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

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?

My Dc's love breakfast but I would prefer them to have healthier cereals- they opt for Daddy's Chocolate Weetabix- but they did like the bear alphabites

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

They usually have chocolate Weetabix and a piece of fruit or orridge with a spoon of nutella and a banana

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

Loved the green box they came in and fridge magnets- liked the packaging too. Liked the taste and they enjoyed the letters- as DD2 is learning the alphabet at the moment. I liked them as a snack without milk- so much so I think I'll buy them for me. The kids liked them but not as much as their usual

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

I would buy them for me to snack on as I really like them without milk to nibble on but £2.69 is a bit steep

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

Yes- but I would forewarn-ie really tasty good for you but a bit pricey

Thanks

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?

Yes, my 3 yo DS is quite straightforward and eats the same each morning no problem, but 6 yo DD is finicky and not always a great eater anyway.

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

Weetabix, Coco Shreddies, the dreaded Krave, yes would prefer healthier alternative.

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

Loved packaging, excited that they were letters, DD desperately wanted to like them but refused plain ones at first taste and took ages to eat choc ones.

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

If DD decides she likes them, yes.

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

Yes.

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?

No challenge

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

Yes, I am aware that most cereals contain a high level of sugar and I try to avoid them where possible. Breakfasts can be Weetabix, porridge, toast, eggs, pancakes.

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

My one year old liked them. Although he does eat everything. He didn't get the concept.

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

I liked the novelty factor of picking out the letters - although I couldn't find any "y"s. However I probably wouldn't buy them very often as they are quite high in sugar.

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

Maybe, but I would point out that they are high in sugar.

Thanks for the pack and the opportunity to try something different.

Bears arrived yesterday - came home to red card from Royal Mail with 'PARCEL IN BIN' printed onto it. CHEERS, POSTIE.

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?

DD is a good eater, and because I am a boring mum who likes healthy food, hasn't really had a chance to try cereals yet, other than porridge. So the only challenge is variety, really.

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

Yes, very much. I don't trust a lot of cereals to provide a nourishing, healthy start. DD usually has porridge with fruit and nuts or toast and bananas.

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

She likes the box, and the illustrations on the back. She prefers the cereal without milk, as a snack, which is fine with me.

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

Yes I would, but a box will last a long time so won't be buying often.

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

Yes I would :)

Thanks for our fab croc box of goodies. The box had many others joined to it plus legs and turned into a crocodile that now lives in the conservatory with its paper baby.

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?
My 8 year old is brilliant. The 4 year old is a menace - takes an hour, no matter what he has to eat, and needs constant encouragement. The 18 month old is very hit and miss and would like to get on with rampaging rather than eating.

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

I do worry about salt and sugar. The sugar content in the Bear cereal still seems quite high, I would prefer them to be less sweet, whether the sugar is refined or not. They all like puffed wheat (no added salt or sugar). They also have shredded wheat, cheerios, cornflakes, or a mixture of cereal, toast with peanut butter, egg on toast. The 18 month old has porridge with raisins or fruit most days and often a few dry cereal afterwards. The 4 year old has his cereal dry with a glass of milk, the 8 year old with milk.

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

They were very excited when they saw the box as they love Bear yoyos and recognised the brand. They didn't pay much attention to the packaging beyond that but were very keen to try them. We tried the cocoa flavour first as chocolate cereal is normally banned. They went down very well. The 8 year old had them with milk. The 4 year old ate them all (yay!) without milk and kept showing me the letters. Both chose the Bear cereal over all other options the following day. The 18 month old had them after her porridge and went to the cupboard to re-fill her bowl (must put a bag clip on the bag - maybe a shark one!). I'll report back on the other flavour when they try them.

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

Yes, I like them to have a variety so have no problem with them having them sometimes. I'd probably only buy on special offer though.

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

Yes, all 3 children enjoyed them and I like the 'no junk' even if there is still too much sugar for my liking.

Is breakfast a challenge? No - not really. My daughter tends to be ravenous in the morning.

