I think I might've mentioned before that I've been patiently biding my time with this new cereal; eagerly waiting for it to come on offer. As always, I was lured in by the promise of 'high protein' but also was attracted to it because it's granola too. Granola is something I haven't bought I'm years, which is a bit strange really given how much I love oats -and of course flapjack. I tend to forget about the granola areas of the cereal aisle I think, normally making a bee line for the chocolate and/or sugar laden boxes instead. At £2.49-£2.79 per 400g box, I knew I could survive waiting a little while. Ok, well admittedly that and we had a bit of a glut of cereal in our house -I counted 16 boxes a couple of weeks ago and there's just two of us. Now we're down to *just* 9, and Shreddies Max is half price in Tesco I felt that I could buy a box (thanks for the heads up on instagram @productsinstore).
"Whole grain wheat & oat granola with malted cereal pieces & chopped cranberries."
I must first comment on the box design which -like many others- is resealable, but it tucks away neatly with no faffing required.
A super sweet, syrupy aroma greeted my nostrils as soon as the bag was open, and I took my first peak at the granola within. The first thing I picked up on was the tiny clusters! I was expecting whopping great hunks of oats, but instead only spotted little nuggets. The second thought was regarding the Shreddies, which were dotted about between the oats. This was in line with expectations, and I looked forward to the mixture of textures and flavours. I then started to wonder where the dried cranberries were hiding, beginning to doubt their presence entirely. I shook myself a bowl, and still didn't find any, so took the childlike approach and stuck my hand deep into the bag to see what I could retrieve. Luckily I found a couple of fruity bits hiding towards the bottom, so I'm hoping that they've all sunk in transit and the last few bowls will herald a plethora of ruby treasures. Please note that the inner young Amy was disappointed that I didn't find a magic spoon in the box (currently in some promotional Kellogg's cereals).
Given my addiction to sugar and oats, it's easy to understand why I enjoyed the flavour of the Shreddies Max Protein. A good soaking in milk turned the Shreddies soggy (just how I like them) whilst the clusters remained satisfyingly crunchy. The combination of malt and oat flavours worked in harmony, providing a slightly different taste with every spoonful.
I have to admit that a bug bear came from the high protein claim however, as 13g per 100g isn't the huge amount that its 'max' name alludes too. Shreddies Max Protein in fact contains far less protein than the 20g per 100g in Weetabix's chocolate protein crunch and 22g per 100g in the Mornflake chocolate porridge for example! Still, it's a tasty little granola and I'll continue to enjoy it.
7/10
Macros per 100g for those interested*: P13 C68 F7
*45g recommended serving size
I spied these new chocolatey cake bars on shelves a few weeks ago but something stopped me from buying them. It wasn't even the normal premium price that often coincides with a product launch that deterred me, after all they seem to have cropped up here, there and everywhere for around £1 a box. I think it was more to do with the fact that I couldn't get my head around the idea of a low-calorie, low-fat chocolate cake slice tasting less than disappointing. I love my chocolate (as I'm sure you're all more than aware by now!) and I can't be dealing with low-calorie fake versions of the stuff -especially when it comes to cake. Still, when I spotted a box reduced to 70p in Sainsbury's because of its slightly battered state, my natural inquisition won out -and I figured I'd palm them off on my less fussy fiance if they weren't to my tastes. Joking! Well, maybe. ;)
"Wheat bakes with chocolate chips."
Not the most appetising description in the world, and I must admit I was slightly disappointed when I shook one out of the box. They were tiny! Still, for 112kcal per bake, what else could I expect?
Things started to look up when I unwrapped the bar, and uncovered a treat that looked more brownie-esque than 'wheat bake'. A welcome dark colour and chocolatey aroma also made my heart leap slightly, perhaps they wouldn't be so bad after all!
Well, blow me down. The Coco Pops bar was moist and chewy with enough cocoa to give a true chocolatey kick. Kellogg's earned extra brownie points from the abundance of chocolate chips -which I wasn't even expecting in the first place.
My hat is off and tail is firmly between my legs. I shouldn't have doubted Kellogg's -after all I think their Nutri Grain Breakfast Bakes (previously Elevenses) are pretty damn good- but I actually think the Coco Pops Choco Bakes are even better.
These make for a wonderful mid-morning/afternoon pick me up or a joyous lunchbox treat (FYI they contain a respectable 6.6g of sugar too -less than a chocolate Barny at 8.8g). I'm already looking forward to my next one, which will no doubt be served up warm with a couple of generous scoops of raspberry ripple ice cream -scrummy.
9/10
I'm cerealously addicted to breakfast. Not satisfied with one meal consisting of breakfast items, I'll regularly start the day with a bowl of porridge, have oatcakes or crumpets at lunch, and then a bowl of cereal before bed. They say it's the most important meal of the day, so why not have it three times over? My addiction means that I have a keen eye for new cereals to greet the shelves, and this week I spotted two new 'Shreddies' type offerings in Tesco. The supermarket's own brand Raspberry Malt Wheats have been out for a number of years now, and must be more popular than the ASDA Banana Milkshake Malties which I reviewed almost exactly a year ago, but have since been discontinued. The two new Tesco flavours in my local branch were Choco-Nut and Golden Syrup, so you may be surprised that it wasn't the chocolatey one that took my fancy. Let me explain...
Golden Syrup Wheats (mini shredded wheats) are the holy grail of cereal in my house. Once stocked by Tesco, Sainsbury's and ALDI they are now only available in Sainsbury's. Despite being own brand, they're still £1.99 for a 500g box and never on offer. Plus the recommended serving size is ridiculous, so the box doesn't actually go very far. Their exclusivity, price point and sheer deliciousness means my partner and I are often left competing for the last bowl.
