The Healthiest And Unhealthiest Store-Bought Granola
Granola is considered a healthy cereal (via Healthline). According to a report published by the CDC, people in the 2- to 19-year-old age group consume the most cereal. If you're a consumer, you might be accustomed to paying attention to the contents of the various kinds of cereal.
In order to spot healthy options while strolling down the cereal aisle, the US FDA has advised that consumers peruse the nutrition label on each box. We are aware that what seems healthy for one might be unsuitable for another. Thankfully, anyone can always refer to the dietary guidelines laid out by the United States Government.
The FDA has updated its guidelines on what constitutes healthy food. The new guidelines state that cereals must be higher in fibers, proteins, and nutrients like calcium & potassium. In the same vein, cereals with little or no added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats are considered healthy.
But most importantly, the guide advises buyers to check the Percent Daily Value of each nutrient. It shouldn't be less than 5% or more than 20% per serving. The basic rule of eating healthy is to check the main ingredients. Is it made of whole grains? What is the sugar, fat, and protein content? If you're considering going granola shopping, it's best to know which ones are full of delicious goodness and which ones will just disappoint.
Healthy: Purely Elizabeth Organic Granola
Purely Elizabeth has been acclaimed as one of the best natural food brands. The brand's granola is manufactured with a blend of whole grains and nuts. The Ancient Grain variety is sweetened with natural coconut sugar. One of the best selling points for this granola is that all the ingredients are organic. There are no artificial flavors, and the product is gluten-free.
Elizabeth Stein, founder and CEO of the Purely Elizabeth brand, ventured into the food space one and a half decades ago to bridge the gap in healthy nutrient-filled foods. The brand is primarily concerned with providing foods that are both nutritious and tasty: No tradeoffs.
Purely Elizabeth Granola provides a plethora of options for granola lovers. The brand offers delicious treats for its consumers to try out, from the Original Ancient Grain granola and the Chocolate Peanut Butter to the Blueberry Hemp and Honey Almond flavors.
There are 11 flavors in general. The nutrition label states that this granola flavor has 130 calories per serving; the percent Daily Value for major listed nutrients on the nutrient label is between 6 to 18 percent, with trace amounts of calcium and potassium.
Healthy: Wildway Grain-Free Granola
Wildway Granola: As the brand often proffers, welcome to the wild way of life. The products of this brand are super healthy, which is apparent just by perusing the nutrition label. Considering the recommended percent Daily Values recommended by the FDA, this granola could very well be your go-to brand. The brand replaced the gluten in this granola by removing the grains from its ingredients. Yet, this is one of the healthiest store-bought granolas.
Wildway Granola was founded in 2014, and it won the Mindful Award for the gluten-free granola product of the year in 2020. Co-founder and CEO Kyle Koehler asserts a strong belief in healthy and sustainable ingredients that do not contain artificial ingredients.
Wildway granolas are grain-free and keto friendly. The brand makes excellent granola that has no added sugars and trace amounts of sodium. One can safely assume that this granola brand offers the right balance between sweet and healthy.
Unhealthy: Kellogg's Crunchy Granola
Kellogg's is a well-known brand that has served its consumers for years. While the brand's line of products is suitable for some, it may be considered unhealthy for several reasons. The first issue is that the granola is not gluten-free, which means it's made with whole grains that have gluten (such as barley and rye) or manufactured in facilities where gluten foods are processed.
Aside from the gluten, the granola is packed with too many ingredients. Healthy granola should have very few ingredients: At most, seven base ingredients. When there are about 20 ingredients in this Kellogg's product, and sugar is the third on the ingredient list. According to a Food Network article, this is a red flag.
An article published in the UK Daily Mail Online detailed how Kellogg's sued the UK government for trying to ban the display of their products in supermarkets. The article stated that the brand's Crunchy Nut Caramelised Granola is among the worst of its lineups due to its obnoxious sugar and salt content as well as the calorie count. If you're looking for a healthier granola, then Kellogg's may not be the best brand for you.
Healthy: Bear Naked Granola
Whenever you lay your paws (sorry, hands) on a box of this brand, revel in the knowledge that you're consuming a product that has received multiple endorsements. Bear Naked Granola is a multiple award-winning brand, having bagged the Mindful Award for Granola product of the year twice in 2020 and 2022!
Bear Naked is an all-rounder as it manufactures granola in four different categories: Classic, grain-free, reduced sugar, and protein granola. There's something for everyone. If you consider the FDA-recommended guidelines as a benchmark, the reduced sugar category is ideal. The grain-free category contains more sugar, sodium, and nutrients, which means more calories.
The classic category has more sugar and sodium but still stays within the confines of the percentage daily value recommended by the FDA. The reduced sugar category packs more of a punch healthwise as it contains less than 1 gram of saturated fat, zero sodium, less sugar, and more dietary fiber.
The protein category is also relatively healthy as it has lots of protein, just enough saturated fats, and a little more sugar. If you're allergic to nuts, you should take note that the brand clearly states that its products contain some of these allergens. Other than that, this store-bought granola is good to go.
Unhealthy: Sunbelt Bakery Fruit & Nut Granola
The attractive packaging of the Sunbelt Bakery Granola calls out to any consumer. However, not even the name or box can blind anyone who cares enough to check that it doesn't make the cut regarding healthy granola options.
We assume this cereal would reward the taste buds with an addictive sweet taste. What's the secret, you may ask? The answer lies in the ingredients list. Every granola is mainly made up of whole grains and other constituents. But the fact that sugar is third on the list may lead people to raise an eyebrow.
