar?
‘A breakfast bar is never going to provide a complete, well-balanced breakfast — but if it’s your only option, think of it as you would a breakfast cereal, and choose a product with as many simple, unprocessed ingredients as possible,’ says dietitian Nigel Denby of harleystathome.com.
‘Wholegrains such as oats and wholewheat flour are a good choice for filling fibre,’ he says. ‘And avoid anything with too much added sugar’ — as a guide, anything with more than 22.5g sugar per 100g is too high — ‘so your blood sugar doesn’t spike, or you’ll end up craving another cereal bar soon after eating it.
‘If you choose carefully and add fruit and a milky coffee, glass of milk or a small yoghurt, you should have a fairly balanced meal.’
Here, Nigel assesses a selection of breakfast bars, which we then rated…
BELVITA BREAKFAST YOGURT CRUNCH BISCUITS
CLAIM: ‘Five wholegrains with live yoghurt. Proven to slowly release carbohydrates over four hours. Source of fibre, calcium, magnesium and iron.’
EXPERT VERDICT: One of the original breakfast biscuits, these are made with 29.8 per cent wheat flour and just 24.6 per cent wholegrains, which is why you’ll only get 2g fibre (6.6 per cent of your daily minimum) in a serving.
There’s also just 3.6g protein (half a large egg’s worth), so I doubt these will keep you feeling full all morning. The tiny amount (3 per cent) of ‘live’ yoghurt powder is unlikely to provide the boost to your gut bacteria that a pot of yoghurt would.
And while there are added minerals (20 per cent of your daily calcium needs, 18 per cent magnesium and 16 per cent iron), it’s not enough to sway my preference for wholegrain cereal with low-fat milk and fresh fruit, which will be more filling and contain less sugar.
There is also 3tsp sugar in a serving, as well as ultra-processed ingredients such as emulsifiers. A diet high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is linked to obesity. 3/10
TASTE: Digestive-style biscuits with a sweet filling. 8/10
M&S PEANUT AND DARK CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST BARS
CLAIM: ‘High in fibre. Source of protein and vitamin D.’
EXPERT VERDICT: The first ingredient listed is chicory fibre, which is naturally sweet and a good source of prebiotics which help feed our ‘good’ gut bacteria but it can cause bloating and gas if you have a sensitive gut.
It contains 21 per cent peanuts and a 16 per cent mix of seeds — a good source of protein, fibre, healthy fats and antioxidants, such as vitamin E.
You’ll get 5.7g protein — a small egg’s worth — and 2.7g fibre (nearly a tenth of your daily minimum) in a bar, so it should be quite filling.
The many plant ingredients will be good for the diversity of your gut microbiome. There’s just over a teaspoon of sweetness, so it’s not as sweet as some. 7/10
TASTE: Packed with nuts, seeds and nice chocolate chips. 8/10
NUTRI-GRAIN RAISIN BAKES
CLAIM: ‘Breakfast bakes to help fuel your busy mornings. A source of B vitamins and iron.’
EXPERT VERDICT: These bakes may look wholesome but they are 40 per cent sugar, and ultra-processed. You’ll get 18g — just over 4tsp of sugar — in one bake, and very little fibre (3.6 per cent of the daily minimum).
There’s also hardly any protein (just under a third of a small egg). The B vitamins and iron don’t make these healthy. 1/10
TASTE: Cheap
