Is Belvita Healthy? A Dietitian’s Review of the Popular Breakfast Biscuits
Made with whole grains and a promise to provide steady energy, but is Belvita healthy? Learn the pros and cons of these popular breakfast biscuits to decide if they deserve a spot in your snack rotation.
With the slogan “steady energy the whole morning,” Belvita Breakfast Biscuits sound like an ideal choice for a morning snack bar. These serving packages are available as crunchy or soft-baked bars with flavors like cinnamon brown sugar, banana bread, blueberry, and more.
As a registered dietitian and busy mom, I’m always looking for ways to make eating a healthy breakfast easier. This means quick and easy recipes like overnight oats and yogurt parfaits, and yes, even packaged snack bars on really busy mornings.
If you look online, you’ll find polarizing views of these breakfast bars, with some people loving them and others demonizing them for their nutrition and ingredients. So that you can make your decision, I’ve reviewed the ingredients, healthy benefits, and potential cons of two of the popular varieties of Belvita bars, including the soft-baked and crunchy bars (also available in sandwich biscuits and bite-sized snacks).
So, are Belvita Breakfast Biscuits healthy? Keep reading to decide if they’re a good fit for you and your family.
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Nutrition Facts
Let’s look at the nutrition label of two popular varieties of Belvita Bars:
Belvita Crunchy Biscuits: Cinnamon Brown Sugar
Per pack (50 grams- 4 biscuits):
- Calories: 230 calories.
- Protein: 3 grams
- Fat: 8 grams
- Carbohydrates: 36 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Sugars: 10 grams
- Added sugars: 10 grams.
Belvita Soft Baked Biscuits: Banana Bread
Per pack (50 grams- one biscuit):
- Calories: 200 calories.
- Protein: 3 grams
- Fat: 8 grams
- Carbohydrates: 32 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Sugars: 9 grams
- Added sugars: 7 grams.
Belvita biscuits are made of mainly carbohydrates with a moderate amount of fat (mostly from unsaturated fat sources) and low in protein. The soft-baked biscuit is high in fiber with 4 grams (or 14% DV) per serving, while the crunch biscuit has just 2 grams of fiber per serving.
The crunchy bars have between 10 and 11 grams of added sugars, while the soft-baked bars have between 6 and 8 grams of added sugars.
Ingredients in Belvita Bars
While the exact ingredients will vary based on the type and flavor, here are the ingredients that make up the bulk of Belvita Bars.
Whole grain blend
The blend for soft-baked bars includes cracked buckwheat, rolled oats, and rye flakes, while the crunchy biscuits use rolled oats and rye flakes.
Whole grains are digested more slowly than refined grains since the entire grain is intact, which can help with steady energy and blood sugar control. A large systematic review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that diets rich in whole grains are associated with a lower risk of heart disease and all-cause mortality.
Enriched bleached flour and whole grain wheat flour
When grains are refined and bleached to improve the texture of baked goods or processed foods, they often have vitamins and minerals added back to them. This is a good thing, as it helps reduce nutrient deficiencies at a population level.
However, refined grains end up losing the fiber and phytonutrients naturally found in them, which makes them less beneficial overall than whole grains.
Canola oil
A fat source that helps create a soft texture in baked goods, canola oil is made of unsaturated fats. While it has developed somewhat of a bad reputation in the wellness industry, canola oil does have some benefits. A review published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases found that, compared to some other oils and saturated fats, canola oil significantly improves several markers of cardiovascular health, including total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and several cholesterol ratios.
Sugar and other sweeteners
Belvita includes sugars and other sweeteners like brown sugar, malt syrup, molasses, invert sugar, and natural sources like banana puree or raisin paste. Your body processes all of these the same way as sugar, so they all contribute to added sugar intake. The American Heart Association recommends keeping added sugars to less than 25 grams per day for women and 36 grams for men to help reduce the risk of chronic disease and weight gain.
