Waitrose Essential Fruit Muesli: calories, sugar and nutrition

A 30g bowl of Waitrose Essential Fruit Muesli contains 104 kcal, 8.3g of sugar (2.6g of free sugar), 1.8g of fibre and 2.2g of protein. With 125ml of semi-skimmed milk the bowl comes to 163 kcal and 14.2g of total sugar. It is classed as NOVA 4 (ultra-processed).

Nutrition by portion size

Full nutrition by portion: Essential Fruit Muesli

Per	Child bowl 25g	Standard bowl 30g	Generous bowl 45g	100g
Energy	87 kcal	104 kcal	156 kcal	347 kcal
Fat	1.0g	1.2g	1.8g	3.9g
Saturates	0.3g	0.3g	0.5g	1.1g
Carbs	16.9g	20.3g	30.4g	67.6g
Total sugar	6.9g	8.3g	12.4g	27.6g
Free sugar	2.1g	2.6g	3.9g	8.6g
Fibre	1.5g	1.8g	2.7g	5.9g
Protein	1.9g	2.2g	3.4g	7.5g
Salt	0.02g	0.02g	0.03g	0.07g

Cereal only, before milk. This is a Waitrose own-brand cereal. Waitrose gives a pack serving of 45g. Free sugar is Boone's calculation: total sugar less 19.0g from whole dried fruit. All other figures are from the Waitrose nutrition panel.

Calories, free sugar and salt by age

A 30g bowl as a share of daily guidelines

30g bowl	4 to 6	7 to 10	11 to 17	Adult
Calories	8%	7%	5%	5%
Free sugar	14%	11%	9%	9%
Salt	1%	0%	0%	0%
Saturated fat	3%	2%	2%	2%

Cereal only, before milk. Figures are for an average female in each age band; use the calculator for males, other portions or any milk.

Free sugar vs total sugar

Of the 27.6g of sugar per 100g in Essential Fruit Muesli, Boone counts 8.6g as free sugar. The rest (19.0g) is sugar in whole dried fruit, which the NHS limit does not count. Method: total sugar less 19.0g from whole dried fruit.

Is it ultra-processed?

Essential Fruit Muesli is classed as NOVA 4, ultra-processed, because its ingredients include flavouring. These are industrial ingredients you would not use in a home kitchen. 1 of its 18 ingredients is of this kind.

Boone classifies processing from the published ingredient list using the NOVA system. Added vitamins and minerals are not counted as a marker of ultra-processing.

What is in it

Ingredients

Oat flakes, wholegrain wheat flakes, sultanas (12%), barley flakes, toasted wheat flakes (10%) (wheat, barley malt extract), raisins (10%), diced dried apricots (5%) (apricots, preservative (sulphur dioxide)), dried sweetened banana pieces (4%) (dried banana, coconut oil, sugar, flavouring), dried sweetened pineapple (3%) (dried pineapple, sugar, acidity regulator (citric acid), preservative (sulphur dioxide)), dried sweetened papaya (3%) (dried papaya, sugar, acidity regulator (citric acid), preservative (sulphur dioxide)), dried apple slices (3%), dried sweetened cranberries (3%) (dried cranberries, sugar)

18 ingredients in total, counting each component once and the added vitamins and minerals as one. Always check the pack before eating if you have an allergy, since recipes change.

Allergens

Allergen information

Allergen	Status
Cereals containing gluten	Contains
Crustaceans	Not listed
Eggs	Not listed
Fish	Not listed
Peanuts	Not listed
Soybeans	Not listed
Milk	Not listed
Nuts	Not listed
Celery	Not listed
Mustard	Not listed
Sesame	Not listed
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites	Contains
Lupin	Not listed
Molluscs	Not listed

Contains is taken from the ingredient list. May-contain warnings for cross-contamination are not shown here, so always check the pack before eating if you have an allergy.

Waitrose Essential Fruit Muesli nutrition FAQs

How many calories are in a bowl?+

A 30g bowl contains 104 kcal, or 163 kcal with 125ml of semi-skimmed milk. Per 100g it is 347 kcal.

How much sugar is in a bowl?+

A 30g bowl contains 8.3g of sugar, of which 2.6g is free sugar, about 0.6 teaspoons.

How much free sugar is that for a child?+

A 30g bowl is 14% of the 19g daily free sugar limit for a child aged 4 to 6, 11% of the 24g limit for a child aged 7 to 10, and 9% of the 30g limit for an adult.

How much fibre and protein does it have?+

A 30g bowl provides 1.8g of fibre and 2.2g of protein. Adults are advised to eat 30g of fibre a day.

How much salt is in a bowl?+

A 30g bowl contains 0.02g of salt, less than 1% of the 6g adult daily maximum and 1% of the 3g limit for a child aged 4 to 6.

Is it ultra-processed?+

It is classed as NOVA 4 (ultra-processed) based on its ingredient list. It contains flavouring.

Is it healthy?+

Under the UK government's 2018 nutrient profiling model it scores 4. A food scoring 4 or more is classed as less healthy, so it would be classed as less healthy. The 2018 model has been published but is not yet the basis of the advertising and promotion rules.