Such thing as a healthy granola?

mshannond
mshannond Posts: 60
in Food and Nutrition
Most days for breakfast I make eggs or porridge (both quick, I use old fashioned oats so they take a bit longer than normal) and I usually just get up earlier to prepare a good breakfast or lunch. This takes roughly 10-15 minutes to prepare clean up etc not including eating.

However if I ever wake up late/am in a rush I want a back up.

I've found some good granola, however I want opinions on whether I'm making a healthy option or not:

Carrot & sultana granola:

Oat flakes, seeds (12%) (pumpkin sunflower golden and ground linseeds) agave syrup sultanas (8%) (contains sunflower oil) chopped pecans rapeseed oil chicory inulin carrot juice concentrate (2.5%) ground mixed spice

Per 40g 22 carbs 8 fat 4 protein 3 fiber 6 sugar

Would you consider this healthy or should I look for something else?

Replies

  • leahraskie
    leahraskie Posts: 260 Member
    That seems pretty healthy, you have a whole grain, plus a nut, and agave syrup is sweet so not a ton is used.

    Usual over the counter granola isn't good for you, not sure how many calories are in this particular kind but for those tiny packets they have at restaurants they are like 100+ calories and they are tiny.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Such thing as a healthy granola?
    Yes.
    Usual over the counter granola isn't good for you
    Why?
    Calorie density doesn't make a food unhealthy.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    I don't really understand what's unhealthy about any granola. Personally I prefer one with more protein. I usually pick one based on that: 10g in bear naked honey almond, 10g in honey bunches of oats dark chocolate granola. Just make sure you weigh it. Cup measurement is always more than 1 serving by weight.
  • ContraryMaryMary
    ContraryMaryMary Posts: 1,780 Member
    Make your own and you'll get a taste and macro ratio you're happy with.
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    I make an AWESOME healthy granola that is also ridiculously calorie dense. oats, wheat germ (I omit this if I'm making it for myself since I can't eat it), nuts, seeds, dates, raisins, dried coconut, honey, butter and salt. It's just beyond delicious. I've tried making lower calorie versions of granola but YUCK. no thanks. If I'm going to make granola, it's going to be loaded with nuts, dried fruit, butter and honey!
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
    I also make, or rather made an awesome granola, that was simply a mix of oats, nuts and seeds, and dried cranberries. Like pretty much all granola's, it calls for a little oil (to coat things I imagine), and a bit of honey and sugar for sweetness. I don't see granola as unhealthy in any way, and when I broke down the amount of honey and sugar in each portion, it was quite small.

    Granola will be calorically dense though, and also have a fair amount of fat from the nuts and seeds, so a small portion goes a long way and I can see why granola might not be the best option for someone looking to lose weight, as it can be easy enough to overeat on. That is a far cry from justifying the tag of being an unhealthy food, although all this applies to real granola, as all bets are off when it comes to any of the sugary crap that makes up most cereal shelves in supermarkets.

    Equally I'm sceptical when I see something labelled as a low calorie granola, as nuts and seeds bring up the calorie content of anything fairly quickly, so if I see a low calorie granola, I wonder what its been made from. Probably just oats with sugar I imagine, or at least thats what my inner cynic would say..

    The thing to remember really though, is most of the things that go into a real granola are good, healthy things. If however you have trouble overeating on granola, as I do, what I find can be better are granola bars, which can be very filling, yet might be easier to keep in hand with regard to how much you eat of them.

    I should probably note that I don't make granola any more, or its been a long time, but mainly because I'm eating lower carb at the moment, and carb-rich breakfast options like porridge and granola have fallen out of the rotation for me, at least until I lose the weight I wish to :)
  • LaurenGetsFit2
    LaurenGetsFit2 Posts: 35 Member
    I make it myself.

    With apple juice. And Greek yogurt. :)

    Weird, I know. But it's tasty!

    I got the recipe from here: http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/stories/homemade-granola-for-a-healthy-snack

    But I modified it to make it even lower calories and less fat.

    3 cups rolled oats
    0.75 cups dried fruit of your choice
    0.75 cups nuts of your choice
    0.5 cups unsweetened, 100% apple juice
    0.25 cups maple syrup (or honey for a non-vegan version)
    0.25 cups Greek Yogurt (plain, non-fat)
    1 tbsp vanilla extract
    1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or dark cocoa powder
    1/4 tsp ground cloves
    1 tsp fine sea salt

    And then just follow the directions. I had to bake mine a little longer, and then let it cool before it really got that "crunch" to it. But it was tasty!
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
    By the way, if you want a quick and easy backup option for breakfast on mornings where time might be at a premium, you might consider a bircher muesli, or overnight oats which seems to be the trendy label.

