Written by Catherine Saxelby
on Wednesday, 25 January 2017.
Tagged: breakfast, convenience, health, healthy eating, nutrition, review
Who hasn’t heard that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’? But who has time to cook eggs each morning? We have taste-tested and analysed the latest convenience offerings on the market, breakfast biscuits. Here we give our verdict on whether they are a healthy alternative for an on-the-go breakfast if you are rushing out the door.
We taste-tested Kellogg’s new breakfast biscuits which come in four variants – Cranberries and almond, Orange peel and chia seeds, Date and apple (gluten-free) and Apricot, Fig and Raisin (gluten-free). Originally I was sent these as samples but later purchased more to complete the tasting.
Like all biscuits, these are mixtures of some sort of flour with oil and sugars and fruits. They are still a biscuit, albeit a healthier one.
Here’s the list of ingredients from the Cranberries and Almonds biscuit:
Whole grains 48% (whole wheat flour, rolled oats), wheat flour, vegetable oil (sunola), invert sugar, sweetened cranberries 4%, sugar, roasted almond 2.5%, honey 2.5%, humectant (glycerol), natural flavour, oat fibre, raising agents (ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate), salt. |
Nutrient |
Apricot, Fig and Raisin (Gluten Free) |
Crandberries and Almonds | Orange Peel and Chia Seeds |
Date and Apple (Gluten Free) |
Energy | 1830kJ/437Cal | 1860kj/444Cal | 1820kJ/435Cal | 1820kJ/435Cal |
Fat, total | 13.6g | 16.9g | 15.8g | 13.1g |
Sugars | 21.1g | 17.2g | 16.9g | 22.3g |
Fibre | 4.7g | 6.9g | 7.6g | 5.0g |
Note: Protein and sodium contents were low so were not reported here. Serve size = 2 biscuits 40 g.
It is interesting to note that the gluten free options are less healthy, for while they have slightly less fat than the normal ones, they have more sugars and less fibre than the other options.
Although convenient, in an era where quick and easy is the way to go, there are other quick options that are more nutritious and flavoursome. These have too much fat than is desirable, along with the less than satisfactory taste and texture. Plus they are not very filling, making them not the best breakfast replacements currently on the market. They’re fine for the occasional morning whilst running late to work, but we can’t recommend them as a staple in your pantry, desk drawer or handbag.
Thank you to student dietitian Caitlin Delaney for her help with taste-testing and writing.
Save
Save
Save
© 2024 Foodwatch Australia. All rights reserved
Author photo by Kate Williams
Website by Joomstore eCommerce