Breakfast is traditionally the most fibre-dense meal of the day - a good reason to ensure you set aside time for it. Market leader Sanitarium- whose Up&Go products claim to be high in fibre yet have under four grams per serve - is one of the manufacturers that will need to change (either their composition or their labelling) before the 2016 deadline. And while others may just meet the 4g fibre per serve requirement for the claim, the value of the fibre typically used in breakfast drinks has been called into question.

Given that breakfast is traditionally the meal with the highest fibre content, it's disappointing that these drinks don't contribute more to our daily intake. Protein I actually thought Up&Go WAS made from soy milk but it's not – it's a mix of reconstituted milk with a bit of soy protein. Ten of the drinks reviewed have more than 23g of sugars per serve, roughly the same as a regular chocolate bar. Naturally occurring sugars in a cup of full-cream milk are about 12g.

Flavours

The dairy-free version is in between the standard and no added sugar option but unlike those flavours, it is both dairy and gluten-free. Take a look at the label below. How many sugars can you spot? How many seed oils? How many additives? Fortification? Have they hidden high fructose corn syrup in there but under a different name? This is not breakfast, this is a science experiment. Save your time by skipping the gym and make a decent breakfast. Move more, exercise less. Watch the video at the end of the post to see why it’s best to avoidcereals and how they have actually changed the way we live. What’s In Ready-To-Go Liquid Breakfast Cereals?

The dairy free vanilla contains 8.7g protein, 4.4g fat, 22.6g carbs of which 11.4g is added. Because this is a dairy free product, it shouldn’t contain lactose meaning the sugar listed is likely added. This flavour also contains 4g of dietary fibre.

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The no added sugar vanilla contains 8.1g protein, 3.7g fat, 15.5g total carbs of which 10.1g has been highlighted as lactose. There is also 4g of dietary fibre. So, similar protein and fat content to the standard vanilla but over 12g, or 3 teaspoons, less sugar. Made in Australia (a plus) by Sanitarium, one of Australia's more health-aware food companies, so I'm surprised this rather processed drink has come out of their stable and been selling so well for years without a hint of criticism. Despite the presence of Hi-maize, beta-glucan and inulin (as in Coco Pops), it's not as high in fibre as Oats Express nor Coco Pops which does puzzle me a little. What about the vitamins? Filtered water, skim milk powder, cane sugar (4%), wheat maltodextrin, soy protein, vegetable oils (1.5%) (sunflower, canola), Hi-maize™ starch, corn syrup solids, inulin, fructose, cocoa (0.5%), cereals (oat flour, barley beta glucan), minerals (calcium, phosphorus), food acid (332), flavour, vegetable gums (460,466,407) vitamins (C, A, niacin, B12, B2, B6, B1, folate), salt. Studies consistently show that if you eat breakfast you're less likely to become overweight, and a nutritious breakfast can help reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Skipping the first meal of the day has also been linked to reduced intake of calcium and dietary fibre.

They are advertised as a nutritious way to start the day, especially marketed towards kids who start early sports or a great meal replacement on the way to the gym. Low fat milk, milk solids, sugar, oat fibre (min 1.25%), tapioca maltodextrin, cocoa powder (min 0.7%), malt extract, natural flavour, vegetable gums (460,466,407). Not from whole wheat as in Weet-Bix but a mix of Hi-Maize starch (a special commercial strain of maize or corn that high in resistant starch), inulin (a commercial fibre derived from chicory) and beta-glucan from barley (a soluble fibre that's also found in oats and can help sweep cholesterol out of the body).Stanton also believes there is no excuse for kids who don't "like" breakfast. "If kids won't eat their breakfast, they need to learn better eating habits – it's just something they should be taught to do," she says. Processed convenience Nutritionist Dr Rosemary Stanton isn't convinced that it's on a par with other fibre sources. "I really believe the jury is still out as to whether inulin has the same benefits," she says. "It is a form of soluble fibre, but whether or not it is equivalent to wholegrain fibre I think is very much in doubt." My thoughts are thatit’s probably better to stay at home and have a nutritious breakfastthan trying to run off the sugar and oxidised oils. Remember “you can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet”.

After 2016, a product must offer at least 10g per serve before it can claim to be a good source of protein. Kellogg'sNutrigrain and Coco Pops breakfast drinks both make this claim, but their current protein levels come in at 9.5g and 9.8g per serve respectively. Vitasoy'sVitaGo banana and honey, chocolate, and vanilla drinks also spruik their protein levels, yet fall below what will be required. Soluble and insoluble fibre Up&Go is highly fortified with 8 vitamins (C, A, niacin, B12, B2, B6, B1, folate) and two minerals (calcium and phosphorous).While lactose - a type of sugar - occurs naturally in milk, it's the added sugars at the top of the ingredient lists that are of concern. With claims such as "high in fibre", "fibre for digestive health", the "goodness of three grains" – you'd be forgiven for thinking the products are, well, high in fibre. But the industry's own voluntaryNutrient Claims Code of Practiceallows products with as little as 1.5g of fibre per serve to claim they are a "source of fibre".