Soreen Lunchbox Loaves feedback thread – find out what MNers and bloggers think NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

We gave 100 Mumsnetters the chance to test Soreen’s Lunchbox Loaves, in both banana and malt varieties. Hear what they – and their 2-11 year-old DCs – had to say, after they’d tried the lunchbox treats.

Soreen have said: “we know how hard it is to find a snack for school lunchboxes that’s both nutritious and tasty but Soreen Lunchbox Loaves strike that perfect balance. Available in Malt and Banana flavour with a satisfyingly squidgy texture, Lunchbox Loaves are individually wrapped, low in fat, contain only 95 calories and provide a source of fibre.”

“If this doesn’t already sound too good to be true, Lunchbox Loaves are suitable for vegetarians and meet the guidelines set by the Children’s Food Trust for ‘School Foods Standards’.”

Testers, please answer the following questions:

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?
  
• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
  
• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  
• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
  
• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?
  

Everyone who leaves their feedback on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

We also asked 5 Mumsnet bloggers to test out the Soreen Lunchbox Loaves; you can read their reviews here:

• What the Redhead said
  
• Chelsea Mamma
  
• Attachment Mummy
  
• Life With Pink Princesses
  
• Mummy from the Heart
  

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

[Pinklady1981]

We love the Soreen Loaves in our house! Perfect for lunch boxes,i put the banana ones in my 7 yr old son lunchbox and really enjoyed them. My 18 month old son also enjoyed them as a snack. Both flavours were nice,kids liked the banana ones best,adults liked the malt ones best. Great for a grab snack if you want something healthier and wont make you feel guilty! Good alternative too chocolate in lunch boxes. Yes would definitely recommend for any age. Thanks for letting us try these out. We got through both packs in a week,yum yum!😀👍🏻

[Pumpkinmoon]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?
  

My son (11) preferred the banana but I enjoyed them both equally- both were delicious!

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
  

Very easy, just the right size to fit into any lunch box and has replaced the cereal bar that usually goes in.

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  

Yes, it contained less sugar than the usual cereal bars I buy for lunch boxes. My son said it was more filling too.

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
  

Absolutely and I have already purchased more in both flavours.

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?
  

Yes, I have already recommended the banana loaves to my father!

[muddledsheep]

We love the Soreen Loaves in our house! Perfect size for lunch boxes, I put the banana ones in my 7 yr old son's lunchbox and he really enjoyed them. Both flavours were nice, kids liked the banana ones best, DH and I liked the original ones best. Great for a snack if you want something healthier and won't make you feel guilty! Good alternative to chocolate in lunch boxes. Yes would definitely recommend for any age. Thanks for letting us try these out - we loved them!

[Fostec1]

Big fans of the lunchbox loaves here. Perfect size for lunch boxes and handbags as a handy go to snack. Definitely healthier than the normal cereal bars and much more filling. I've got a fifty fifty split on which flavour comes best, both were enjoyed. We would recommend these to anyone, they've already become a regular on our shopping list.

[amprev]

Hi,

My dc's are aged 7 and 10, and we have only tried the original Soreen loaves so far - the banana ones are on the agenda as an after school snack tonight. They liked the packaging and were interested in trying them - they liked the characters on the wrappers and said they liked the look of what was inside. They weren't blown away by the flavour of the original bars, but liked their squidginess. I sliced one up and put a bit of butter on and this went down better (although meaning less healthy). I loved the taste of both bars - I don't need convincing on either. My dh was mad keen to try them, mainly due to the fact that he is an avid road cyclist, and is always on the look out for high energy, carb based snacks. Cyclists tend to secrete food down their back pockets of their tops, and so it needs to be individually wrapped, so he thought that these were perfect for him. He much preferred the banana flavour, and he agreed with the children, that the taste of the original is a bit too overpowering - he described it as 'too irony'. Energy bars designed specifically for cyclists tend to be really expensive, so for this reason, he also liked the idea of soreen loaves, and the no crumbs quality was also really liked.

They are definitely good for a school packed lunch - I even made sure that the children could open them by themselves (the younger one sometimes struggles) and there was no problem. I would agree they are healthier than other snack bars that are individually wrapped (unless they are covered in butter), and I would buy them again. I think they are good to have in your bag or in the car for when you need a quick energy fix. My older child made the comment that they weren't her favourite thing but that she quite liked them. She preferred it after the first few bites, so I think it is perhaps a flavour that takes a little getting used to. I will add another post when the banana has been sampled tonight. Definitely a big thumbs up from the cyclist sampler though! I would recommend to other mums because I know finding a variety of things for a packed lunch can be a challenge without resorting to sugar laden things.