    Basically its a mix of oats (mixed with water), yoghurt, fruit, nuts and seeds. You can tailor the proportions of either to fit your tastes, and mix most of it in a bowl the night before and leave it in the fridge, just adding the nuts and seeds before you eat it in the morning. Personally I eat this every morning, although sans the oats, as my low carb breakfast, and find it a great way to go :)

    EDIT: By the way, if you do opt to make your own granola, just remember you do not need to make it in the oven, but can make it on a dry pan over a low heat instead. That is how I made mine, and found I had much more control over it, than I had by making it in the oven.
  • larrodarro
    larrodarro Posts: 2,512 Member
    I do a mix of a high protein granola for the good stuff, one other kind of granola for taste, a cereal, plus nuts and seeds, flax seed meal, Greek yogurt, milk, and a small amount of protein powder. I adjust the amounts of each as different things work their way into and out of the mix. Right now this is what I'm eating for breakfast.


    Coffee - Brewed from grounds, 1 cup (8 fl oz) 2 0 0 0 5 0
    Southern Home - Cinnamon, 1 g 3 1 0 0 0 0
    Honey, 0.5 packet (0.5 oz) 21 6 0 0 0 6
    Nature Valley - Protein Crunchy Granola Cranberry Almond, 0.195 cup (51g) 82 12 2 4 55 5
    Cascadian Farm - Oats & Honey Granola, 1/6 cup (60g) 63 11 2 1 26 4
    Kashi - Heart to Heart Oat Flakes & Blueberry Clusters, 27.5 g (1 cup) 100 22 1 3 68 6
    Good Sense - Pumpkin Seeds (Roasted & Salted), 1/8 Cup 80 2 7 5 85 1
    Good Sense - Roasted & Salted Soynuts, 1/8 cup 65 5 4 5 45 1
    Bob's Red Mill - Ground Flax Seed Meal (1 Tbsp, 6.5g), 0.6 Tbsp (13 g) 18 1 1 1 0 0
    Body Fortress™ - Super Advanced Whey Protein - Chocolate, 0.14 scoop (42g) 24 1 0 4 14 0
    Great Value - Greek Nonfat Yogurt Plain, 0.33 cup (227g) 40 3 0 8 38 3
    Milk - Reduced fat, 2% milkfat, 6 fl oz 92 9 4 6 75 9
    Coffee - Brewed from grounds, 1 cup (8 fl oz) 2 0 0 0 5 0

    When you add in my D3, Calcium and Fish Oil, it comes to

    618 calories, 73 carbs, 24 fat, 37 protein, 416 sodium, 35 sugar

    I burn a lot of calories, so it works for me. This winter when I'm not in the garden for hours, I will most likely have to cut back to hold my weight on goal.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    I did not know there was such a thing as un-healthy granola...
  • mshannond
    mshannond Posts: 60
    I did not know there was such a thing as un-healthy granola...

    There are often ones full of refined sugar, very high in fat with lots of oils & preservatives.
  • weightliftingdiva
    weightliftingdiva Posts: 522 Member
    I make it myself.

    With apple juice. And Greek yogurt. :)

    Weird, I know. But it's tasty!

    I got the recipe from here: http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/stories/homemade-granola-for-a-healthy-snack

    But I modified it to make it even lower calories and less fat.

    3 cups rolled oats
    0.75 cups dried fruit of your choice
    0.75 cups nuts of your choice
    0.5 cups unsweetened, 100% apple juice
    0.25 cups maple syrup (or honey for a non-vegan version)
    0.25 cups Greek Yogurt (plain, non-fat)
    1 tbsp vanilla extract
    1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or dark cocoa powder
    1/4 tsp ground cloves
    1 tsp fine sea salt

    And then just follow the directions. I had to bake mine a little longer, and then let it cool before it really got that "crunch" to it. But it was tasty!

    This sounds awesome! The yogurt seems to be a sub for the oil/butter... and high protein at that! I will have to try this. :)

    I've made granola before with butter, honey and almonds. It's really easy to make and it's only as expensive as the goodies you put in it. You can make granola with just plain old fashioned oats (ridiculously cheap when you buy generic in bulk), vegetable oil and sugar.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    I did not know there was such a thing as un-healthy granola...

    There are often ones full of refined sugar, very high in fat with lots of oils & preservatives.

    Unhealthy is subjective, dear. Fat is good for you. Refined sugar isn't the devil.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    I did not know there was such a thing as un-healthy granola...

    There are often ones full of refined sugar, very high in fat with lots of oils & preservatives.

    and that makes them unhealthy?

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