Yes, breakfast cookies CAN be good for you, as long as you choose the right ones. Our expert reveals which ones to try… and which ones to ditch

By Liam On Apr 2, 2024

If you’re pressed for time, should you start your day with a breakfast bar?

‘A breakfast bar will never provide a complete, balanced breakfast, but if it’s your only option, think of it as a cereal and choose a product with as many simple, unprocessed ingredients as possible,’ says dietitian Nigel Denby of harleystathome.com.

“Whole grains such as oats and whole wheat flour are a good choice for filling fiber,” he says. ‘And avoid anything with too much added sugar’ – as a guideline: anything with more than 22.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams is too high – ‘so that your blood sugar level does not rise, otherwise you will soon feel like eating another muesli bar. of it.

‘If you choose carefully and add fruit and a milky coffee, a glass of milk or a small yoghurt, you get a reasonably balanced meal.’

Here Nigel reviews a selection of breakfast bars, which we then review…

BELVITA BREAKFAST YOGURT CRUNCH BISCUITS

Five packs for £2.75, tesco.com

Per 100 g: Calories, 452; saturated fat, 5.1 g; protein, 7.3 g; fiber, 3.9 g; sugar, 27 g; salt, 0.57 g

Per serving of two cookies: calories, 228; saturated fat, 2.6 g; protein, 3.6 g; fiber, 2g; sugar, 13.6 g; salt, 0.28 g

CLAIM: ‘Five whole grains with live yogurt. Proven to slowly release carbohydrates over four hours. Source of fiber, calcium, magnesium and iron.’

EXPERT VERDICT: One of the original breakfast cookies, this one is made with 29.8 percent wheat flour and only 24.6 percent whole grains. Therefore, you only get 2 grams of fiber (6.6 percent of your daily minimum) in one serving.

It also only has 3.6 grams of protein (the value of half a large egg), so I doubt this will keep you feeling full all morning. The small amount (3 percent) of ‘live’ yogurt powder is unlikely to give the gut bacteria a boost that a pot of yogurt would.

And while there are minerals added (20 percent of your daily calcium needs, 18 percent magnesium and 16 percent iron), that’s not enough to change my preference for whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk and fresh fruit, which will be more. filling and contain less sugar.

There’s also 3 teaspoons of sugar in a serving, as well as ultra-processed ingredients like emulsifiers. A diet high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is linked to obesity. 3/10

TASTE: Digestive biscuits with a sweet filling. 8/10

M&S BREAKFAST BARS WITH PEANUT AND DARK CHOCOLATE

Four bars for £3, ocado.com

Per 100 g: Calories, 490; saturated fat, 3.6 g; egg white, 15.1 g; fiber, 7.2 g; sugar, 14.4 g; salt, 0.15 g

Per 38 g bar: Calories, 186; saturated fat, 1.4 g; protein, 5.7 g; fiber, 2.7 g; sugar, 5.5 g; salt, 0.06 g

CLAIM: ‘Rich in fibre. Source of proteins and vitamin D.’

EXPERT VERDICT: The first ingredient mentioned is chicory fiber, which is naturally sweet and is a good source of prebiotics that help feed our ‘good’ gut bacteria, but it can cause bloating and gas if you have a sensitive gut.

It contains 21 percent peanuts and a blend of 16 percent seeds – a good source of protein, fiber, healthy fats and antioxidants, such as vitamin E.

You get 5.7 grams of protein (a small egg’s worth) and 2.7 grams of fiber (almost a tenth of your daily minimum) in a bar, so it should be quite filling.

The many plant-based ingredients are good for the diversity of your intestinal microbiome. There’s just over a teaspoon of sweetness in it, so it’s not as sweet as some. 7/10

TASTE: Packed with nuts, seeds and tasty chocolate pieces. 8/10

NUTRI-GRAINS RAISIN BAKING

Six bakes for £2.50, tesco.com

Per 100 g: Calories, 377; saturated fat, 1.2 g; protein, 4.3 g; fiber, 2.5 g; sugar, 41 g; salt, 0.45 g

Per 45 g bake: calories, 170; saturated fat, 0.5 g; protein, 1.9 g; fiber, 1.1 g; sugar, 18 g; salt, 0.2 g

CLAIM: ‘Breakfast pastries to fuel your busy mornings. A source of B vitamins and iron.’

EXPERT VERDICT: These bakes may look healthy, but they are 40 percent sugar and ultra-processed. You get 18 grams – just over 4 teaspoons of sugar – in one baking, and very little fiber (3.6 percent of the daily minimum).

There is also hardly any protein (just under a third of a small egg). The B vitamins and iron do not make these healthy. 1/10

TASTE: Cheap carrot cake.6/10

GULLON BREAKFAST COOKIES WITHOUT ADDED SUGAR WHOLE GRAINS

Pack of three for £6.70, amazon.co.uk

Per 100 g: Calories, 410; saturated fat, 1.3 g; protein, 6.8 g; fiber, 9.8 g; sugar, 1.4 g; salt, 0.65 g

Per 36 g package: calories, 148; saturated fat, 0.4 g; egg white, 2.4 g; fiber, 3.5 g; sugar, 0.5 g; salt, 0.24 g

CLAIM: ‘No added sugar. Rich in fiber. Made with sunflower oil with a high oleic acid content.’

