Mornflake Toasted Oatbran, High Fibre, Low Sugar

Mornflake Toasted Oatbran is a rarity among breakfast cereals. It’s healthy, low in sugar and high in fibre. As described on the box it says: 'Crunchy, ready-to-eat & packed with nutritional goodness.'

It seems to have it all. But what about the taste? Can a low sugar breakfast cereal really tempt the taste buds of the discerning shopper?



Of course, whether or not you like a breakfast cereal depends on your taste preferences. I have a sweet tooth, and inevitably end up sweetening most unsweetened foods (with a low calorie sweetener or course). Such is the case with Mornflakes Toasted Oatbran.

I’m always looking out for high fibre food, and when it comes to breakfast cereals, I usually choose good old Kellogg’s All Bran which is super high in fibre but does have a fair amount of sugar too. However, rather than eat it as a cereal on its own, I usually just sprinkle it on top of yogurts for added fibre. So I thought I might do the same with Mornflake’s Toasted Oatbran.

From the outside of the box you’re not given any idea as to what it actually looks like. So opening it up was a surprise. As shown in the photo, they’re a pale brown colour and look like tiny, curled up All Bran sticks. I can’t detect any noticeable smell inside the pack.

Munching on a few straight from the box is an unusual experience. The texture is grainy and the taste is, well, quite tasteless. The lack of sweetness is a problem for me. I really wanted to like this toasted oatbran, but I simply prefer a sweeter cereal.

My kids refused point blank to have anything to do with them. However, I am having better success mixing them with other cereals to boost the fibre content as well as blending them into smoothies where they can’t be detected at all!

Here’s a message on the pack that’s especially useful if you’re trying to lower your cholesterol.

‘A high fibre cereal that can help actively reduce cholesterol*. *Oat beta-glucan has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. One 30g serving of Mornflake Toasted Oatbran provides 1.7g of oat beta-glucan from oatbran, which his 57% of 3g, the suggested daily intake.’

You can find 375g boxes of Mornflake Toasted Oatbran in health food shops and some larger supermarkets.

Suitable for vegetarians. Contains gluten and oats. Not suitable for nut and milk allergy sufferers due to the methods used in the manufacture of the product.

Nutrition information per 100g: 368 calories, 15.8g protein, 43.4g carbohydrates, 1.5g sugars, 10.3g fat, 1.6g saturates, 18.2g fibre, trace salt.

Per 30g serving with 100ml semi skimmed milk: 160 calories, 8.3g protein, 17.8g carbohydrates, 5.1g sugars, 4.9g fat, 1.6g saturates, 5.5g fibre, trace salt.