Alpen (food) facts for kids
 |
|
| Product type | Muesli |
|---|---|
| Owner | Weetabix |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1971 |
| Markets | |
Alpen is a popular brand of muesli cereal. It is made by the Weetabix company. Weetabix is a well-known cereal maker from Kettering, England.
Contents
The Story of Alpen
The Weetabix company in the UK first created Alpen muesli in 1971. Alpen is a type of muesli that uses whole grains. This means it contains all parts of the grain. Alpen muesli is made with rolled oats, fruits, and nuts.
Alpen has been a favorite breakfast choice in Britain since the 1970s. By 2003, it made up 3% of all breakfast cereal sales in the UK and Ireland. Alpen also arrived in Canada in the early 1970s. Later, in the 1990s, it came to the United States. This happened after Weetabix teamed up with a company called Barbara's Bakery.
Today, in North America, you can find Alpen No Added Sugar and Alpen Original in many stores. In the UK, Weetabix sells Alpen in four main types. Alpen is also sent to many other countries around the world.
Different Kinds of Alpen
Alpen has many different varieties, which means different flavors or types.
Alpen Muesli Cereals
In the UK, you can find these Alpen muesli cereals:
- Alpen Original
- Alpen Original (No Added Sugar)
- Alpen High Fruit
- Alpen High Fibre
In both the U.S. and Canada, the main Alpen varieties are:
- Alpen Original
- Alpen No Added Sugar
In 2010, a new flavor called Alpen Apple Spice came out in Canada. It had three different whole grains, apples, toasted soy pieces, and flax seed. It also contained Omega ALA, which is a healthy fat.
Around 2009, the Alpen cereals in the U.S. were changed. They became an "all-natural" recipe. This meant they no longer added extra vitamins, minerals, or organic grains.
Other Alpen Cereals
In the past, some cereals that were not muesli were also sold under the Alpen brand. Most of these cereals just changed their names. Here are a couple of examples:
- Alpen Wheat Flakes (before 2004, it was called Advantage cereal)
- Alpen Crunchy Bran (before 2004, it was called Crunchy Bran cereal)
Alpen Cereal Bars
Weetabix also started making Alpen whole grain cereal bars. These bars are a good snack option. They come in many different fruit flavors.
As of 2012, some of the Alpen cereal bar flavors included:
- Strawberry & Yogurt
- Raspberry & Yoghurt
- Fruit & Nut
- Fruit & Nut with Chocolate
- Coconut with Chocolate
- Apricot & Yoghurt (new in 2012)
- Summer Fruit (a lighter version)
- Chocolate & Fudge (a lighter version)
- Chocolate & Orange (a lighter version)
- Apple & Sultana (a lighter version)
- Double Chocolate (a lighter version)
- Cherry Bakewell (a lighter version – new in 2012)
Sugar and Whey in Alpen
In the UK, three types of Alpen muesli contain sugar. There is also one type called "No Added Sugar". This "No Added Sugar" version is also sold in the U.S. and Canada. Alpen cereals also contain whey, which is a product from milk.
See also
