Healthy options other than fruit

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packersfan0103
packersfan0103 Posts: 250 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just found out granola is a processed food. HELP!!!

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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    What are your nutrition goals? Knowing a bit more about your situation/needs would help us make better suggestions.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Well, lots of foods are processed! That doesn't mean you have to completely remove them from your diet.

    When are you eating granola? Would a home made version suit your goals? What's wrong with fruit?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    ValenciaChristine0103 wrote: »
    Just found out granola is a processed food. HELP!!!
    Most things you buy will be "processed", that doesn't make them not good for you.
    That said, some things called granola at your average Krogers or Walmart don't really resemble granola, and have a crap ton of added sugars.

    What is your goal? Weight loss? Improved health?

    for snacks, I eat raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, cheese, hard boiled eggs, local beef jerky, fruit, popcorn, etc.



  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    "healthy" is a pretty relative term. Nuts/seeds can be a good option. Yogurt, depending on what you consider healthy. Beef jerky, again, depending.
  • FluffySandwich
    FluffySandwich Posts: 1,293 Member
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    Chop up a bunch of veggies like cucumbers, celery, etc and eat them with some hummus. Though the key is to not eat the whole thing of hummus in one go... whoops.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
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    Ok, when I think "processed food," I think Cheez Doodles and Twinkies, not granola. If the particular brand of granola purchased has more chemicalz than you'd like, make your own. It's basically oats, nuts and honey.
  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    Try making your own if possible. It tastes much better and you can control what you put in it.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Home made granola is super easy, rather fun to do, and customizable. Google can be your best friend.
  • slcostel
    slcostel Posts: 116 Member
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    Try a store like Whole Foods, or Trader Joes. Even a local farmers market. You'll find "whole" granola that has no added sugar or a whole lot of processing. Basically you're going to buy homemade granola from the store. Try that! (I personally like Bear Naked brand myself)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Processed can be healthy. Processed just means prepared or modified. Baby cut carrots or any bagged veggies are processed--in fact, anything in the store is processed, and carting veggies in from far away so they are available out of season (as it is now for almost everything, for me) is processing. Freezing fish and drying beans is processing, and you can't have flour (or pasta) or oatmeal or yogurt/cheese without it, or cooking oil like olive oil.

    That's why I tend to get into debates when people assert that "processed" is bad and "unprocessed" is good.

    The better question is simply what is in it (including what it's made of--how many carbs, fat, or protein, what type of fat or carbs are within it, what nutrients does it have, does it have any ingredients that you consider bad for you?). Using that rationale, there are plenty of "processed" foods that I personally think are good to include in my diet (like greek yogurt and smoked salmon and even occasional whey protein or protein bars), some others I think are neutral, and some that I personally choose to avoid. And the same is true with foods that people might consider "non-processed" or "less processed." I love pork belly from a farm, but I still limit my consumption of it, because of the calories, and same with butter, whether I buy it from a store or make it myself (using milk from local pastured cows). Processing is simply the wrong question and really serves to demonize what makes things like fish and out of season fruits and veggies available to many of us, as well as allows food to be more widely available and inexpensive.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2015
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    That rant aside, ;-) I think the questions with granola are: (1) is there anything in it you'd rather not have? I personally would avoid sugary granolas because I don't see the necessity of it, and would rather do a home made granola of ingredients I personally like the most. And (2) do the macros/nutrients fit what you want for a snack. For me, usually not, unless I'm on a long bike ride or going something active, since I usually do better with fewer carbs and more protein in a snack than most granola (and because I don't love granola--if I did I'd fit it in).

    But that doesn't mean it can't be a great choice or healthy for you.

    I don't snack a lot, but other than fruit and veggies I tend to like yogurt or cottage cheese or just nuts (occasionally with dried fruit) or sometimes a protein bar, although I have mixed feelings about those. I've been thinking lately of making some baba ganoush (although you can buy it) and using that as a snack with some veggies. I don't love hummus (although that's also a good snack option for many), but I do love baba ganoush.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    Timorous_Beastie wrote: »
    Ok, when I think "processed food," I think Cheez Doodles and Twinkies, not granola.
    In for twinkies! <3
  • packersfan0103
    packersfan0103 Posts: 250 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    What are your nutrition goals? Knowing a bit more about your situation/needs would help us make better suggestions.

    Weight loss and then just maintaining healthy eating habits. The granola I bought is in my food diary. So I guess that one is not so bad because it doesn't have a whole lot of added stuff.
  • packersfan0103
    packersfan0103 Posts: 250 Member
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    Thanks everyone for all of the responses. I just really wanted eat healthy. Oh and nothing wrong with fruit I just want plenty of options. Again many thanks.
  • packersfan0103
    packersfan0103 Posts: 250 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Processed can be healthy. Processed just means prepared or modified. Baby cut carrots or any bagged veggies are processed--in fact, anything in the store is processed, and carting veggies in from far away so they are available out of season (as it is now for almost everything, for me) is processing. Freezing fish and drying beans is processing, and you can't have flour (or pasta) or oatmeal or yogurt/cheese without it, or cooking oil like olive oil.

    That's why I tend to get into debates when people assert that "processed" is bad and "unprocessed" is good.

    The better question is simply what is in it (including what it's made of--how many carbs, fat, or protein, what type of fat or carbs are within it, what nutrients does it have, does it have any ingredients that you consider bad for you?). Using that rationale, there are plenty of "processed" foods that I personally think are good to include in my diet (like greek yogurt and smoked salmon and even occasional whey protein or protein bars), some others I think are neutral, and some that I personally choose to avoid. And the same is true with foods that people might consider "non-processed" or "less processed." I love pork belly from a farm, but I still limit my consumption of it, because of the calories, and same with butter, whether I buy it from a store or make it myself (using milk from local pastured cows). Processing is simply the wrong question and really serves to demonize what makes things like fish and out of season fruits and veggies available to many of us, as well as allows food to be more widely available and inexpensive.

    Ok. I have a better understanding now. I completely forgot about that I heard something along the line about not eating processed foods that have more than 5 ingredients. The granola I bought (I'm at work right now) had ingredients I could pronounce and a few more than 5 ingredients but not a whole lot.
  • DC_TheDrivah1
    DC_TheDrivah1 Posts: 77 Member
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    FluffySandwich wrote: »
    Chop up a bunch of veggies like cucumbers, celery, etc and eat them with some hummus. Though the key is to not eat the whole thing of hummus in one go... whoops.

    Tough task... Hummus is amazing.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Vegetables of all varieties...whole grains....fruit...lean proteins...healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, olive oil, etc.

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