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A “sustained energy” breakfast includes these delicious BelVita biscuits. All photography courtesy Kraft Foods. |
| WHAT IT IS: Breakfast biscuits that replace cereal, bread or other carb. |
| WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: Nutritionally designed to provide sustained energy throughout the morning. |
WHY WE LOVE IT: Delicious, convenient, good for you, moderate calories and a variety of terrific flavors. |
| WHERE TO BUY IT: At supermarkets nationwide, Walgreens, Walmart and many other retailers. Also on Amazon.com. |
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Blueberry BelVita biscuits with yogurt and fresh fruit.
Add a cup of coffee or tea.
Too busy? Just have the biscuits with your beverage
of choice.
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BelVita Breakfast Biscuits:
A Keeper
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We review hundreds of new foods, but few of them earn a permanent place in our kitchen. It’s not that we don’t like them; we’re just too busy eating other things.
September is Better Breakfast Month, and BelVita breakfast biscuits have become part of our better grab-and-go breakfast or mid-morning snack. Think of them as crunchy, nutritious, delicious cookies that provide released energy and are actually good for you. How could they not be a keeper? Adieu, garlic bagel with olive cream cheese. Adieu, cheese danish.
According to a survey conducted by Nabisco, 63% of Americans admit that they are energy deficient in the mornings; 48% say that it is difficult to find a breakfast food that is both nutritious and delicious.
Until now. Just grab a packet of BelVita Breakfast Biscuits: lightly sweet, whole grain, crunchy biscuits in Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Chocolate, Cinnamon Brown Sugar and Golden Oat. All of the flavors are equally yummy. The line is certified kosher (dairy) by OU.
Why Breakfast Biscuits
The concept of breakfast biscuits is popular in Europe and a welcome addition to conventional American breakfast options. “Breakfast biscuits” may not sound sexy, but trust us: These biscuits deliver nutrition and flavor far superior to what we’d been eating, for fewer calories (more about that in a moment).
Nabisco, part of Kraft Foods, worked with nutritionists to create a cereal and breakfast bread substitute that provides nutrition plus sustained energy, while meeting the desire for deliciousness. The goal: to help fuel the body throughout the morning, easily and with moderate calories.
The sustained energy release results from both the ingredients and a special baking process that helps preserve the integrity of the grain, so that the carbohydrates are slowly released.
An ample four-biscuit portion has:
- Fewer calories. A grab-and-go packet of four biscuits has 230 calories. A cranberry orange scone from Starbucks has 490 calories. A typical whole wheat bagel (6 ounces) has almost 600 calories.* That’s without cream cheese, jam or other fat- or sugar-laden spread.
- More fiber. Each packet of biscuits delivers 18g to 20g of whole grains, depending on the flavor. A 6-ounce whole wheat bagel comes close (18g). But breakfast pastries, croissants, muffins, toast and the like are made from refined white flour. BelVita wins hands down.
- More energy. The biscuits are a good source of B vitamins, which help to convert food to energy. One serving provides 10% daily value of iron, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin and vitamin B6.
- Nothing bad. There’s no high fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils, no artificial flavors or sweeteners
*Every two ounces of bagel has about 190 calories and 6 g fiber.
With Coffee, Fruit And/Or Yogurt
Nabisco’s nutritionist spokesperson and author of The Sonoma Diet, Connie Guttersen, recommends BelVita biscuits as a balanced breakfast, along with a piece of fruit and a serving of fat-free or low-fat dairy—for example:
- A banana with yogurt and a nonfat latte
- Fresh berries or other fruit with
nonfat Greek yogurt
But even if you don’t have time to add the fruit and dairy components, BelVita biscuits beat the other flour-based options hands-down.
More Ways To Enjoy BelVita Biscuits
BelVita biscuits are also delicious with cheese: We’ve been serving them with Brie and goat cheese. The Chocolate flavor with a soft, creamy cheese is fun.
All of the flavors have a touch of sweetness and a rustic texture that work well with cheese. BelVita evokes Carr’s Whole Wheat Crackers, called Wheatmeal Biscuits in the U.K., which are a longtime favorite with cheese.
More ways to enjoy BelVita:
- Spread them with peanut butter for an even more nutritious snack.
- Break pieces into yogurt for a “cookies and cream” effect.
- Use them for a two-biscuit or open-face ice cream/frozen yogurt sandwich.
- Serve them as a comfort food snack with hot chocolate.
The great taste and crunch, a bundle of nutritious benefits and the convenience of grab-and-go portioned packets make these biscuits a winner for us.
Hopefully, BelVita will become a “keeper” for you, too. Keep them in your bag, briefcase, car, desk and/or locker.
— Karen Hochman
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