COLES MUESLI BARS CHOCOLATE CHIPS
15 min reading time
ReAL FOOD RATING
Price
3.00/8 bars- 248g
Where to Buy
Coles Supermarkets
MANDY'S TAKE
This bar receives a 4-star Health Star Rating, but when you look closely at the ingredients, that rating feels deeply misleading. While the branding doesn’t overpromise, the formulation is built on glucose syrup, invert sugar, palm oil, and compound chocolate, with multiple added sugars and ultra-processed additives that don’t belong in everyday snacks.
It does contain oats and some fibre, but that’s not enough to outweigh the highly processed ingredients designed to hook young taste buds. This is yet another example of how the Health Star Rating system rewards nutrient numbers while ignoring overall food quality and processing level.
This bar sits firmly in the Limit category — meaning it’s best avoided where possible or only eaten when no better options are available.”
RATING BREAKDOWN
NUTRITION SNAPSHOT
- Contains 46% oats
- High in sugar - 19.5g per 100g (1.5 tsp per bar)
- Three added sugars: glucose, sugar, invert syrup
- Refined palm oil and sunflower oil
- Ultra-processed choc compound chocolate
NUTRITION SNAPSHOT
Natural colours (not artificial)
Limited whole food ingredients beyond oats
Contains glycerine additive
Fibre partly from extracted chicory root
Colours: Natural
No Artificial Colours: Win!
WHO'S IT FOR?
- Babies & Toddlers
- Kids (limit wherever possible)
- Teens (limit wherever possible)
- Adults (limit wherever possible)
- Contains milk
- Contains soy
- Contains wheat
- Contains gluten
BETTER OPTIONS
- Chocolate oat balls made with oats, cacao, dates, and nut butter
- Mini oat bars with banana, coconut, and chia
- No-bake energy balls using oats, hemp seeds, and cacao
- Wholegrain slices with puffed rice, tahini, and cacao nibs
MAKE IT YOURSELF
Want a healthier alternative? Try a homemade version!
“These use healthy and nutritious ingredients” – Mandy
Check out the Recipe
On-the-go Breakfast Bars
My delicious On-the-go Muesli Breakfast Bars provide a chewy and nutritious start to your day! Unlike store-bought muesli bars that are loaded with additives and sugar, these whole
Watch the Reel
THE VERDICT
This bar’s 4-star Health Star Rating is misleading, given its foundation of glucose, invert syrup, sugar, palm oil, and compound chocolate. While it does contain oats, it’s still a highly processed snack built on sweeteners, refined oils, and artificial additives. It’s not recommended as a nourishing option for kids, despite what the Health Star Rating implies. It resembles a cookie more than a real food snack, and that’s exactly how it should be treated. It receives a 2.5/5 Real Food Rating (RFR).
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