Top 8 cereal bars: A fast fuel fix

Fuel your child for a high-energy day at school with the right foods.

For peak performance, it’s essential to have a selection of nutrients each day, or at least over a week. Plenty of water instead of sugary fizzy drinks is a good start, along with at least one small piece of fruit. Some protein in the form of eggs, meat, fish (sardines, tuna) will sustain them and keep energy from flagging and can be topped up with an occasional sweet treat.

We all know that sugary substances provide a short-term high, but dried fruit in cakes and biscuits have at least more natural sugars and some fibre, and when combined with eggs, butter and flour in home-made cakes have some nutritional value. The trick is to give these as treats and not part of the everyday plan. However, there is a lot to be said for introducing fruit as a treat instead of a sugary snack.

Today we have a selection of the best eight of the bars we tested for those days when we run out of our best intentions. We looked for the most natural of ingredients with the least sugar and the greatest amount of protein and fibre so they are satisfying and have a chance of providing sustenance for a few hours.

We found quite a lot of palm oil in them. This is being blamed for much of the deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia, so perhaps it’s time for people power to get going here and watch labels.

The Foods of Athenry Gourmet ‘The Works’ flapjacks, 175g, €4

Flapjacks make a good treat, and these 10 rectangular bites are made from organic oats and are certified gluten-free. At 24.8%, sugars are high, but come from plenty of sultanas, cranberries, honey, brown sugar and chocolate chips, so quite natural. The texture is chewy, fruity and satisfying. One 17.5g chunk is perfect as a treat, costing 50c, and has about 80 calories. Made in Galway, and in an attractive box, a lovely product, ideal for lunchbox treats.

Score: 8.5

Nature Valley crunchy, 210g €3.19

Ten bars of three different types — oats and honey, Canadian maple syrup and ginger nut crunch are wrapped in twos delivering 192 calories. One bar would be enough as a treat. Sugars are high at 28%, but protein at 8.1% and fibre at 5.6%- 5.8% are reasonable. Each flavour has a different balance of nutrients, but they are all quite sweet from high sugar, honey and molasses. However, I prefer to see these than over-sweet sugar replacements. Rolled oats are commendably wholegrain and at 57%-59% quite high. Nicely crunchy and satisfying. Made in Spain.

Score: 8

Supervalu cereal bars chocolate chip and nut, 156g €1.49

Six individually wrapped bars in a box have a chewy style from a decent quantity of oatflakes and some cornflakes. The dominant flavour is toasty peanut with glucose syrup the first ingredient on the list. There is also condensed milk, dextrose and sugar, so at 27% sugars are high. 8.4% protein, provided in part by the oatflakes and nuts, is quite good. Calorie count is 118 per bar and fibre at 4.1% is moderate. Palm oil is listed on the ingredients. Made in Britain. Fair value.

Score: 8

Miracle Munch, 65g €1.71

Made by Stable Diet Ltd, based in Co Wexford, the crumbly and slightly crisp mix is of 39% jumbo oatflakes, brown cane sugar, butter, raisins, banana, coconut, cashew nuts, almonds and sunflower seeds. 302 calories per bar is very high, but there is plenty of substance so a third of a bar would do as a treat. With a moderate 6.4% protein, sugars at 26.8% and fibre 5.2%, it’s a decent chew.

Score: 7.75

Chia Bia organic nutrient bar, 40g €1.61

This chocolate nut and seed bar has a base of milk chocolate. On top is a dense packing of oatflakes, roasted cashew nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and chia, a seed grown in South America. The balance of nuts and seeds with the chocolate is very good and the bar has a satisfying chew. High maltose syrup is an additive used as a sweetener and is combined with agave syrup, barley malt syrup and raw cane sugar to add to the sweetness. At 20% sugars are high, but offset by the seeds and nuts, the flavour is not too sweet. Made in Germany for Chia Bia.

Delicious coconut macaroon, 45g €1.69

Gluten, wheat and yeast-free, this is a handy one for those with intolerances.

Light and with the chewiness of coconut, it has some streaks of chocolate for extra interest. A half would be enough for one lunch treat as it’s large and pricey for one biscuit, but no sense of deprivation with cornflour used instead of wheat flour. Made in Cork.

Score: 7.5

Eat Natural fruit & nut bar 45g €1.17

A delicious ‘darker’ chocolate base has 70% cocoa solids, topped mainly with crisped rice mixed with brazil nuts, apricots, dried cranberries, sultanas, pumpkin seeds and shredded coconut. The fruit, nuts and seeds will help keep hunger at bay, but the crisped rice doesn’t add greatly to the nutritional value. With 6.8% protein and fibre at 5.2%, calories at 197 per bar are high. Sugars at 39.5% are very high, partly from the high dried fruit content, but also from honey and glucose syrup. Tasty, it’s also gluten-free. Made in Britain.

Score: 7.25

Kellogg’s Nutri-grain breakfast biscuits fruit and fibre, 264g €3.65

Six four-packs of biscuits in a box are crunchy and light. The flavour has a slightly odd sweetness and aroma, perhaps from the skimmed milk powder, and there was no discernible fruit, expect for dark, chewy flecks. There are lots of raising agents and added vitamins and minerals so, despite being wholegrain, the overall effect is of a processed product. Calories per 11g biscuit are 47, protein is 8%, and sugars at 18% are not particularly high. Fibre at 13% is decent. One per child would be enough. Made in Britain.

Score: 6.75