Is Alpen Muesli Vegan? (No, Find Out Why)

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Alpen is a popular brand of muesli cereal that accounts for 3% of the total cereal consumed in the UK. (1) At first glance, the ingredients in Alpen appear to be vegan and healthy. It’s just cereal grains, raisins and nuts – right? So what’s the problem? Is Alpen vegan? Let’s take a closer look at this popular cereal to find out.

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Is Alpen Vegan?

The answer is NO, Alpen muesli is not vegan. This is because it includes animal-derived components such as milk within the ingredients. For vegan alternatives try Dorset Cereals Simply Delicious Muesli or Pret Bircher Muesli.

Is Alpen Healthy?

YES, Alpen is healthy and meets the nutrition requirements suggested by many health organisations, including the NHS and FDA.

According, to the USDA, Alpen Original meets the cereal sugar limits they suggest for both children and adults. (2) Alpen also offer a no added sugar option which reduces the proportion of sugar by a further 20%. The British Heart Foundation also include low sugar muesli as one of their suggestions for a heart healthy breakfast.(3)

 In addition, The NHS and FDA recommend at least 30g of fibre a day, and a serving of Alpen Original provides 3.5g – over 10% of the recommended daily amount. (4,5)

All in all, Alpen is a healthy option for breakfast, with low sugar and high fibre content.

Alpen Ingredients

Alpen Original Calories per 45g Serving: 168kcal (6)

MAIN INGREDIENTS
Wholegrain Wheat (39%)
Wholegrain Rolled Oats (36%)
Raisins (12%)
Sugar
Skimmed Milk Powder
Milk Whey Powder
Roasted Sliced Nuts (2.5%)
(Hazlenuts & Almonds)
Salt

Alpen Nutrition

Nutritional InformationPer 100gPer 45g Serving
Energy374kcal168kcal
Fat5.6g2.5g
Carbohydrates
Of Which Sugars
66g
21g
30g
9.5g
Fibre7.7g3.5g
Protein11g5.0g
Salt0.25g0.13g

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Alpen Muesli Organic?

No, Alpen Muesli is not organic. For an organic, vegan muesli cereal try Alara Fruit & Seeds Muesli which not only sources its ingredients from UK-based organic farms but positions itself as a sustainable food manufacturer. (7)

Is Muesli good for IBS? 

According to Monash University, https://www.monashfodmap.com/ leaders in IBS and FODMAP research, if it is a store-bought muesli containing fruit and cereal grains – then the answer is NO. (8) For an IBS-friendly, low fodmap muesli try Carmans Original Muesli or Fodilicious Coconut & Chia Granola.

Is Baby Cereal Vegan?

Are Oatibix Flakes Vegan?

Sources

(1) https://www.theguardian.com/

(2) https://health.mo.gov/

(3) https://www.bhf.org.uk/

(4) https://www.nhs.uk/

(5) https://www.fda.gov/

(6) https://alpen.co.uk/

(7) https://alara.co.uk/sustainability/

(8) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.monashuniversity.fodmap – accessed 25th October 2024