According to FoodNetwork, the first three ingredients in a cereal tell you what it primarily contains. According to these guidelines, this granola really does have a lot of sugar. While the nutritional label does not clarify whether the sugar is added or natural, the granola has 16 grams of sugar per serving.
This granola has a lot of sugar. An unhealthy amount of sugar has been linked to dental caries. Hence, skipping this brand on the cereal aisle on account of its sugar content alone makes sense.
Healthy: Go Raw Sprouted Organic Granola
According to journalist & Author Micheal Pollan, if it comes from a plant, you should eat it. However, if it's actually made in a plant, you might not want to eat it. If you would like to consume foods in their natural form, you should definitely Go Raw! This granola maker provides one of the healthiest granola made from sprouted seeds, hence the name "Sprouted Granola." The brand's website claims that sprouting enables its products to be better absorbed and releases all the natural nutrients locked within the seeds.
The granola shop manages to cook up a balance in a most impressive manner. The nutrition label of the Coco Crunch Sprouted Granola looks good, and the ingredient list adheres to FDA health guidelines. Consumers can do a victory dance because this granola is entirely sugar-free, with dates and cacao as natural sweeteners. Their official page declares that their products are gluten-free and completely organic. Another plus is that their granola does not contain allergens like nuts. So, it's safe to say this is for anyone and everyone who wants to enjoy a bowl of healthy granola.
Unhealthy: Quaker Simply Granola
Who doesn't love a good bowl of Quaker oats? Well, the famous brand's granola is also lovable if you don't mind consuming many calories in one sitting. Sugar is the third ingredient listed on a packet of Quaker Simply Granola, which points to just how unhealthy it is. Downing bowls of this granola every morning may not serve your health.
While the marketing of this product rides on its impressive protein and fiber content, it fails to mention that each serving contains about 10 grams of added sugar and nobody eats just one serving of any cereal, not by the brands' measurements anyway. This cereal has a calorie count of 260 per serving, and consumers run the risk of excess calorie intake for just breakfast alone.
Livestrong suggests that for a person whose calorie count is the regular 2,000 or 2,400, breakfast should be 350-600 calories at the most. The rule stated in the article is to divide your daily calorie intake into the number of meals you eat. This will reveal the percentage of calories each meal should contain. Also, this product is not gluten-free as it contains wheat.
Healthy: Bob's Red Mill Peanut Butter Granola
Any consumer who has eclectic tastes and likes to try different granola brands should try the Bob's Red Mill granola. This granola stands out because the company has been up and running since 1978. The brand's Peanut Butter Homestyle granola has less than 6 grams of sugar, trace amounts of sodium, and just enough fiber. At the same time, the classic granola contains more sugar, more protein and fiber, and even more carbs.
Moms meet, in a review of this gluten-free variant, describes the granola as a wonderful source of fiber made with whole grain oats. According to the reviewer, this granola can be eaten with yogurt or ice cream.
Consumers that choose Bob's Red Mill granola have their own health standards to uphold, especially since the product itself is quite healthy. Bob's Red Mill has a dedicated 58,200 square feet gluten-free facility, so consumers can rest assured that the products have all been tested and certified. All the more reason to reach for this natural food giant's granola on your next grocery shopping trip!
Healthy: Alter Eco Cinnamon Raisin Organic Granola
Since Alter Eco was founded in 2005, it has busied itself with releasing food that is healthy for the mind, body, and soil, as is boldly stated on its website. This Cinnamon Raisin Organic Granola has been listed as one of the best no-sugar granola options available. The brand's efforts to make clean and green products are certainly paying off, as it has maintained a strict no-sugar policy.
Their granola is sweetened with fruits, dates, and cacao. This is a healthy breakfast option for anyone trying to cut down their sugar intake. The only caveat to all this goodness is that it may not be suitable for those who have nut or gluten allergies because it's not gluten- or nut-free. So, add this to your list of new granola brands to try. This Cinnamon raisin is a favorite among consumers: You might want to start there.
Unhealthy: Nature Valley Granola
At first glance, this granola might look just okay. But on closer scrutiny, one can see that it is deficient in fiber. Not only is it low in fiber, but it also has as much as 7 grams of added sugar, depending on the flavor. It wouldn't be wrong to assume it is delicious granola, with sugary-sweet being the top or only note.
The ingredients list for this granola lists sugar as the next ingredient after wholegrain oats. Working with the guideline that the order of ingredients on the ingredient list indicates how much of that constituent makes up the entire product, it's not difficult to see why this store-bought granola would make the list of unhealthy options.
To further buttress the point, one of the flavors in the protein category has a whopping 14 grams of added sugar, and the percentage daily value is 28%, which is the highest on the nutrition label. While this may be great for an occasional treat, you may not want to eat it every single day.
Healthy: Michele's Original Granola
Michele Tsucalas started her food company when she sold her products at a farmers' market in Maryland. Her granola line has a unique homemade taste with different flavors to enjoy. Michele's Original Granola is a favorite among many. Today, it's available in many flavors like lemon pistachio and ginger hemp, among others.
In terms of the health aspect, this granola isn't unfit for anyone who is trying to abstain from sugar. It contains 5 grams of added sugar, 3 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and no sodium. One serving has a 140-calorie count, which is acceptable even with multiple servings. It can be enjoyed with yogurt or milk or eaten as a snack.
The vanilla extract would ensure that it is enjoyed without needing more sweetening agents. Judging from the review on Social Nature and Pure Formula, this store-bought granola lends itself to the thirst for homemade goodness.