My daughter usually eats a banana, some yoghurt and a slice of toast for breakfast. She sometimes has second breakfast at nursery - usually more toast if she's feeling particularly hungry.

What did she think? She's at a stage where she wants to control what she eats, but can't properly use a spoon, so eating them with milk wasn't wildly successful. She ate some dry letters that I put in a bowl for her and they went down well. I tried some and was impressed they didn't disintegrate like so many cereals do.

The box is attractive and appealing to children.

Would I buy them? Yes occasionally. They are reasonably priced.

Would I recommend them? If it came up in conversation, yes.

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; I don't normally buy any cereals apart from Weetabix as my DD has milk protein allergy so am limited in what I can give her.

What do your DCs usually eat at breakfast? Are you worried about the refined sugar and salt that most breakfast cereals contain, or not?
They either have toast, Weetabix or a banana (or a combination of these things.) I tend to stick to Weetabix as my DH loves it, don't really see the point in having too many cereals at home. The amount of sugar/salt in most foods is a concern for most things not just cereals.

What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them?
They really loved the box that the cereals were delivered in! They liked the taste of the chocolate ones - with & without milk/soya milk. My DD was happy with the fact that she could recognise the letters, so we'd choose one letter per spoonful to think of a word beginning with that letter. They haven't paid much attention to the box containing the cereal as yet, but I think it's nice that it's interactive though I think my kids are a tad young to appreciate that fully.

Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future? (available in 375g box, RRP £2.69)?
Yes I would, or stock up if they were on offer at a lower price.

Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes I would, I have some young nieces/nephews & friends with young children who would appreciate the heads up about a healthier cereal.

Package arrived on Thurs. we already had the plain alphabites at home but have road tested the chocolate flavour.

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?

DD is not a particularly big eater in the morning but will usually eat something eventually.

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

Dry cereal or sometimes with milk, toast with spread of some sort, fruit or yoghurt. Occasionally has pancakes or mini pain au chocolat. Not particularly fussed about sugar/salt as we don't usually have the exciting cereals and DD doesn't eat huge amounts of cereal in any event. Hidden sugar or salt is more of a concern to me in other products.

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

Packaging was fun. Plain cereal: quite like cheerios. DD tried it once and has now refused any more, she said they were not tasty. She is used to your other products which have stronger flavours such as the yoyos and paws so I think she was a bit disappointed. I quite liked them but found they were a bit sweet for me.

Cocoa flavour: DD tried them once without milk, but said there was not enough cocoa. I tried them too and would agree with her.

However, DH tried the plain ones and liked them. He thought they could be improved by putting bits of the Bear yoyos (particularly the strawberry ones) in the mix, I guess like a sort of Jordan's country crisp.

Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future? (available in 375g box, RRP £2.69)? No. Price is too high and DD is not keen on them. Given that she gets bored of cereal after a while I like to pick ones we might both like to eat.

Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives? If so, why? If not, why not? I would, they are a nice alternative to the mainstream cereals around.

Yup, generally positive, here.

My DC's (and I :-)) are huge fans of the Bear products generally, our local co-op can attribute a good proportion of their profits to our regular purchases of fruit yo-yos and dried fruit bites.

Getting the lovely box delivered felt a bit Christmasy :-) I appreciated the beautiful and thought through packaging, lots of lovely little touches to make the product feel organic, natural and good for you. The DCs (6 and 2) enjoyed the magnets and loved the pictures on the box. The 6 year old appreciated the sense of humour in naming the letters, i.e. "U" for "Umble and his Grumblebum".

As for the cereal - DCs loved the plain ones, but the chocolate ones were not a massive hit (I reeeeallly love them though, in fact becoming a bit addicted, so might just buy them for myself :-)))). The plain ones have happily replaced the Crunchy Nut ones they usually ask for.

All in all - thank you very much for our box from all of us!

And the answers to your questions:

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?
Breakfast is probably the easiest meal of the day, cereals generally go down without any arguments.

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

Crunchy Nut, Coco Pops. DCs are quite fussy so we tend to just go with the cereals that they like. It is great to find something that they like and is actually healthy.

