BEAR Alphabites Feedback Thread - £150 John Lewis voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

This thread is for the Mumsnetters who have been trying BEAR Alphabites.

Here’s what BEAR say: “Grrreetings, we’re BEAR and we like things as nature intended. We started out 5 years ago making pure fruit ‘yoyos’ for kids, with no added sugar, concentrates or any other nonsense. The more time we spent talking to parents over the years, the more we realised that breakfast was also a real challenge for families- the sugary, salty cereals on offer made us growl, so we set off foraging to find a much better alternative.

Made from just 6 ingredients- five multigrains and our super new ingredient coconut blossom nectar - our crunchy cereal letters contain no refined sugar, salt or any other nonsense. From the flowers of the coconut tree, coconut blossom nectar is a naturally sweet sap that makes our cereal letters delicious and crunchy, and also provides over half of your daily calcium needs (one bowl of Alphabites with 125ml of semi skimmed milk provides over half of an adult’s daily calcium needs, with half of this coming from the nectar alone). It also has a much lower GI than sugar (35 vs 70 for refined sugar), preventing the usual crazy sugar highs and grizzly crashes that come from too much refined sugar. ”

Below are a few questions for you to answer about eating BEAR Alphabites at breakfast time – feel free to add any other thoughts you may have though, we’d love to hear them.

• Do you find breakfast with your DCs to be a challenge, or not? If you do, could you tell us a bit more about why?
  
• What do your DCs usually eat at breakfast? Are you worried about the refined sugar and salt that most breakfast cereals contain, or not?
  
• What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
  
• Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future? (available in 375g box, RRP £2.69)?
  
• Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives? If so, why? If not, why not?
  

If you have any photos of your DCs trying BEAR Alphabites, please add them to this thread. Thanks for taking part:

All testers who leave their feedback on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £150 John Lewis voucher and a hamper of delicious BEAR goodies.

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

[gildedlily]

Thank you - my bears have just arrived in a very funky package. I'll be back with some feedback over the next few days once the boys have tried them.

[jaamy]

Hello! My bears have arrived too. Love the packaging but not sure about the bear's fig leaf! Actually looking forward to breakfast time to try them out. Although, I might have to carry out a little research myself tonight . Will report back.

[Gremlingirl]

My bears haven't arrived yet (stamps foot).

[Iggly]

The pack arrived today - DS couldn't wait when he got back from school. He's already got two bowls on the go - one for the cocoa ones and one for the other plainer flavour.

He has declared that theyre both yummy.... He's also picked out some letters he recognises and had a play with the magnets!

[VerySlightly]

Thank you. I really like the packaging as well.

i have had a little taste of Alphabites and my initial impression is that it is too sweet. But will try it properly with the family and be back with some thoughts.

[HappyHippyChick]

We're waiting impatiently for the arrival of our bears...

[Heels99]

Loop big box of bears arrvied

[CountBapula]

Hello! Thank you very much for the groovy box. It arrived yesterday, and DS1 (very nearly 4) was super-excited. He loves the fruity Bear snacks and has been dying to try the cereal. He loved the sheet of magnets and we spent ages popping them out and sticking them on the fridge, and trying to figure out what they all were.

Anyway, here are the answers to your Qs:

• Do you find breakfast with your DCs to be a challenge, or not? If you do, could you tell us a bit more about why?
  

DS1 is a pretty fussy eater, but breakfast has always been his best meal. He usually has breakfast with DH.

• What do your DCs usually eat at breakfast? Are you worried about the refined sugar and salt that most breakfast cereals contain, or not?
  

DS1 will eat quite plain stuff - Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, Ready Brek etc, so he's no Coco Pops fiend or anything. He also likes those wheats with the fruit filling, and yes, I guess they are quite sugary, but at least the wheats themselves aren't too bad.

• What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
  

DS1 said he liked the regular ones because they're 'nice and crunchy, like biscuits'. He likes the packaging, though he's a bit scared of the vampire bat, which is putting him off trying the cocoa ones (but we're going to get him to try those tomorrow). DH had a bowl too and said they were delicious, with a similar vibe to Cheerios but nicer, because he'd always found Cheerios 'a bit ersatz' . Also because they stay crunchy and don't go mushy in the milk, like most cereals.

• Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future? (available in 375g box, RRP £2.69)?
  

Yes, definitely.

• Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives? If so, why? If not, why not?
  

Yes. A lot of our friends with young kids like the Bear snacks, so would probably like the cereal as well. It's healthy, the concept's great and the DC like the taste.

Will be back with thoughts on the cocoa ones.

[HappyHippyChick]

Ha, they arrived as I posted!

[fourmonthstogo]

Ours have arrived too, exciting box to come home to! Dd loved the magnets and can't wait to try the chocolate ones in the morning. Will post more after she's tried them!

[Heels99]

What is the deadline for feedback please ?

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

Nothing arrived yet. Will post once they've gotten here.

[fuzzpig]

Got a missed parcel notice today so I assume mine are at the post office! Hopefully I can collect tomorrow.

[Shinyshoes2]

Mine arrived today so I shall post me feedback over the next few days once she tries them

[Twotinygirls]

Our bears have arrived. The children are enjoying the magnets and about to have some for an after school snack! Will be back with full report later.

