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...
- Sugar, Glucose Solids, Barley and Malt Extract (13%), Milk Solids, Cocoa Powder (9%), Acidity Regulator (341), Vegetable Fat.
- Given that the first three ingredients are all types of added sugar, I’m expecting this product to be high in sugar!
- Allergens: Gluten, Milk
- Ovalteenies have no added salt, meaning they have a low sodium content (96mg per 100g). This is different to other sweet biscuits that have salt added to help balance and enhance the sweet taste, such as Tiny Teddy’s (317mg sodium per 100g) and Tim Tams (166mg sodium per 100g).
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
The composition of food products changes regularly. The nutritional values of the products in this Chewsday Review were correct at the time of publishing.