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

Loved everything. The concept is great as there isn't much else available that would actually interest the DCs and be good for them.

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

Definitely yes.

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

Yes.

Still waiting for my tester box but we got to try some at OnBlackheath festival yesterday. Yummy! Even the chocolate ones didn't taste too sweet and chocolatey (if that makes any sense!)

Need to check the nutritional info but.... if the mini packs they gave out are anything to go by, there was no listing of whether there was or wasn't the possibility of nut traces in the product which would've been useful in this household.

Will post more when my box arrives.

• 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 a challenge,my DS is a very good breakfast eater!

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

Usually cereal, he is given a choice of porridge, weetabix, Rice Krispies or Cheerios. I do worry about the added sugar and salt especially to Cheerios and Rice Krispies.

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

My 4 year old DS loved them, he loved the packaging and magnets! But he really loved the cereal too, he had the cocoa one yesterday and the multigrain one today. I asked him which he preferred and he said the multigrain one which I was surprised about as I thought he'd prefer the cocoa one -especially as he wouldn't be allowed chocolate cereal usually!

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

Yes definitely, I loved the fact they were natural and it is one chocolate cereal I would have no hesitation in allowing him to have, much healthier than Rice Krispies and Cheerios! I would buy it alongside the usual ones I get and would probably stock up if it was on offer as it's a little pricier than I usually buy but I don't think it's unreasonable price by any means.

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

Yes because there is no rubbish in it and it's a healthy cereal which is actually pretty rare, most of the so called healthy ones have added refined sugars and are marketed as healthy but are anything but! And DS loved it, I love the fact that it's healthy yet still appeals to him unlike all the rubbish ones aimed at children which are ridiculously unhealthy!

• 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?

Breakfast is always a rush on weekdays. DD1 loves eating breakfast but DD2 often doesn't want anything until the very last minute.

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

DD1 eats an adult sized portion of a mix of cereal. Usually 3 of muesli, shreddies, cornflakes, apricot wheats, weetabix or cheerios (all own brands not kellogs/nestle due to price). Occasionally porridge with syrup or jam. Followed by 2 pieces of fruit.
DD2 usually eats a slice of bread and butter, a babybel and a few nuts, seeds and raisins. She rarely eats cereal.
I don't worry too much about sugar though try to ensure that 1 of DD1's cereals isn't sweetened. I buy own brand which often has less salt and sugar.

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

They loved them. DD2 had a bowlful without milk (very unusual for her). DD1 had a big bowlful with milk. They loved finding different letters. And the rare treat of having a chocolate cereal. They liked the back of the packaging but probably wouldn't be tempted by the front. I found them a bit sweet but not too bad.

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

Probably as occasional option as they are expensive compared to the own brand cereal I normally buy.

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

Yes if the friend was concerned about refined sugar and not too bothered about price.

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? Often DD doesn't want anything and DS2 is extremely fussy.

• What do your DCs usually eat at breakfast? Are you worried about the refined sugar and salt that most breakfast cereals contain, or not? Cereal/toast/eggs/pancakes/brioche/porridge

I hate the amount of sugar and salt in cereal.

• What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? They loved them. They liked looking at the letters although I caught DD spelling 'fuck' with hers

They all liked the packaging but HATED the fig leaf on the bear. They kept saying 'it must be hiding its penis' They like them dry and with milk - they were pleased with how crunchy they stayed.

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

Theyre beyond my budget except perhaps as an occasional treat.

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

Yes I would as the DC really liked them and we actually got my parents to try them too - they thought they would be lovely added to muesli!

We collected the cool box from the sorting office yesterday, and the dc enjoyed opening it and spelling out things with the magnets/deciding who the characters were.

This morning we tried the cereals themselves. Not such a great response, I'm afraid (but thank you very much to BEAR for the opportunity to try them).

Do you find breakfast with your DCs to be a challenge, or not?
Often, yes, primarily because we don't have enough time in the mornings to have a leisurely breakfast in the week. Weekends are better. Mon-Fri they usually eat standing up on the crowded bus while reading their reading books and cramming their spellings.

