Is Belvita Biscuit a Healthy Choice? A Complete Nutritional Guide

Most of us live busy lives. We don’t always have time to cook meals at home and often turn to pre-packaged foods to give ourselves the vitamins, minerals, and hours of nutritious steady energy we desire from our foods.

Belvita biscuits can be lumped into the category of foods that are sold under the guise of being full of vitamins, minerals, and whole grains. But are Belvita breakfast biscuits healthy and a suitable meal replacement for those times that we’re too busy to cook? Keep reading to learn more.

Belvita Biscuit Flavors and Ingredients

In this next section, we will overview the ingredient list of each flavor of Belvita breakfast biscuits. 

Before purchasing processed foods, it’s important to look at the ingredient list. Although foods may be labeled with the words “whole grains” and “healthy,” the ingredients often tell a different story. Understanding what is really in your food will give you the opportunity to make healthier choices.

Belvita flavor	Ingredients
Honey & Nut	– Cereals 61% – Sugar – Rapeseed oil – Chocolate chips 3% – Dextrose – Cocoa Butter – Emulsifiers – Hazelnut pieces 2.5 % – Raising agents – Salt – Flavorings – Calcium – Magnesium – Iron
Milk & Cereals	– Cereals 68.9% – Sugar – Rapeseed oil – Bulking agent – Raising agents – Whole milk powder 0.9% – Skimed milk powder – Emulsifiers – Flavorings – Minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron)
Soft Bakes Chocolate Chip	– Cereals 43.9% – Chocolate drops 11% – Rapeseed oil – Sugar – Inulin – Isomaltulose – Modified starch – Bulking agent – Emulsifiers – Glucose syrup – Minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron) – Dextrose
Soft Bakes Filled Strawberry	– Cereals 40% – Sugar – Rapeseed oil – Humectant – Modified starch – Fructose-glucose corn syrup – Bulking agents – Wheat starch – Strawberry puree concentrate – Vitamin B6 – Folic acid – Magnesium – Iron
Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Baked Bar	– Cereals 32.7% – Sugar – Chocolate chips 9.8% – Hazelnut pieces 6.9% – Vegetable oils – Dried sweetened cranberries 6% – Emulsifier – Humectant (glycerol) – Inulin – Isomaltulose – Raising agent – Minerals (magnesium)
Strawberry and Yogurt	– Cereals 55.2% – Sugar – Vegetable oils – Glucose-fructose syrup – Strawberry puree – Humectant – Wheat starch – Glucose syrup – Emulsifiers – Vitamin E – Thiamin – Calcium – Magnesium – Iron
Yogurt Crunch	– Cereals 54.4% – Sugar – Vegetable oils – Wheat starch – Skimmed milk yogurt powder – Raising agents – Flavorings – Vitamin E – Thiamin – Calcium – Magnesium – Iron

Belvita Biscuit Nutritional Values per 100 gr

Belvita biscuits are definitely a delicious snack, but are they also healthy? This next section will give you a better understanding of how Belvita fits into a well-balanced diet.

Belvita flavor	Calories	Fats (g)	Sugar (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Fiber (g)	Sodium (mg)
Honey & Nut	446	15	26	67	7.5	0	0	359
Milk & Cereals	435	14	20	66	7.8	0	0	394
Soft Bakes Chocolate Chip	409	15	21	62	5.5	0	4	120
Soft Bakes Filled Strawberry	376	11	19	64	4.6	0	4.6	310
Chocolate Hazelnut	454	16	28	68	7.3	0	0	207
Strawberry and Yogurt	445	14	26	70	6.9	0	0	224
Yogurt Crunch	445	16	27	69	7.4	0	4	204

Health Benefits of Belvita Breakfast Biscuits

Wondering if Belvita biscuits can be a part of a healthy breakfast? In this next section, we’ll go over some of the ingredients and additives that are designed to enhance the health benefits of Belvita products.

#1 Full of whole grains

Belvita bars are made out of an assortment of whole grains, including whole-wheat flour and oat flakes. Whole-grain foods provide a variety of health benefits [1], such as lowering cholesterol, limiting weight gain, and preventing cardiovascular disease.

#2 Added vitamins

Whole-wheat flour, a staple in all Belvita biscuits, is naturally high in vitamins B1, B3, and B5, riboflavin, and folate. On top of that, all Belvita products have a blend of additional vitamins and minerals added to enhance the health benefits of eating Belvita.

#3 Balanced macronutrients

Belvita biscuits contain a combination of carbohydrates, fats, and a little protein. In addition, their balanced macronutrient profile can help you feel full and stay energetic until your next meal. Biscuits are typically low in saturated fat as well.

3 Downsides of Belvita

Despite having some health benefits, eating Belvita breakfast biscuits also has some undeniable downsides, which we will go over in greater detail in the following section. 

#1 High in sugar

Each flavor of Belvita breakfast biscuits contains varying levels of sugar, with chocolate and hazelnut being on the high end (28g) and milk and cereal biscuits containing less (20g).

Regardless of which biscuit you choose, it’s important to be aware that a single pack containing two cookies contains nearly half the daily sugar recommendation [2]. For this reason, it’s best to limit yourself to one pack of cookies in combination with a well-balanced diet.

#2 Contains palm oil

In addition to containing partially hydrogenated oils, like highly refined canola oil, Belvita breakfast biscuits also contain palm oil. Palm oil is a huge contributor to deforestation, as many tropical forests are being turned into plantations for palm.

This change has led to a big loss of wildlife habitat, making it more difficult for various plants and animals to survive.

#3 Added emulsifiers 

Emulsifiers are food additives that help food containing high amounts of water and oil stick together more easily. Although most emulsifiers are FDA-approved, some emulsifiers are healthier than others. 

You should aim to limit the number of foods you consume with emulsifiers. Consuming too much of any artificial emulsifier is shown to irritate the gut and cause decreased nutrient absorption [4]. 

Emulsifiers can also harm the microbiome of your gut, contributing to digestive issues like IBS and constipation.

FAQs

Conclusion

Belvita breakfast biscuits are a product that has some health benefits but also some obvious downsides. Though they are full of whole grains and added vitamins and minerals, they are also high in calories, full of sugar, and made with artificial ingredients.

Compared to fast food products and other similar breakfast cookies, Belvita biscuits can be a healthier option. But even eating cinnamon brown sugar toast can provide many of the same health benefits as a Belvita bar.

Because of this, Belvita biscuits shouldn’t be eaten regularly. If you do decide to enjoy them as a snack, they should be eaten in moderation and combined with other high-vitamin foods like fruits and veggies to ensure a well-balanced diet.