[Sparklyfeet]

My kids all really liked these. The malt flavour was the most popular. Having them individually wrapped was great and means they would be great to take out for the day as snacks as well as school packed lunches. Will definitely be buying these in the future

[BrioLover]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?

Yes we did like them! DS (who is 3) preferred the banana one and I prefer the original. He said the banana one was more like a cake.

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?

Yes - they're a nice addition and are sweet enough to replace a yoghurt or a choc bar

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?

I think they're healthier than choc bars and most cereal bars - they're about 6g of sugar per loaf so not too bad given DS sees them as a cake-like treat

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?

Yes! For the lower sugar content and DS likes them. Easy to travel with too.

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member? Yes probably

[dinkystinky]

Thanks for letting us participate in the test - here are our answers:

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?

My kids and my DH tried them - they disappeared very quickly. DH and DS1 (10) liked the malt ones best (better than biscuits with tea DH said) and DS2 (7) and DS3 (3) loved the banana ones (they are both total banana fiends and said they tasted lovely and bananalike).

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?

Super easy - wasn't worried about them getting squashed/breaking up in the packaging and small enough for the kids to feel they are getting a nice (but nutritious) treat.

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?

I sometimes send in cakes which are homemade - the soreen lunchbox loaves (from the ingredients) seem to be equally healthy and a good time saver for me!

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?

Yes - my kids and DH really liked them. They are nicely sized, just right for the littlest to the largest to have a tasty snack.

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?

Yes I would - easy to chuck in a bag for an emergency snack for flagging kids while out and about. Infact DH has already been recommending them to his mum.

[Rosehips]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?
  

4yr old described them as yucky, I wasn't keen, but my toddler liked them

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
  

Yes, conveniently packaged, though 4yr old couldn't open

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  

I wouldn't put cake etc in a lunch box so I'd say as healthy as anything else

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
  

Maybe for toddler as convenient to chuck in my bag

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?
  

Maybe

[delilahbucket]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer? DS, me and do tried them. Do not keen on either, DS didn't like the malt ones but loved the banana. I liked both, but struggled to get my head around the malt one without butter!
  

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch? Yes, although the first time DS opened one it flew out of the packet. A slit to rip open would be much easier.
  

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  

Yes as they are sweet but give sustainable energy.

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
  

Yes I will buy the banana ones. Both myself and DS loved them. Not only are they good for lunches but they are good for an after school snack before an activity.

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?
  

Yes. I have already mentioned them to other mums.

[ny20005]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer? - I've got 2 kids in primary school & both enjoyed the malt loaves but one wouldn't even try banana ones as he does not like banana flavouring
• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch? - yes - bit kids have morning break at 10.30 & they have time for a snack in the playground. Items that are portable & individually wrapped are ideal for this
• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks? Yes - I like to give lunch box snacks that have fruit in them so that at least they get some fruit in diet as fresh fruits returned uneaten
• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why? Yes - my kids loved the Halloween versions of toffee apple too so are eager to try new varieties
• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member? Yes - ideal for packed lunches as small & individually wrapped

[theAntsareMyFriends]

They were great. I'd really recommend them and will be looking for them in the shops.

Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?

DS liked them both and gave good feedback. I think he slightly preferred the banana one. Both DP and I tried both flavours too. He liked the malt and I couldn't decide. I don't normally like banana stuff as it often tastes quite chemically but these didn't. They tasted like they had fresh banana in them but the banana taste wasn't overwhelming.

Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
In the individual packets they were very convenient. They also seem to be able to handle a bit of a squashing without being damaged. They are also much less messy than I was expecting (malt loaf can sometimes get stuck to fingers). I could open one and hand the whole bar to DS. He could then hold it without getting it all over his hands. They seemed sort of dryer on the outside which worked well for us.

Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
I didn't have a really good look at the ingredients but they felt healthier than say a cake or chocolate. They tasted less sweet which I think is an advantage when trying to discourage a really sweet tooth in a child. They also were quite filling so just one is enough unlike some other snacks. I ended up having one for breakfast (in a rush and nothing in the house) and it filled me up better than cereal bars.

Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
Yes for all the reasons above. DS is fussy and finding something he enjoys is a bonus. I liked them too so would buy for me as well and its easier having something in the house that everyone can have rather than stuff for me and stuff for DS. DP would probably polish off a few too if we have them.

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?
I actually have recommended them already as I've discussed doing the taste test with friend and family. PIL have promised to get some as they give DS too many chocolate based snacks.