What do your DCs usually eat at breakfast? Are you worried about the refined sugar and salt that most breakfast cereals contain, or not?
Mon-Fri they always have a banana/clementine/pear/apple first, then soggy toast/brioche/pain au chocolat/rolled-up pancake/muffin. I have long since given up worrying about sugar. As long as their breakfast is fairly bready/floury, I figure that'll get them through to lunch ok, even if it's sugar-heavy too.
Sat & Sun tends to be at home, so fruit then a fry-up, or cereal and yoghurt, or ham and cheese on rolls.

What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites?
Well, the concept went down well in terms of Bear (ds has a yo yo in his lunch every day as one of the 5-a-day) and the monsterbet and all the reading on the back of the pack - they like to read while they eat. They weren't, at 9 and 6, interested in the ingredients. They liked the padlock on the top of the pack.
They also really enjoyed spelling stuff out, as one might expect, and nicking each other's letters to howls of outrage, which I wasn't bets pleased by.
The taste, erm, not so much, I'm afraid. They are quite limited in terms of cereal they like anyway: Cocopops, weetabix, cornflakes, rice crispies, porridge, cinnamon squares. That's about it.
dd (9) said that the cocoa one tasted 'horrid on its own', while with milk 'you can't taste it' - that was an improvement, apparently. Having tried a handful myself, I can sort of see her point, in that it was a bit musty-tasting.
ds (6) said the cocoa one 'didn't taste like anything', milk or otherwise.

They both preferred the plain one, and thought it tasted a bit like honey. Ok on its own as a finger-food snack, but too sweet with milk.

Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future?
No, I don't think so. The only use we might have for them is in a pot in a packed lunch, and then I'd be unhappy with the sticky sugar on teeth aspect, as they already have fruit and yoyos in their lunch.
But rest assured we'll keep the company going on our yoyo purchasing alone. At leats until we finally get an England card...

Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives?
I'll pass on the packs to other people, or they'll just end up going stale in the cupboard, but I won't be recommending to others, I don't think, unless specifically asked to highlight cereals that are made with low GI sugar.

Sorry not to have more positive news!

• 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?

Speed and spillages tend to be the problem in our house on school days so I tend to avoid things that exacerbate those issues because I like to nip off for my shower while the dc eat breakfast.

• 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 mixture of croissants, brioche, chocolate chip brioche rolls, pain au chocolate, toast, peanut butter sandwiches, fruit and yoghurt with milk to drink. They occasionally eat Waitrose's version of Shreddies or Cherios but never Frosties, Coco pops or other v sugary cereal (mainly because ds doesn't like it but also because I don't think it's very healthy ignores chocolate and carb fest listed above) and for the little one who is nearly 2 it's a bit of a labour intensive exercise which interferes with my shower. I do worry about loading them up with sugar at breakfast and I don't think much of most breakfast cereal in terms of nutritional value.

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

DS really likes both types. His first, unprompted reaction when trying the multigrain one was "Mmmmmmmmmmummmmmmm!" as mentioned up thread. Praise indeed! He said the chocolate ones tasted like "chocolate cake and also brownies" which is also good, particularly because he has found other chocolate cereals to be disappointing and not actually taste of chocolate (I'm looking at you Kellogs Coco Pops). The little one is only 22 months but ate a whole bowl of the chocolate ones herself (this is v v good) and then ate half her brother's multigrain when he wasn't looking. She also shouted "more, more!" so you have a definite hit there. Ds(5.5yrs) loves Bear products generally so was always going to be a convert and the little one is only just getting into cereal and has a sweet tooth and these seem to do it for her. I tasted one and it was very sweet. A bit too sweet for me so good to know they're not as bad nutritionally as sugar!

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

Yes I would. It's a bit more than I usually spend on cereal but cheaper compared to the French breakfast foods which they are so fond of.

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

Yes, because my dc like them and the eldest is really fussy so if he likes them chances are most children will!

Oh the little one sometimes eats a boiled egg and soldiers or scrambled egg for breakfast but only really at the weekends.