Datem
This emulsifier is commonly used in breads and baked goods to improve volume and texture. It stands for Diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono‐ and diglycerides. While early 2000’s animal studies found that rats fed high amounts of DATEM experienced effects like higher rates of myocardial fibrosis and were more likely to develop adrenal tumors after two years on a high DATEM diet, these effects have not been found to translate into humans at doses typically consumed.
As far as the FDA and health organizations around the world are concerned, based on current research, DATEM is safe to use as a food additive.
Vitamins and minerals
Belvita bars are fortified with nutrients like iron, magnesium, and B vitamins. Fortification helps to fill in nutrient gaps at a population level and can be especially helpful if your diet is low in whole foods. While it’s best to get vitamins and minerals from nutrient-rich foods, there’s nothing wrong with occasionally eating fortified foods as well.
Belvita Health Benefits
Even as a processed, pre-packaged snack bar, Belvita biscuits do have several health benefits.
They’re made with whole grains
While Belvita biscuits are not 100% whole grain, they are a good source. In the crunchy bars, you’ll find 19 grams of whole grains, and 14 grams of whole grains in the soft-baked bars.
Research supports that diets rich in whole grains have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, with a 3 servings per day increase associated with a 25% lower risk of death from heart disease.
They’re (can be) high in fiber
The soft-baked bars have 4 grams of fiber per serving, which is around 14% of the amount of fiber you should be getting in a day. High fiber foods help support even blood sugar, energy levels, heart health, digestion, and a healthy gut microbiome. You won’t find as much fiber in the crunchy bars.
For a truly high-fiber snack bar, read my Fiber One Bar review.
They’re a good source of several vitamins and minerals
Since Belvita bars are fortified with vitamins and minerals and contain whole grains, they’re a good source of many nutrients. In one serving of Crunchy Biscuits, you’ll get 10 percent of the daily value of iron, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and vitamin B6.
They’re pre-portioned
I’m a big fan of preportioned snacks when I’m eating on the go. They’re easy to carry and easy to eat an appropriate amount of if you’re eating while distracted.
Potential Cons of Belvita Bars
They’re low in protein
Belvita biscuits are not a balanced meal or even a snack if eaten on their own. With just 3 grams of protein per serving, you’ll want to make sure you’re also eating a protein source to help you stay full and satisfied, and support longer-lasting energy.
They’re high in added sugars
Each bar has between 12 and 22 percent of the recommended daily limit of added sugars. While this isn’t a bad thing if you’re replenishing energy after a workout or are consciously eating fewer added sugars the rest of the day, the added sugars in each package can make it easy to eat more than you’d like in a day.
They’re not a balanced breakfast bar
They’re advertised as a way to “start your morning the right way,” but you’d need a lot more than just a breakfast biscuit to do that. A balanced breakfast could include Belvita biscuits, but also needs a significant source of protein and healthy fats to start your day with a nutritional head start and keep you energized, focused, and satisfied throughout the morning. With just
Do Belvita Biscuits taste good?
Obviously, taste is relative, but for science, I tried the soft-baked banana bread bars and the cinnamon sugar crunchy biscuits.
The soft-baked bars: I thought the texture was nice, soft, and chewy. The flavor was good, but it was a little too sweet for me.
The crunchy bars: I could easily eat these with a glass of cold milk (which would help balance them out a bit, too!), but on their own, they were a bit dry. The flavor was good, and it felt like I was eating a lot as they were quite filling.
The bottom line: Is Belvita good for you?
They can fit into a balanced diet, especially when combined with other nutrient-dense foods, but they’re not a great stand-alone breakfast option. Either skip them or enjoy them as part of a bigger meal rather than a on-the-go main event.
Belvita bars can be a convenient and tasty choice, especially when you need something quick and pre-portioned to hold you over. They do offer some benefits, like being made with whole grains, providing a few key vitamins and minerals, and (in some varieties) giving you a decent boost of fiber.
That said, they’re low in protein and fairly high in added sugar, which means they don’t make the most balanced breakfast or snack on their own. If you enjoy Belvita, pair the biscuits with protein-rich foods like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nut butter, or a boiled egg to help round things out.
