I was introduced to these cereal bars a few months ago during the start of my new weight loss programme. I use these cereal bars, alongside fruit, as a snack in between meals. They are only 70 calories per bar so they fit perfectly into my healthy eating regime and so far have been a very successful addition to my diet.

At £1.79 per box of 5 in my local supermarket, they are not what I would consider cheap, especially in the current climate. This also seems expensive when you consider that I consume up to 10-15 bars a week! However, if you shop around, some of the supermarkets do '2 for £3' deals, so you can grab several boxes and make a saving. I actually find them quite good value in a strange way because, by eating these cereal bars, I tend to avoid impulse purchases such as chocolate, crisps etc. - such confectionery snacks probably work out more expensive in the long run!

If you are using these as an adjunct to a weight loss programme, one piece of advice - make sure you purchase the LIGHT version as the normal Alpen cereal bars have twice the calorie content. Beware when making your selection off the shelf as both products tend to be in close proximity!

The bar itself is quite substantial considering it only contains 70 calories. The chocolate and orange coating is also tasty and on the whole, it makes an excellent snack at break time in work or in the evening after dinner if the hunger still pangs! It is also versatile and can be eaten at breakfast with some low-fat yoghurt as an alternative to cereal. It my book it gets bonus points for versatility.

Overall, if you are weight conscious then these can be a welcome addition to your diet as they are low-calorie, tasty, versatile and substantial. However, two drawbacks are the price (still quite expensive when on offer - probably would depend on your outlook and budget). They also can get quite same-y after a while but there are plenty of different flavours (also available in summer fruits, chocolate and fudge, double chocolate and apple & sultana) so this can be avoided by changing up the flavours!

Recommend.