Is Weet-bix weight loss-friendly?

Is there anything more Australian than a serve of Weet-bix for breakfast? Maybe a spread of Vegemite on toast, but we’ll let you decide that one.

It’s all well and good to be considered an Aussie icon, but that doesn’t guarantee a healthy meal.

In the spirit of transparency, we’re taking a closer look at the nutritional value of Weet-bix, their potential health benefits, and how to make them a healthy option for a weight loss diet. 

Nutritional facts of Weet-bix

Let’s start with an easy one — the nutritional content of Weet-bix. These numbers refer to a recommended serving, which is 2 biscuits or approximately 30 grams [1]:

• 110 calories
• 3.8g protein
• 0.4g fat
• 20.4g carbs
• 0.9g sugar
• 4g fibre
• Less than 1g salt

The big ones to note here are the low sugar value and the high fibre. This is what makes Weet-bix a good breakfast option or snack throughout the day. Weet-bix are a fortified cereal, which means they have a number of essential nutrients added, such as vitamins B1, B2 and B3; plus folate and iron.

They are made from 97% whole grains too, which means 1 serve of Weet-bix contains more than half of your daily whole grain needs.

All of this combined adds up to a 5-star health rating from the Australian government. So, in other words, Weet-bix can be a healthy choice for breakfast, low-calorie snacking, or added to a main meal.

It's important to remember that these facts and figures are for the Weet-bix alone. Adding full-cream milk and other delicious, but high-calorie toppings could mean you consume more calories than you planned.

Is it Weet-bix or Weetabix?

You’d be forgiven for thinking these are one and the same, but that extra letter makes all the difference. Weet-bix is the Australian version of wheat biscuits, while Weetabix is a British brand.

They contain the same ingredients, like malted barley extract and wholegrain wheat, but are not the exact same recipe. If you check the nutritional value of British Weetabix, you’ll notice [2]: 

• They have slightly higher carbs, sugar, and fat content
• They are a little bit lower in fibre
• They have a slightly higher protein content

Each of these nutritional differences is quite small, so it’s not a big deal if you prefer the taste of one brand over another.

In fact, Weet-bix is far from the only wheat biscuits available in Australia too. There are plenty of home brand varieties from the major supermarkets which are typically more affordable [11].

While they might be easier on the hip pocket, not everyone enjoys the taste. A taste test of wheat biscuit breakfast cereal by CHOICE found that only a few brands could pass for the real thing, while many others were lacking in texture or flavour.

In good news, every brand tested had a health rating of 4.5 or higher — so they were all considered a healthy option. 

The health benefits of eating Weet-bix

Okay, so we’ve decided that Weet-bix are healthy. But, what is it that actually makes them good for you? Here are 3 reasons. 

Wholegrain goodness

As we said earlier, Weet-bix is made from 97% whole grains — which are an important food group that forms part of a varied diet.

It’s recommended that Australian adults have 4-6 servings of grain foods per day. There are lots of different grains you can eat to make up these servings, such as [5]: 

• Bread: Anything from wholemeal sandwich loaf to naan, focaccia, pita and another Aussie classic, damper.
• Cereals: From ready-to-eat varieties like Weet-bix to oats, porridge, and muesli.
• Grains: Like rice, quinoa, or corn.
• Grain products: Like pasta, noodles, or popcorn.

The biggest health benefits come from whole grains, as they contain more fibre and essential nutrients than processed varieties. Some of the proven health benefits include [5]:

• Lower risks of certain diseases
• Better gut health, helping to prevent constipation and keeping your gut flora healthy
• Low-fat content, as they're naturally low in saturated fat and contain healthy fats
• Weight loss benefits, as the high fibre content makes them slow to digest, which helps you feel fuller for longer

Packed with vitamins and minerals

We mentioned a bunch of essential nutrients earlier which have been added to Weet-bix. Well, they weren’t chosen by accident. Each of these nutrients plays an important role in your body, helping you function properly.

One of the most important ones for women is iron. This nutrient helps support your immune system, transport oxygen around the body, and maintain your energy levels [3].

Women are at high risk of iron deficiency thanks to their menstrual cycle, which means keeping up their iron levels through food is important.

Weet-bix is actually one of the highest plant-based sources of iron, with 1 serve containing around 25% of your daily iron needs [1].

Another key nutrient is folate, also known as folic acid. A serve of Weet-bix contains up to 35% of your folate needs — putting you well on the way to reaching your daily intake [6][1].

Full of dietary fibre 

Eating plenty of high-fibre foods has many benefits, from helping your gut function to preventing chronic disease. Fibre has also been shown to help regulate blood sugars [4].

