This week Value for Moneylooks at Meusli
Dorset Cereals 4.79 for 800g €5.99 per kg
Highs:This upmarket muesli is all about the berries and raisins so, if you're partial to dried fruit, this could be the one to go for. It looked just a bit too fruity as it spilled into our breakfast bowl, but on the second bowl we realised that could be partly blamed on the settling that had left most of the berries in the top half. Once we'd given the box a good shake, the balance of fruit and flakes improved.
Lows:While the blueberries looked great, they were almost entirely hollow and tasted a little disappointing. The flakes were inconsequential and whoever thought the very tough pieces of orange peel were a good idea really needs to have a good long look at themselves - we reckon we'd still be chewing the blasted things had we not spat them out.
Verdict:Berry nice
Star Rating: ***
Alpen High Fruit 4.99 for 650g €7.53 per kg
Highs:While nowhere near as sweet as the original Alpen, this more health-conscious option does have an unmistakably Alpen taste to it that we found reassuringly familiar. It has quite an oaty texture and is not as challenging as some mueslis we have come across. It is clearly a good product, and one which has no added salt or sugar or dusty residue that lingers at the bottom of your bowl.
Lows:We missed the nuts (and, to be completely honest, the sugar) that you'd find in its better-known cousin. It also was lacking ever so slightly in the crunch department, although some people might consider that a plus. And it was also very raisin-heavy, which is just a little dull.
Verdict:Absolutely fine
Star Rating: ***
Flahavans Hi-8 Muesli €3.44 for 1kg €3.44 per kg
Highs:This is rather excellent and manages to be wholesome without sapping the spirit. It has a surprisingly fresh and crisp flavour that we liked - thanks, perhaps, to an ingredient list that includes apricots, dates, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. The manufacturer did not lose the run of itself when it came to adding the (cheap) raisins either, and all the fruit that is in the mix is nicely textured and is not excessively chewy. Nor is it too fruity or flaky, and we liked the seeds which gave it extra crunch. It is also the cheapest of the mueslis.
Lows:If you like a sugary kick first thing in the morning, this will surely leave you disappointed.
Verdict:Excellent value, fine product
Star Rating: ****
Lifeforce Honey Muesli €3.79 for 750g €5.05 per kg
Highs:This small Irish company deserves a lot of credit for producing a range of different mueslis to suit every taste. Having spent days eating all sorts of healthy options which were resolutely unsweetened, we cracked and turned to this honey-enriched option. And the world seemed a better place for doing so - it's lovely and has a flavour that brings to mind Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, only with more wholesomeness and no added sugar. The hazelnuts and peanuts give it a crunchy and flavoursome dimension the others mueslis lack. The dates were also nice, as was the price.
Lows:It might not be the easiest muesli to track down, and the oats are on the small and inconsequential side but, really, we're just splitting hairs.
Verdict:Top class
Star Rating: *****
Tesco Finest Superfood Muesli €4.55 for 500g €9.10 per kg
Highs:This fruity, seedy cereal has the best-sounding ingredient list and is absolutely chock-full of cranberries, blueberries, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and Italian prunes, and not a raisin in sight. It is so berry heavy, in fact, that the milk turned bright purple within seconds of being added to the bowl. The fruit manages to retain some of its sharp bite and much of its texture.
Lows:Many Tesco products - even from its Finest range - are excellent value but this does seem to be on the pricey side, although the berries probably do come at a cost. The oats are largely irrelevant and while we accept that "the fruit and nuts may settle in transit", almost half this bag was air by the time we got it home.
Verdict:Lovely but pricey
Star Rating: ***
