In this busy, chaotic world, liquid breakfasts in a carton can seem like the perfect meal choice – according to the packaging, they’re nutritious as well as easy to grab-and-go. But some health experts aren’t convinced they should replace a traditional breakfast, at least not on a regular basis.
“They should be thought of as an occasional food,” Nutrition Australia spokesperson and accredited practising dietitian Aloysa Hourigan says.
“While they have some nutritional value, they’re mostly too high in sugarand low in both fat and kilojoules to constitute a healthy breakfast.“I know the packaging likes to say the product is the equivalent, nutritionally, to having a breakfast that includes a healthy cereal and milk, however, sitting down to a bowl of wholegrain cereal with milk and fruit is a much, much better alternative every time,” Hourigan adds.
The popularity of these products is undeniable. According to the sales figures, about 34 million litres of Up&Go, from market-leader Sanitarium, were sold through supermarkets in 2012/13. In the past year more brands have joined this demonstrably lucrative space.
Claims and criticism
Consumer organisation Choice has also expressed some concern about the liquid breakfast products and their nutritional benefits, even describing some of the health claims on the packaging as questionable.
Last year it reviewed 23 products and found that 10 had more than 23g of sugar per serve – which is roughly the equivalent of a chocolate bar, or almost six teaspoons of sugar.
“Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and consumers shouldn’t be fooled into thinking liquid breakfasts are high in fibre or a good source of protein,” Choice spokesperson Tom Godfrey said when the results were released.
“Shonky claims on liquid breakfasts such as ‘high in fibre’, ‘fibre for digestive health’, and ‘goodness of three grains’ is a cause for concern,” he continued. “Liquid breakfasts have, on average, 1.5 per cent fibre, which is well below the 10 per cent benchmark for high fibre. It’s grains away from the 39.5 per cent of fibre offered by some bran cereals.”
He added that a serving of oats with a handful of almonds and a sliced apple will provide about 11g of fibre, one-third of the recommended daily intake – “and, in some cases, more than triple the amount of fibre available in liquid breakfast cereals”.
Sanitarium has responded to Choice’s claims, saying that its Up&Go range has a fibre content of 3.8g, which is “well in excess” of the industry code of practice requirement for a content of “high fibre”.
The nutritionist’s view
Hourigan says these products don’t offer enough energy to be called breakfast.
“What’s really worrying is that parents are giving these as breakfast to their kids, thinking they’re both healthy as well as able to sustain their kids until recess or lunch,” she adds. “But there aren’t enough kilojoules in these to sustain a growing child – or an adult – until a mid-morning snack or lunch.”
She says that if people have no other choice, these liquid meals can be OK if bulked up in calories and nutrients by a piece of fruit such as an apple or banana.
“But what would be better is if people would ensure they have 10 minutes to make a decent healthy breakfast, realise they’ll be pushed for time and prepare something the night before, or have ingredients at work so they can make breakfast there,” Hourigan says.
