Cereal Without The Washing Up (Cereal Bars in General)

Member Name: cazkins

Product:	Cereal Bars in General
Date:	26/01/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Convenient, some nutritional benefits for some bars, healthier snack alternative

Disadvantages: Pricey for what they actually are, hard to find ones that actually taste nice

There's been much debate as to the nutritional value of cereals, including cereal bars, with 'experts' telling us there's too much sugar and not enough of this or that. The fact is, half the cereal bars out there taste like cardboard and are too expensive anyway!

I've only found one or two cereal bars that I would recommend, including Tesco's Special Choc chip cereal bar which I've already reviewed on here. I'm not sure if you would still classify some bars as 'cereal bars' if they don't actually contain cereal, but they have a similar concept. Things like Chewee bars and Nature Valley are often promoted as snacks or a quick breakfast. Cereal bars seem to have gained popularity of late, because I don't remember them being around a few years ago. Perhaps it's due to our love of grazing and wanting to have a 'healthier' or 'lighter' snack on hand, or perhaps our busy lifestyles because we don't have time to pour a bowl of cereal and milk in the morning, let alone wash the bowl afterwards...

You can find several cereal favourites now in bar variety across supermarkets, and many of these are from Kelloggs, including Frosties & Rice Crispies. The signature cereal brands have branched off and produced other varieties that add a little variation, like Special K with fruit.

Other producers have already jumped on the bandwagon, such as Cadburys with their Brunch Bar and Green & Blacks (with nuts & seeds), suggesting cereal bars to be more of a treat with chocolate in rather than a balanced breakfast alternative.

Probably the most recognisable cereal bars are the special K types which are advertised on the TV as the new way forward if you want to lose weight and keep a good figure. To be honest, I think this is a marketing ploy to get you to spend more money on something that's not much lower in fat/cals than regular cereal or other breakfast alternatives. Other producers, like McVities, offer similar claims with their Go Ahead range.

Cereal bars can have their nutritional benefits if you opt for ones with fruit or nuts, or that say they're fortified with iron/vitamins etc. But we seem to pay a steep price for prepackaged flakes of cereal glued together. They're often sold in boxes of 5/6, and vary in price from £1.50-£2.50. You're therefore only getting 6 small servings, compared to a big box of cereal which will give you around 30. To balance the price difference, supermarkets offer their own brand cereal bars at slightly better value for money. In my opinion, there's not much difference between brand & non-brand bars; the Tesco Choc Chip bar I reviewed actually tasted a lot better than Special K and was cheaper too.

Tastes can vary a lot between these bars, and like I said it doesn't necessarily depend on the price or the brand. It also depends on your personal preference and what you're in the mood for. For example, I'm not a fan of fruits in cereal bars or the yoghurt covering on some of them. I've found a lot of them to be rather dry and some have tasted quite stale to me. I'd much prefer a fresh bowl of cereal and some cold milk. On the other hand, I can see the appeal of having a cereal bar as a healthier alternative of other pre-wrapped snacks as either breakfast-on-the-go or as a snack to take out with you. They're quick & easy, but at the price and considering the bland and boring taste of some that I've tried I wouldn't recommend most of them.

Overall, if you can find one a brand that appeals to you taste-wise then they're a convenient & alternative snack to chocolate or crisps, whilst perhaps having added nutritional benefits. I wouldn't recommend them as a daily breakfast alternative though as the costs will quickly add up.

Summary: If you can find a tasty cereal bar they make a convenient & healthier snack alternative