Review; Be Natural Cereal

So I've decided to try my hand at reviews, seeing as I've found that, unfortunately, way too many people trust the front of packaging and the packaging advertising rather than really looking at it. The new Be Natural range of cereals is something I can already see that happening with (their is an unusual amount of day time TV hype about this cereal, judging by the number of Mum's who have mentioned it to me because so and so on TV said...).

I've just purchased and tried the middle one, Be Natural Cashew, Almond, Hazelnut and Coconut Cereal (winner of the Longest Cereal Name Ever championships). I learnt about the release of this cereal first via my local supermarket catalogue, then through Mum who told me about this new cereal that's all natural and said it was good. This soon followed by several others and I decided to trek out and buy it in what I thought was the most desirable sounding flavour, (especially after discovering they had similar sugar percentages anyway, and sugar is what I am most weary of with breakfast cereals).
On the front it claims to be high in fibre, whole grain and low GI with no artificial colours, flavours of preservatives. Let's have a closer look;

13.5% sugar does not make me smile. The super-sweet Lowan Berry Bliss Fusion Muesli comes in under this, and the Be Natural cereal doesn't taste anywhere near as sweet. 85mg of salt per serve is under the 120mg we should try and stay below, but a serving size of 2/3 of a metric cup will probably only sustain a 5 year old until lunch time, so, like most packaged foods, it's a bit high for my liking. The fat content is high but as it's a whole cereal with nuts, I'm not too worried

Upon inspection of the ingredients, I'm happy with the 49% reading of whole grain cereals and 11% nuts, making at least 60% of the box filled with wholesome food. Add the seeds and coconut to this and we're up to 68%. So far, so good. But why is there more raw sugar than coconut or seeds? I know I know, to make it taste good. But don't be fooled! Raw sugar is, in my opinion, only marginally better than the refined stuff because it contains trace amounts of minerals. All sugar is bad for you, and I have no doubt that Be Natural used raw sugar to make it look healthier. I bet you've heard someone say, 'Oh but it's not that bad at least it's raw sugar' before. Deceit even in the ingredients! Or maybe it's better described as marketing, but hey, they have to make us want to eat it. Don't be fooled by 'Brown Rice Syrup', it's sugar too - just read this. I'm not a fan of the 'natural honey flavour', but I doubt it's harming anyone.
Final WordBe Natural Cashew, Almond, Hazelnut and Coconut Cereal
Pros; It has a high percentage of natural, whole ingredients, comes in under 200 calories per serve if you stick to the 45g recommendation, and it tastes great.
Cons; I still consider this cereal to be high in sugar, especially for something that most people would feel they're tasting little to no sugar in.
Verdict; Much better than a lot of the options on the supermarket shelf, but doesn't come near wheat biscuits or home made muesli. If you are going to eat this or give it to your kids, stick to the recommended serving size and bulk it up with fresh fruits, or some yoghurt instead of milk.
Would I eat this for breakfast? Only sprinkled on top of my home made muesli or as an occasional treat.
Would I give this to kids? Over wheat biscuits or wholegrain toast with fruit, no. Over chocolate cereals or even Sultana Bran, yes.
Currently on special at Coles ($3) if you want to try it!

Will you try it?What did you think of this review?
Stay well,Nat x