Weet-Bix Bites Coco Crunch | Chewsday Review

This week’s Chewsday Review features Weet-Bix Bites Coco Crunch. There’s no doubt that kids love anything with a choc-chip or two, so let’s see how this classic cereal variation fares when it comes to the crunch.

Ingredients

Wholegrain wheat (74%), sugar, compound chocolate pieces (11%) [sugar, vegetable fat, cocoa solids, emulsifier (lecithin) (soy), flavour, milk solids], flavours, cocoa powder (0.5%), salt, natural sweetener (steviol glycosides), vitamins (niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folate), mineral (iron).
Almost three quarters of Weet-Bix Bites are made from whole wheat, so it definitely lives up to its name!
Sugar is the second ingredient in this cereal, as well as being an ingredient in the choc chips, so I’m expecting the overall sugar content to be reasonably high. It also contains steviol glycosides or Stevia, which is a type of sweetener.
Added vitamins and minerals, including Niacin, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate and Iron.
Allergens: milk, gluten, soy, wheat.
May contain: lupin.

Positives

With 9.2g of dietary fibre per 100g these Weet-Bix Bites are a solid fibre choice. This is 1.5 times the recommended dietary fibre target per serve, higher in fibre than Uncle Tobys Fruit Bites (7.7g per 100g) and similar to regular Weet-Bix (10.1g per 100g).
One serve of Weet-Bix Coco Crunch Bites provides 3mg of iron, which is the same as two Weet-Bix and more than a quarter of daily iron requirements for toddlers and a third of the requirements for school-aged children. Iron fortified products are great for children who are still learning to like a range of high iron foods like meat and legumes.
At 83mg per 100g, sodium (salt) content is well within guidelines and lower than lots of other breakfast cereals.
Added B Vitamins (niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and folate) help to support energy levels and metabolism.

Negatives

Sugar is above recommendations at 19.9 g per 100 g due to the added sugar and chocolate. This is higher than regular Weet-Bix (3.0 g per 100g), Low Sugar Cheerios (4.1 g per 100g) and original Cheerios (14.6 g per 100g), but a lower sugar content than Coco Pops (32.3 g per 100g) and Froot Loops (38.8 g per 100g).
This is the only Weet-Bix Bites flavour that contains a sweetener in addition to sugar. The evidence suggests that sweeteners in our food supply are safe, although we don’t have a lot of evidence for their use in children. There isn’t an obviously ‘better’ choice between sugar or sweeteners, and opting for products containing sweeteners is not my standard recommendation. The choice comes down to individual preference, so choose what feels right for your family.
At $12 per kg, Weet-Bix Bites are slightly pricier than Weet-Bix ($9.30 per kg) or oats ($1.50-$4.50 per kg), but half the price of Fruit Loops ($24.60 per kg) and Nutri Grain ($24.10 per kg).

Marketing

‘High in Fibre’. This checks out, based on fibre requirements of an adult male being 30g per day. For a young child, one serve provides 32% of their daily fibre requirements.
‘Very high in wholegrains’ and ‘Vitamins B1, B2, B3 + Iron’. Mostly true – wholegrains are an excellent source of nutrients and beneficial for overall health, but these claims are not unique to this cereal. You can also get wholegrains, B vitamins, and iron from foods like wholegrain bread, quinoa, or fortified breakfast options
‘Source of Protein’. One serve provides 5 g of protein, or 35% of the recommended daily intake for a young child. Whilst protein is present, cereals are not typically a significant protein source compared to eggs, yogurt, or nuts. On average, Australian kids are getting 4 times their protein requirements, so you don’t need to prioritise choosing cereals based on its protein content, especially being served with milk also high in protein.
‘4 Star Health-Star Rating’ shows that this product rates well compared to other breakfast cereals.

Alternatives

I don’t love these as a regular brekkie cereal, mostly because of the higher added sugar levels. My go-to’s are still Weet-Bix or oats, but these could be crushed slightly and used as breakfast sprinkles to add excitement, or added to a trail mix.
Looking for more on choosing breakfast cereal? My Baby, Toddler and Family Mealtimes memberships include a comprehensive product selection guide for breakfast cereals, as well as over 15 other categories.

The composition of food products changes regularly. The nutritional values of the products in this Chewsday Review were correct at the time of publishing.