I didn't ask mine about packaging. They don't do the shopping and aren't really interested in packaging because neither can read. They care about how things taste. Although ds did care that it was from the yo-yo bear.

I don't like the fig leaf either much and wouldn't mind if it went but I've never really noticed it before on the yo-yo box. But that might be because I'm distracted by beating back the small children demanding "fruity things! Fruity things!"(DS) and "me! me! more!" (baby).

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?
No not really apart from 5 children want 5 different things.
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 ranges from porridge,weetabix ,toast & Marmite,Hot x buns,scrambled egg or crumpets, i tend to stay away from "sugary" cereals but they do have coco pops or Lion cereal very occasionally
What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites?
3yr old & 5 yr old ate a bowl very slowly and said they were quite nice but then wasnt keen on having another bowl the following morning,9yr old & 10 Yr took one look and had a smell and refused point blank to even try and my 14 yr old who is a Health fanatic said the cocoa ones were a bit sweet but the plain ones were tasteless apart from the milk ! They all seemed to think they looked better in the box than what they actually tasted
Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future?
probably not..none of the children were "that" keen and they would be a lot more expensive than there usual breakfasts
Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives? If so, why? If not, why not?
I wouldnt "not" recommend them but i wouldnt probably recommend them either, I think there are such a lot of "breakfast" foods that are tastier, cheaper and just as healthy

My 3 year old son got very excited when the Bear Alphabites arrived, especially as he loves learning letters at the moment. Here are the answers to the questions.

• 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? Breakfast time is great with my 1 year old daughter who seems to like most things I give her to eat, but my son is very fussy when it comes to food. This can be a real challenge to find something he'll eat.
• What do your DCs usually eat at breakfast? Are you worried about the refined sugar and salt that most breakfast cereals contain, or not? My daughter usually has Ella's Kitchen or Organix porridge for breakfast and my son has cheerios or Kellogg's multigrain shapes. I'm not worried about what my daughter eats, but I do worry about what's in my son's cereal.
• What did your DCs think of Bear Alphabites (taste, packaging, concept)? What did they like or dislike about them? They loved the packaging and the idea of cereal in the shape of letters which you can play with. My son said he preferred the cocoa Alphabites. They both ate some of both flavours, which is great for my son who usually says no to trying new foods, but unfortunately my son would only eat a few before saying he was full. He's going through a phase of not eating much breakfast, so probably not to do with the product itself. My daughter seemed to enjoy both of them, especially when she'd made them soggy with her milk. She's only just starting to get teeth, but managed to eat them. I liked the way the milk turned brown with the cocoa Alphabites, as that made it more interesting for her, as the letters do not really mean anything for her yet.
• Would you buy Bear Alphabites for your DCs in the future? (available in 375g box, RRP £2.69)? Yes, especially as the price is quite reasonable for such a product.
• Would you recommend Bear Alphabites to friends or relatives? If so, why? If not, why not? Yes, I would as it's a great way to try and get children to eat a healthier breakfast and they can learn and play whilst eating it. It also doesn't cost the earth to buy.

hi thank you so much for giving us a chance to review the new bear alphabites. Firstly the packaging (both the funky croc delivery box & the actual packaging of cereal box) was brilliant my dc got very excited when seeing the boxes & the loved the magnets inside huge plus points from the off!!
Breakfast is a huge deal for us as a family esp as with the kids at school then after school clubs, on a weekend they go into childcare as we work full time inc sat/sun its a meal we all sit down too & enjoy. but trying to find a non sugary but still fun & affordable cereal is really hard. this box actually fufils what we would want. The outer packaging appealed to all 3 of the kids the fun facts on the back kept my dd entertained & my ds loved the pics on the front. if this was on a supermarket shelf they would want this in the trolley.
my eldest dd (8) & my ds picked the choc flavor while my middle dd had the plain style.
When picking a cereal i pick the ones that will taste great without milk as my eldest wont have it on cereal these ticked that box, without milk & with yougart on top my dd said they were delicious which considering alphabites has less sugar than the usual cereals was a pleasent surprise. the other 2 had theirs with milk & you can tell it was a good quality cereal as it held its crunch, didnt turn into a soggy mess after 30 secs unlike some other brands.
the kids loved picking out the letters & breakfast went on for a little longer than usual while they were picking out & trying to spell there names & other words.
I would recommend these too others & buy them myself, the dc enjoyed them they were full til lunchtime even after chasing a rugby ball around a field this morning! at a rrp of 2.69 they are probably more expensive than i would usually buy but seem better value for money when to think that the kids arent eating so many e numbers. even my dh who really isnt interested in the thats good for you/bad for you thats got too much sugar that hasnt got enough calcium things was impressed with the "only 6 ingriediants" statement.
so thank your Bear these have been well enjoyed

