You know the ones? The ones that you are supposed to be able to replace your normal breakfast with, are they really a good idea?

When i would go to work at 6am several mornings a week i would normally take one of these bars with me and eat it mid-morning as a second breakfast. However when they are sitting in your cupboard it is all too easy to eat them at any time of day or night. That’s another point before i was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and the right medications started i was in so much pain that i could not get of bed in the morning without taking pills and if you take pills you should eat something first and the thing i would eat was a cereal bar/breakfast bar.

So what is actually in them?

I like these ones

Cereal and hazelnut bar half covered with milk chocolate Suitable for vegetarians Per bar kcal 160 of your GDA Oats, bran flakes, hazelnuts, crispies & honey in a bed of Cadbury’s milk chocolate.

That is what it says on the label, still no wiser on what is in them.

let’s try another brand

Raisins [20%]: [*Raisins (19.9%), Vegetable Oil] , Crisped Rice [20%]: [*Rice Flour (17.9%), Malted Barley Flour, *Sugar (1%), Sunflower Oil, Emulsifier: Sunflower Lecithin] , Glucose Syrup , Plain Chocolate Chips [9%]: [*Sugar (4.5%), *Cocoa Mass (4.1%), *Cocoa Butter (0.3%), Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin] , Invert Sugar Syrup [6.6%]: [*Sugar (5.4%), Water] , Oats , Toasted Wheat Flakes , Vegetable Fat , *Honey (2.5%) , Milk Chocolate [2.4%]: [*Sugar (1.1%), *Cocoa Butter (0.5%), Whole Milk Powder, *Cocoa Mass (0.3%), Whey Powder , Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin] , Invert Sugar Syrup [2%]: [*Sugar (1.6%), Water] , Humectant: Glycerine , *Fairtrade ingredients .

I think that just about sums them all up, even the ones that are hiding under cover or are disguised as good for you.

I have also eaten these

Cereals 71.6% [Wheat Flour 51.3%, Wholegrain Cereals 20.3% (Oat Flakes 8.5%, Wholegrain Wheat Flour 6.1%, Wholegrain Barley Flour 2.7%, Wholegrain Rye Flour 2.0%, Wholegrain Spelt Flour 1.0%)] , Sugar , Vegetable Oil , Raising Agents [E503(ii), E500(ii), E450(i)] , Whole Milk Powder (0.9%) , Skimmed Milk Powder (0.9%) , Milk Minerals with Lactose , Salt , Emulsifiers (E472e, Soya Lecithin) , Flavourings , Vitamins and Minerals Mixture [Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), Iron, Magnesium] .

I have stayed away from the gluten/dairy free ones in this post although they tend to be better real food wise than the others.

You could always make your own, like this.

Jammy flapjacks

175g butter

175g brown sugar

3 drops vanilla essence

200g self raising flour

pinch baking powder

175g oats

1/2 a jar of raspberry jam or other jam

Oven 180 c, 350 f, gas .4. Grease a 18 x 3o.5 x 4cm tin

Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in vanilla essence, flour, baking powder and oats.

Tip half the mix into the tin, pressing to cover the base. Spread with jam. Top evenly with remaining mix.

Bake 20 mins, till just golden. remove. Mark into squares after 10 mins. Remove from tin when cold.

You can

*Make choc peanut butter flapjacks: mix 110g melted butter,  2 1/2 tbsp golden syrup, 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, 75g sugar, 275g oats, Bake at 190 c/375f/gas 5 for 20mins. Melt choc on top.

*Make crisp fast track flapjacks. Mix 110g oats, 10g semolina, 75g soft brown sugar, 110g melted butter.Press into 28×18 tin. Bake 15mins at 190c/375f/gas 5. Mark into 12 when slightly cooled. Remove with spatula when cold. (Eat Vegeatarian, Sam Stern)