[wasfield]

Received my boxes today, DS jumped on them as soon as she got back from school and had a bowl of the plain flavour, she declared them yummy with or with out milk. She is a fussy eater and cereal is one of the few things she likes but is fussy about which cereal she will eat so I am amazed she tried them so readily and liked them so much. She will try the chocolate flavour tomorrow and I will get my other DC to try them when he gets home.

[BigBugs]

My box arrived today! Loved the packaging & magnets, thank you. DC and I cant wait to try them! Will post feedback over the next day or two.

[TheHoundsBitch]

Still waiting for mine, DS will be thrilled (cereal obsessive kid )!

[Chasingclouds]

Mine arrived this morning, sadly too late for breakfast! Love the big crocodile design box and my little girl went mad over the magnets so a very promising start, can't wait for breakfast tomorrow!

[PinkSquash]

Marking place as I have MN issues

[fourthandfinal]

Super excited about trying these out for bfast tomorrow (grown ups can test them out too, right?!)!

[Sixgeese]

Mine arrived mid morning, the cocoa ones were being eaten without a bowl by the handful during homework time, I think they were a hit.

The children were very excited as they had seen them advertised on TV and seemed to know more than me about them, I did look for them in the supermarket and they seemed at the higher end of the cereals in price, it will be interesting to see if they fill them up from breakfast to lunch.

We will start the test properly tomorrow at breakfast, they are all looking forward to it.

[IScreamForIceCream]

Groovy box? Magnets? I can't wait for these to arrive!

[PlanetArghhh]

Our Bear box arrived this morning. DS’s loved the packaging and the enclosed alphabet magnets have been a big hit; thank you! Some very serious clipboard stylee sampling has now been done and here are our comments:

Do you find breakfast with your DCs to be a challenge, or not? If you do, could you tell us a bit more about why?

We love breakfast in our house and especially at the weekends when we have a nice brunch.

What do your DCs usually eat at breakfast? Are you worried about the refined sugar and salt that most breakfast cereals contain, or not?

It varies each day but usually one of the following:
Cheerios
Weetos
Special K
Porridge
Toast & Marmite
Hot Cross Buns
Croissants, brioche etc at the weekend

All of the above with fresh fruit; strawberries, grapes, banana or apple

We probably don’t worry as much as we should about sugar in breakfast cereals but do try to stick to the whole-wheat varieties rather than the obscenely sugary multi-coloured junk ones. Some of the supposedly healthier cereals often contain as much sugar and invariably taste a bit cardboardy.

What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?

DS1
‘Just as tasty as weetos and cheerios but without the naughty bits!’ He studied the box too… and liked the packaging styling!

DS2
Preferred the coco ones (which he ate happily as a mid-afternoon snack) but pulled a face at the plain ones. He loved recognizing and playing with the alphabet letters!

Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future? (available in 375g box, RRP £2.69)?

Yes, definitely. The coconut nectar is still quite sweet and sugary but I was reassured by the absence of the usual refined sugar/salt/junk found in most other cereals. DH tried some of the Alphabites and commented that they didn’t have the chemical aftertaste that some of the mainstream cereals have… and he preferred the plain ones.

Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, I would recommend them. Boxed breakfast cereals are perhaps not right at the top of the healthy foods lists but Bear Alphabites are a pretty good option compared to the other cereals on the supermarket shelf.

[Cheebame]

I'm not a proper tester - I've been buying them for a while - can I still win the prize?

• Do you find breakfast with your DCs to be a challenge, or not? If you do, could you tell us a bit more about why?
  

Not really a challenge. Not a challenge at all compared to 'get your school clothes on'

• What do your DCs usually eat at breakfast? Are you worried about the refined sugar and salt that most breakfast cereals contain, or not?
  

A bowl of mixed cereal. The current mix is "blonde alphabites" "choco alphabites" and Aldi own-brand Shreddies. For maximum amusement, none of the bags are in the correct box. It's just how we roll in our house. Basically the bowl has a couple of different cereals although the make-up changes with what we have in. Alphabites have been a constant for a few months.

Salt concerns me more than sugar, although obviously sugar is also everywhere is shouldn't be. I get annoyed when I see cereals that would have passed for something you might have for pudding occasionally when I was a child. Kellog's 'Start' was the, er, start of it.

• What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
  

I'm not sure DD is that aware that there is anything different about them to be honest - she consumes TV via the iPlayer app so hasn't see advertising for them or anything, we just bought them because they have less gunk in and she eats them.

She liked the facts on the back of the box - the more recent ones we have (they last a while in our house because of the whole mixing cereals thing) seem to be a bit dumbed-down. I can't remember the details as I don't read it everyday, but whereas one was fact about x-rays and another bees (?) the current ones are about fictional monsters I think, which is disappointing. (Has one of them got a worm on?)

• Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future? (available in 375g box, RRP £2.69)?
  

I have bought them in the past, and will buy them in the future. I look out for offers though

• Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives? If so, why? If not, why not?
  

I would in the unlikely event of them asking me to recommend a cereal, but it's not the sort of thing I tend to get in to conversation about :)