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Ovaltine Ovalteenies | Chewsday Review

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Who remembers the teenie weenie, malty choc circles, Ovalteenies? They were once a big lunchbox staple in the school yard, let’s see if they’re still a fan favourite...

Ingredients

Positives

Negatives

As I suspected, these biscuits are super high in sugar. They contain over 3.5 times the recommended amount of sugar, with 56.6g per 100g, or over 2 teaspoons of sugar per snack pack (8.5g per serve). This is much higher than other chocolate flavoured products like Coco Pops (32.3g sugar per 100g), Milo Cereal (26.9g sugar per 100g) or Bluey Cocoa and Oat Biscuits (16.7g sugar per 100g).
No surprises here, these Ovalteenies are very low in fibre (0.18g per serving) like many other sweet biscuits. If you’re looking for a chocolatey snack with more fibre, Carman’s Brownie Aussie Oat Bars (4.4g fibre per bar) or Aldi Chewy Choc Chip Muesli Bars (4.0g fibre per bar) are good options.
Although total fat sits within healthy guidelines, saturated fat (3g per 100g) sits right on our target due to the milk solids. These biscuits do have a lower saturated fat content than other mini biscuits, such as Mini Oreos (10.1g per 100g) and Bluey Cocoa and Oat (4.9g per 100g).

Marketing

Fun little characters are always a hit with kids. The marketing team sure know how to get their attention.
“Great taste – Make every lunchbox fun” – The colourful packaging and fun characters can make a lunchbox look bright and interesting. But remember there are other ways of making lunchboxes fun. I’d much prefer writing little post-it notes or drawing on sandwiches with edible markers.
“No artificial colours or preservatives” – yes, although a pretty generic statement.

Alternatives

Overall, these nostalgic snacks are high in added sugar and low in fibre, which is similar to most sweet biscuits.
If you’re after a sweet snack with less sugar and more fibre, Carman’s muesli bars or nut bars are a great alternative.
If Ovalteenies are a family favourite, remember that there is room for all foods following the Mealtimes approach. If you’d like more support with finding the balance, why not sign up for the Family Mealtimes Mini Series (next round starts this month!) or membership. Learn more here.