"Wholewheat malted cereal fortified with vitamins and iron with a golden syrup flavoured coating."
At £1.19 for a 500g box, the new Malt Wheats are a much cheaper swap, but could they taste as good as their branded Nestle counterparts, or indeed the worshipped Golden Syrup Wheats?
As soon as I ripped open the plastic wrapping, an enormous waft of syrup hailed my nostrils. There's something so comforting about that aroma, perhaps it's the thought of freshly baked flapjacks, but it's very welcome all the same. The Tesco Malt Wheats were a slightly darker shade than the Nestle version, and certainly much more tan than Frosted Shreddies. I wondered how they would fare once soaked in milk.
I can't even express how utterly impressed I was with them! They didn't turn to mush straight away, and packed a huge amount of flavour in every square. Even the milk tasted syrupy. I can imagine for those who aren't keen on sweet cereals that they'd be a bit too much, but if that's you then I'd wonder why you'd be buying Golden Syrup flavour in the first place. From a health perspective, yes they're higher in sugar than standard Shreddies, but still a lot lower than the frosted variant:
- Shreddies = 6.0g*
- Frosted Shreddies = 11.4g*
- Golden Syrup Malt Wheats = 7.8g*
*per 40g serving
Quite simply, these new Golden Syrup Malt Wheats have instantly become one of my new all time favourite cereals and are quite the treat come supper time (even if I do get the sugar sweats in my sleep -TMI? I'm sorry). I'm going to be sure to head to Tesco and stock up pronto before you guys all realise how great they are too and the price goes up!
10/10
Having enjoyed the new Kellogg's Chocolate & Nuts Muesli Bars, I returned to Morrisons in order to stock up whilst they are half price. I reached the cereal bar section, and pondered over whether to try their 'healthier' cousin -the apple, peanut & pumpkin muesli bars. I do like all of the components, they just hadn't caught my eye due to their lack of cocoa content. At £1.24 for the pack of four, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.
'Oats, wheat, barley, rye and triticale bar with dried apple, peanuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds'
Now I have to admit, that without the chocolate chips, these bars looked far less enticing. The most dominent scent came from the peanuts, although they weren't particularly obvious to the naked eye.
Texturally, these muesli bars were tough, gritty and slightly sticky. All of the flavours were very mild, and I found the bars utterly bland. It wasn't until I was half way through that it dawned on me just how close it would be to eating rabbit food. The smell of the pumpkin seeds had brought memories of feeding my pet as a child, and it was a realisation I couldn't shake.
I'm afraid that due the lack of chocolate (or any other flavours for that matter) the new Kellogg's Apple & Pumpkin Seeds Muesli Bars won't be a repeat purchase.
2/10
Given how much I adored the Trek Cocoa Chaos bar, I decided to pick up their Peanut Power bar this week. This Trek bar contains: 100% natural ingredients, no added sugar, 1 of your 5 a day, and they're wheat free, gluten free, dairy free and Vegan to boot. Wowzers! Does a snack get much healthier than that?
Anyway, following Erin's advice (from Guilt Free Veggie), I popped my bar in the microwave for 30 seconds so as to enjoy it warm with a cup of coffee.
Christ. Can a bar that tastes this good really be so saintly? The bar went soft and gooey, in a similar way to hot peanut buttery toast, which made it utterly comforting. The nutty flavour was striking, probably due to it containing real peanut butter (11%) and peanuts (8%). Dates account for 33% of the bar's ingredients, which makes me believe the great things I keep hearing about the combination of peanut butter and mejool dates.
Yum, yum, yum. Well done Trek... I'll been keeping an eager eye out for the Banana Blast bars...
10/10
So apparently, Kellogg's have created the 'Breakfast of Legends'. Unfortunately it's not a Full English, Eggs Benedict or Pain au Chocolat, but a instead range of cereals containing a mixture of healthy grains.
'Help get set up for the day ahead with our brand new range of wholesome Kellogg's mueslis, cereals and granolas. Made from a carefully prepared blend of nature's finest ancient grains such as barley and spelt with oats, chia and flaxseeds, one bowlful of delicious Kellogg's Ancient Legends gives you the nutrition you need to help you perform at your best* – just like the legendary champions of ancient times.'
ASDA are currently selling the entire range at the offer price of £2 per bag, and so I chose to try the cereal version. I wasn't sure what to expect -I'm certainly not one of the clean eating brigade- and my cereals are either normal chocolate-y, sugary or ultimately a mixture of both (although I am partial to a bowl of Fruit 'n' Fibre every now and then).
Pouring myself a bowl, it looked strikingly similar to Fruit 'n' Fibre. I could see plenty of apple slices, and what looked like puffed rice amongst the wheat flakes. The sultanas were very sparse, and I could see little nutty looking clusters dotted about too.
On to the tasting... It was very similar in flavour and texture to Fruit 'n' Fibre, but without the sweetness that usually comes from the sweetened banana chips and coconut flakes. The wheat flakes were just as bland and cardboard-like as one would expect, whilst the 'puffed rice' (actually the toasted spelt) offered an extra textural depth, but not much in the way of flavour. Again, the 'nutty clusters' (Chia Seeds) contributed some crunch, but were pretty bland. The apple and raisins were sweet, which was truly needed to help make the non-sugared cereal more palatable.
The cereal was OK: It tasted healthy, and would probably offer some variety for regular consumers of Fruit 'n'Fibre/Bran Flakes/Raisin Bran. I think I'll try it with (sweetened) yoghurt tomorrow to see if that makes it tastier.
6/10
Update:
This morning (Tuesday) I had the Ancient Legends cereal with blueberries and forest fruit yogurt, and the extra sweetness made it far more enjoyable.
8/10