[Stilllivinginazoo]

One of mine hated the original, but loved the banana one.other loved banana one and as dairy free she really enjoyed having something from a packet not home made-you really should include that point bin marketing as not everyone has time check back packets!she did ask though if it came in apple and cinnamon-soreen over to you
They were great in lunches and as after school snacks-less inclined reach fir butter than if whole loaf sliced(added bonus)and they both loved packaging
As they're begging me to buy more banana ones I'd say they were very popular here!
Would def recommend them.I've bought some for my daughter at uni food parcel we give her as I know they will go down well as grab n go thing
Thanks for letting us try them

[BeeMyBaby]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?
  

My DDs (5&7) both enjoyed the banana loaves, but they were not so keen on the malt loaves (however I thoroughly enjoyed the malt loaves with a bit of butter!)

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
  

Very easy, they were also good to use as their mid-morning snack.

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  

Yes, I definitely felt better about giving them to my DDs in place of a cake/chocolate bar.

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
  

Yes, they were small but filling.

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?
  

Yes

[annieno1]

Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer? My children and I both loved them we love the taste and texture of them I liked mine heated and toasted

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch? Yes fantasic leaving eought room for everything else
  
• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  
• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why? Yes my children loved them and they are great for those busy mornings
  
• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family? Yes definitely I give one to mum to try she loves it she like it heated with some butter

[Lilbratz]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?
  

Yes, we the whole family tried them. The adults preferred the banana ones but the children liked them both.

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
  

Absolutely, perfect size for snacks or at lunchtime.

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks? Yes, I used them to replace crisps one day and a cereal bar the other. The children preferred them over their regular cereal bar.
  

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why? YES. and have already brought two packs of banana loaves. I wouldn't' give them every day but alternate days. Definitely a firm favourite now in our house!
  

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member? My daughter told her best friend about them so we had to share with her mum what they were, they are now converted!

[SpunBodgeSquarepants]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?

He wasn't too keen on the banana ones but the original ones were well received. I myself found the banana ones a little bland.

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?

DS doesn't yet have packed lunches but I imagine they are!

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?

Obviously not as healthy as fruit and veg but I'd rather give my DS a Lunchbox Loaf than a bag of crisps or bar of chocolate, definitely. I was impressed that they were under 100 calories each!

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?

I would buy the malt loaves yes, as they are an easy snack to throw into my handbag for DS if we are out and about.

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?

Yes

[SunshinenSparkles]

My son absolutely loves these lunchbox loaves! His favourite is the banana flavour but he loves both. I tried them too, I much prefer the banana ones.

The texture is a little chewy. It would be ideal if the texture was a little less chewy. The malt ones with raisins had a really strong flavour which myself and DP found a bit much but the banana were fab.

They are the perfect size to add to lunchboxes to provide a cake-y treat and the perfect snack for any time. They are much healthier than many other snack options and great to take with you when you're out for the day and the little one gets peckish.

I love that they are mess free! My toddler can make a right old mess with snacks as he plays while he eats so these are awesome with no crumbs! Also great when they are sitting on the sofa with you so you don't get covered in whatever they are eating.

I will be buying these regularly for my 2 year old and do recommend them as a filling little snack.

[CryingShame]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?
  

DS much preferred the malt loaf, but I suspected this as he's not mad keen on banana. I asked DS what he thought of the malt loaves and he said he liked "the scrumptious raisins". I don't like raisins (we're a fussy bunch!) so I tried the banana ones and liked them.

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
  

DS has school meals but took the malt loaves to school for morning break. They were good for this as they're robust enough to cope with being in a 7 year old's bag as it gets dropped, shifted around all morning, don't melt like chocolate and don't have nuts in. DS is at a nut free school so he can't have Naked bars etc. because of the nut content.

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  

Yes, because they're not as sweet as chocolate or biscuits and feel more substantial when you're eating them so fill you up for longer.

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
  

Yes because of how well they fit into when DS has snacks. They don't fall apart or get sticky and cope with being in his bag for school / afterschool classes / in the car door on long journeys so would work well for us.

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?
  

Yes because a lot of my friends are also parents looking for school snack ideas, suggestions for snacks when they have swimming classes etc and these fit in well.

I think the banana ones are well well known than malt loaf but I thought they were really nice so would recommend them specifically where friends are more likely to have considered malt loaf.

[theshooglypeg]

We (family of four, kids aged 3 and 18 months) generally liked them. The plain one was more popular and the 18 month old wasn't really sure about them: to be honest I think my husband liked them best!

My kids are a bit young for lunch boxes but they were a good mid afternoon snack. I don't know if I would buy them again, I do prefer the Soreen fruit loaves. I probably would recommend them. Having not read the ingredients I have no idea if they are healthier than other snacks.