EXPERT VERDICT: There’s just an eighth of a teaspoon of sugar in a serving here, from natural ingredients, and the high-oleic sunflower oil can help lower cholesterol levels.

The whole wheat flour and oatmeal provide just over 11 percent of your daily fiber needs, which should help fill you up, although there is very little protein in them – less than half an egg.

However, these do contain maltitol, an artificial sweetener that can cause bloating and have a laxative effect – and mounting evidence suggests that sweeteners can upset your gut bacteria and ‘trick’ your brain into eating more. 6/10

TASTE: Malted milk flavor, but could taste the sweetener. 5/10

MYPROTEIN BERRY BREAKFAST LAYERED BAR

12 bars for £25.99, myprotein.com

Per 100 g: Calories, 423; saturated fat, 6.8 g; egg white, 26 g; fiber, 10 g; sugar, 5.6 g; salt, 0.34 g

Per 60g bar: Calories, 254; saturated fat, 4.1 g; egg white, 16 g; fiber, 6g; sugar, 3.4 g; salt, 0.20 g

CLAIM: ‘Full of fiber and no less than 16 grams of protein per portion. A powerhouse when it comes to supporting muscle growth.’

EXPERT VERDICT: Protein is vital for muscle and bone strength and helps keep us full – but the idea that it is nutritionally beneficial to eat large amounts of powders and concentrates, such as those found here, is flawed.

This bar may give you the same amount of protein as a small piece of chicken or salmon, but nature never intended for you to eat manufactured proteins with countless additives. 2/10

TASTE: Powdery aftertaste, but tastier than expected. 7/10

PROTEIN BALL CO BREAKFAST TO-GO COFFEE OAT MUFFIN

Ten bags for £18.99, theproteinballco.com

Per 100 g: Calories, 411; saturated fat, 2.7 g; egg white, 13 g; fiber, 7.8 g; sugar, 37 g; salt, 0.12 g

Per 45 g bag: calories, 185; saturated fat, 1.2 g; egg white, 6 g; fiber, 3.5 g; sugar, 17 g; salt, 0.05 g

CLAIM: ‘These healthy breakfast balls are a delicious way to boost your morning!’

EXPERT VERDICT: You get the equivalent of 4 teaspoons of sugar in a sachet – mainly from the dates, which are a good source of fiber and protective antioxidants.

Natural sugar is better for us than added sugar because it contains nutrients and has less impact on our blood sugar levels.

There are 6 grams of protein (around a small egg) which, with the 3.5 grams of fiber, will help fill you up.

But with only 2 percent oats and no fresh fruit, these border on being a sweet treat rather than a healthy breakfast. 5/10

TASTE: Strong coffee flavor; not too sweet. 7/10

QUAKER PORRIDGE TO GO GOLDEN SYRUP

Two bars for £1.60, asda.com

Per 100 g: Calories, 397; saturated fat, 1.1 g; protein, 6.4 g; fiber, 11 g; sugar, 12 g; salt, 0.51 g

Per 55 g bar: Calories, 218; saturated fat, 0.6 g; egg white, 3.5 g; fiber, 6.1 g; sugar, 6.6 g; salt, 0.28 g

CLAIM: ‘Source of fiber, including beta-glucan which has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol. Contains 35 percent less sugar than other cereal bars.’

EXPERT VERDICT: Oatmeal porridge is a great breakfast choice: filling and packed with fiber. You get 20 percent of your daily fiber needs; 15 percent of your recommended calcium intake; and half a small egg of egg white.

Consisting of 36 percent whole grain oatmeal, these bars are significantly less sweet than comparable products, but they contain ultra-processed ingredients and 1½ teaspoons of added sugar (golden syrup, sugar, and brown sugar).

A bowl of homemade porridge with milk, yoghurt, nuts and fresh fruit would be healthier. 7/10

TASTE: Like a dry flapjack. 4/10

NESTLE LION BREAKFAST CEREAL BAR

Six bars for £2.50, ocado.com

Per 100 g: Calories, 407; saturated fat, 6.6 g; protein, 8.4 g; fiber, 4.6 g; sugar, 27.5 g; salt, 0.58 g

Per 25 g bar: calories, 102; saturated fat, 1.7 g; protein, 2.1 g; fiber, 1.1 g; sugar, 6.9 g; salt, 0.15 g

CLAIM: ‘Enjoy Lion grains in a ready-to-use whole grain bar.’ Provides at least 20 percent of the daily recommended amount of six vitamins and minerals.

EXPERT VERDICT: A bowl of sugar-coated cereal with milk has more to offer nutritionally than this.

The added B vitamins and calcium are not enough to increase its health value. There’s little fiber or protein and it’s packed with ultra-processed ingredients. The 1¾ teaspoon of sugar consists almost entirely of added sugar.0/10

TASTE: Deliciously sweet. 2/10