1.breakfast is a challenge with DD age7 as she doesn't seem to like food in the morning, well unless its cake or chocolate. Not sure why, but it makes mornings mores stressful going through kitchen cabinets trying to find anything she'll eat.

1. DS eats wheatabix or porridge, nothing else will be tolerated by that creature of habit! DD might have a bit of cold meat occasionally toast. I do worry about sugar and salt in cereals as I avoid salt for medical reasons and was amazed by the amount of salt in cereal.

1. Both DC loved the boxes, DD loves Yoyos so the Bear attracted her and made her willing to have a go. Both DC ate them happily, DD without milk as she doesn't like milk in the mornings. DD made the word Poo from the letters which resulted in a hysterical breakfast!

1. I'd buy them as a treat, tend to buy own brand cereal generally though so it's a bit on the expensive side for me.

1. I'd recommend them, the letter shapes went down well and they don't taste "healthy" or look it so ideal for fooling children!

My feedback after a few days of testing. First answers to the questions, then some general thoughts.

• 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 so much a challenge, as it's one meal they eat happily, but sometimes I do think it's a bit dull. I try to not just dish up the same thing day after day, but some mornings I am just not awake enough for anything but cereal or toast.

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

I try not to do boxed cereal every day. Some days they'll have homemade porridge. They pretty much always have wholemeal toast with honey or jam on it as well as whatever else. Occasionally they have eggs or I make pancakes. But cereal is quick so when we are in a hurry they will have that. My 3.5 year old likes Cheerios and Weetabix. My 18 month old son is oddly keen on plain shredded wheat. I do worry a bit about the amount of sugar in cereal, but I try to keep to the right portion size and make sure the rest of their diet is better.

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

They both liked the taste, the cocoa one was a particular hit as they never normally get chocolate cereal. My daughter declared them yummy, although she chose Cheerios over them when offered the choice. The packaging got the thumbs up from her, she likes the bear and the monsters on the back. No dislikes mentioned. My son happily ate them all up, he doesn't talk yet so no feedback from him other than cleaning his bowl.
I also tried them and liked both flavours. I like that they stay crunchy, soggy cereal is one of the reasons I don't eat much cereal. They were quite sweet still

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

I might do. I tend to buy unbranded cereal to save money but if my children requested these I would buy them occasionally.

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

I would say they were tasty and recommend them on that basis.

Finally, I wanted to give my thoughts on the no refined sugar thing. This isn't really a selling point for me as, going by the info on the back of the box, these are still high in sugar. I remain unconvinced by the idea that because it is coconut blossom nectar, or whatever, it makes it better. I'd like a real low sugar cereal for children. This is a nice enough cereal and my children enjoyed it, but I don't believe the message that it is somehow better for them than a bowl of Cheerios.

First of all, thanks for the chance to take part :-)

• Not a problem getting them to have breakfast, but sometimes a problem getting them to eat a healthy breakfast!

• Cereals (I'm afraid they prefer sugary ones) or Brioche or toasted teacake.

• Enjoyed them - liked the crunch, and the letter shapes

• Possibly. Tend to choose cereals on special offer if available.

• I would

I applied to join this product trial but didn't get in :( however I'd still really like (DS) to try them - can anyone tell me where you can buy them from? They are not in my local Tesco...