Adult women need 25 grams of fibre per day, while men are recommended to have 30 grams [4]. With a single serve of Weet-bix containing 4 grams of fibre, your day is off to a great start [1].

Is Weet-bix good for weight loss?

If you love Weet-bix, then you’ll love to know they are a great choice to help you lose weight. But, we’re not here to state facts. We’re here to provide the evidence too.

Let’s start with an interesting review of over 200 studies on breakfast cereals. The researchers kept a broad view — not looking at any specific type of breakfast cereal or ingredient, which means the results need to be considered general too.

But, boy were those results interesting.

Overall, they found that people who regularly eat breakfast cereals tended to have higher carb and sugar intakes, but also lower fats, lower cholesterol and a greater likelihood of getting all the vitamins and minerals their bodies need [8].

Turning to weight loss, the review also showed that across different age groups and countries — breakfast cereals could help with weight management. There were 2 main theories linked to this [8]:

1. Cereals that are high in fibre tend to make you feel fuller, which helps prevent overeating throughout the day
2. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast, like cereal, might suggest that you lead a generally healthy lifestyle too

If we look closer at the point on fibre, there is good evidence that a high-fibre diet can help with weight management. As mentioned above, fibre helps control appetite by making you feel fuller for longer.

But another reason could be that high-fibre foods tend to be low-calorie foods too. So, not only will you feel full after a meal, but you’ll be keeping your overall calorie intake low [7].

While cereals, like Weet-bix, are an awesome way to get fibre in your diet, there are other options, like snacking on fruit and nuts or switching from refined grains (white bread, white rice) to whole grains (wholemeal bread, brown rice) [7].

We also recommend Juniper’s Nourish Shakes as a balanced, nutrient-rich meal replacement.

Available in Chocolate, Vanilla and Espresso flavours — each shake contains 6 grams of fibre, 29.4 grams of protein and 20 vitamins and minerals to keep you feeling full and energised.

How to maintain weight loss

The start of a weight loss journey can feel really motivating as you notice big results right away. But, over time, many people find motivation dips and they resort back to old habits.

Another review of multiple studies showed what factors helped people maintain their weight loss journey for the long term [9].

Factors that helped included:

• Portion control
• Eating more fruits and vegetables
• Cutting out added sugar from beverages
• Regular exercise

Factors with little to no effect included:

• Your age, gender and weight history
• Eating out at restaurants
• Levels of psychological stress

Stress may not have been key, but mindset was considered an important factor. People who monitored their diet and exercise showed more confidence in their ability to follow through on their weight loss goals.

If you’re struggling to manage on your own — Juniper’s Weight Reset Program might be a good option.

Get treatment that targets weight gain on a biological level, plus a dietitian-led program that supports long-term weight maintenance. There’s even an app that helps you track your progress and includes plenty more health education from our experts.

Can you eat too many Weet-bix?

If you were thinking the sky’s the limit for Weet-bix, we’re going to bring you back down to earth. Eating too many Weet-bix is not likely to be a big risk to your health, but it could cause discomfort or derail your weight loss diet.

First, let’s talk about portion sizes. As we mentioned in the study above, portion control is a big factor in helping people lose weight and keep it off. The recommended serving size for any grain cereal, including Weet-bix, is 30 grams (or 2 biscuits) [5].

Keeping your portion sizes in line and eating a variety of foods for a balanced diet gives you the best chance of reaching your weight loss goals.

Second, eating too many Weet-bix can overdo it on the fibre. This could mess with your digestion and lead to abdominal pain or flatulence — not life-threatening, but not fun side effects either [7].

If you’re moving from a low-fibre to a high-fibre diet, try to increase it gradually for best results.

It’s also important that you’re drinking plenty of water on a high-fibre diet. Fluids help keep food moving through your gut, which keeps bloating and constipation at bay [7].

The best way to understand the right amount of cereals or fibre for your diet is to speak with a qualified doctor or dietitian.

Weight loss-friendly ways to enjoy Weet-bix

Ready to serve up a bowl of Weet-bix? Glad to hear it, but you’ll need a few more ingredients to create a balanced breakfast. Luckily, one of the best recipes is also so simple [10]:

• Add skim milk or yoghurt for a boost of protein and calcium
• Opt for fruit and nuts for extra flavour and texture, rather than high-calorie toppings

Then there's the option to use Weet-bix in other foods, such as snacks and meals. Here are a few ideas [12][13]:

• Blend them into a delicious smoothie
• Mix up your own muesli bars with Weet-bix, rolled oats, honey, and a few other ingredients
• Turn them into crumble for a better-for-you dessert option
• Cook them into quiche for a dose of added fibre at dinnertime
• Bake them into chips for a simple afternoon snack