What The Heck Is Belvita – Just Say No To Advertising

   I started seeing several Belvita commercials.  One was with 2 stars from “Jersey Shore” and the other was a random commercial about how these small crackers have the ability to keep you full all morning long.  For the life of me I couldn’t figure out if these were supposed to be a quick breakfast substitute or if they were aimed at helping people shed weight.

    In my quest to figure out what Belvita is,  I found this info

• They are a new breakfast cracker / biscuit 
• To stay full all morning long, you are encouraged to eat 4.
• Each serving of Belvita has 34 – 38  grams of carbs
• The packaging resembles that of an Asian Cookie – very misleading
• Belvita is a European brand that Kraft decided to bring to the U.S.
• The cracker is designed to release carbs over a 4 hour period .

According to the Box, a well rounded breakfast with Belvita Included is

1. 4 Belvita Biscuits
2. Low fat yogurt
3. a piece of fruit
4. a cup of coffee or tea

Is Belvita Good For You?

Of course this question is relative to what you’ve been eating.  If you eat 4 donuts for breakfast then Belvita is obviously a better choice.  However, for the average American, who eats cereal each day, this probably isn’t the best option.

*  Belvita breakfast contains 34-38 grams of carbohydrates (out of 100 total grams).     While these claim to be slow releasing carboydrates, anything that contains that much sugar is bound to spike your insulin levels.  Spikes of insulin = storage of body fat.  When you add in the recommended fruit and yogurt it sends it up to 64 grams of carbs.

*  Belvita contains more almost as many carbs as a cupcake and almost as much sugar!

On the package, Kraft mixes these bisquits with “healthy” food options.  Most people assume that yogurt is a good choice however, it adds to the already high carb, high sugar cracker.  Then, on top of it,  they add in fruit! By the time you are done consuming their “breakfast recommendation,”  you are well over 100 carbs.  For people trying to shed some weight this spells D I S A S T E R !

Take our advice, lean towards breakfast foods that have moderate carbs, high protien, and moderate calories. Yes, breakfast should be the largest meal of the day, but it shouldn’t send you into a sugar / carb enduced comma.  Avoid the cleaver marketing and pass this fitness tip onto your friends.

Adria Ali

BS, CPT, CES, PES