Thanks for letting us try them!

[paddypants13]

Hi,

My dc loved the lunch box loaves. They preferred the banana loaves but enjoyed both. I didn't get chance to try the banana loaf because my dc liked them so much! Dcs are 4 and 18 months.

They were really easy to pack in a packed lunch as an alternative to a biscuit. I loved the fact that they were individually packed and not messy of faffy in a morning. Ds (18 months) will not eat breakfast preferring to snack on fruits and yoghurts until morning. I find this messy (bits of half eaten fruit left lying around) and a pain because I have to take fruit when we go out (which then gets bashed about). He absolutely loved the lunch box loaves and happily ate these for breakfast.

I do think they are healthier than a lot of the cereal bars or biscuits available. The children felt like they were getting a treat.

I will definitely be buying these again, the children loved them and keep asking for them.

I would absolutely recommend these especially for grazers like ds.

[theothercatpurred]

• Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?
  

DS, DD, DP and I all loved the plain one. Only I liked the banana one! (DP and DS don't like bananas anyway).

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
  

Yes, very easy indeed. Hard to save them for lunch boxes though as the kids wanted them as snacks at home!

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  

That depends. If you mean healthier than most of the gak that's sold as snacks in the shops, then yes. (So chocolate, crisps etc). If healthier than carrots / cucumber etc then no. Like a PP said, I haven't looked carefully at the ingredients. I definitely see them as healthier than other cakey things, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's quite a bit of sugar in them.
I suppose they do seem like a bit of a treat, and they are healthier than a lot of other "treat" foods.

I particularly liked that they weren't overly sweet. Some snack in the shops that pose as healthier options are so packed full of sugar / sweeteners they're inedible (for me) and not something I want to give the DC.

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
  

Yes, we liked them. DS said they were "scrumptious!"
DP liked them because of the taste but also especially as they're not crumbly. He said they'd be a good snack for work as he could eat them at the computer without getting crumbs in it.
They were an excellent thing to grab if I was late for work and had run out of time for breakfast. (That's where most of the banana ones went!) and great for chucking into bags for a snack for the DC while out and about.
Also I have one in my desk at work for an emergency snack, should I need one!

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member
  

Yes.

[Buzzardbird]

Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?

My DD really liked these. I was very surprised, she is picky and generally doesn't like cake style products. She preferred the banana flavour. I preferred the traditional original flavour as it took me back to childhood.

Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?

They are really easy to throw into a packed lunch as are individually wrapped, and there are enough for a week in a pack.

Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?

I don't think they are necessarily any healthier than the snacks I usually pack for her but they made a nice change.

Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?

It will depend on whether DD really asks me for them as I was disappointed to see that palm oil is one of the ingredients. I avoid products with palm oil in as a rule.

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?

If it came up in conversation, I would be honest and say that DD enjoyed them but I would point out the inclusion of palm oil as a lot of my friends and family are like minded and would avoid purchasing products containing it.

[CazH73]

My 9 year old daughter didn't like the banana flavour at all,she likes the original flavour though,which I have always bought in the normal sized packs.Had never tried the lunchbox size before.
They're very easy to incorporate into packed lunch,no messing about slicing it,so no mess.
Yes,they are a healthier alternative to other snacks as contain fruit.
Yes,I would probably buy them again,for ease of preparing her packed lunch which can be quite tedious sometimes.
Yes I would recommend them to friends & family.

[AugustRose]

Thank you for letting us test these bars, we tested with DS2 (5), DD2 (10) and DD1 (14).

Did your DCs (and you if you tried them) enjoy the taste of Soreen Lunchbox Loaves? Which flavour did they prefer?

Yes very much, I think they preferred the banana ones - we'd never had this flavour before. DD2 said it tasted like my banana bread and DD1 said it had the texture of malt loaf with the taste of the banana flavour foam sweets!

• Were they easy to incorporate into a school packed lunch?
  

Very easy, I don't normally put malt loaf in a lunch box because it's a bit sticky but these were so easy to pop in.

• Do you think that Lunchbox Loaves are a healthier alternative to other snacks?
  

Well they still have fruit sugar in them but not as much as the cereal bars I'd normally put in. Obviously better than a chocolate biscuit.

• Would you buy Soreen Lunchbox Loaves again? Why?
  

Yes I would, they are a nice size and a good alternative to cereal/fruit bars and the banana flavour makes a nice change. DD1 has a packed lunch the most and she would definitely want me to buy them again and they would make a good afternoon snack for all of us.

• If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Soreen Lunchbox Loaves to a friend or family member?
  

Yes I would recommend them.