We've found that no breakfast is complete without crunchy granola . Whether as a topping on a smoothie bowl, on its own with almond milk and a few blueberries, or as a crunch on overnight oats: Granola, also known as crunchy muesli, tastes heavenly and adds a good bite to your breakfast bowl.
But something that is so incredibly good can't be healthy - can it?
- What is granola and what ingredients does it consist of?
- How healthy are the ingredients in granola?
- Healthy ingredients in granola: The ratio is important
- Sugar trap or healthy crunchy fun? Conclusion
- Make Healthy Granola Yourself
What is granola and what ingredients does it consist of?
One thing straight away: it depends.
What is granola anyway? Granola is a crunchy muesli that is based on cereal flakes and nuts. It is baked in a sweet oil mixture to form crunchy clusters and refined with dried fruit, cocoa nibs or chocolate and spices such as vanilla or cinnamon.
Crunchy muesli from the supermarket usually consists of a mixture of oat and wheat flakes or grain crispies, sunflower or palm oil and refined sugar. Glucose syrup, whole milk powder and wheat flour are often hidden in the finished products. The basis of homemade crunchy muesli is usually oat flakes, which are baked into granola in coconut oil and honey, coconut blossom sugar or maple syrup. The big advantage: You decide for yourself what ends up in your granola - and how sweet it should be.
Most ready-made crunchy mueslis don't have much to do with healthy enjoyment: Granolas from big brands often contain no less than 25 grams of sugar per 100 grams. It's worth checking the list of ingredients and nutritional information before buying.
If you prepare your granola yourself, you can prevent it from becoming a sugar bomb and calorie trap.
How healthy are the ingredients in granola?
How healthy a granola is depends on its ingredients. The ingredient list of the crunchy muesli from the supermarket is usually long and contains refined sugar, palm oil and unnecessary additives. Homemade granola is often the better option - but only if the recipe is right. To assess whether granola is healthy or not, it's worth taking a closer look at the basic ingredients of a healthy granola:
The basis: oat flakes or other types of grain
Oat flakes - whether tender leaf or the crunchy version - are a healthy basis for crunchy fun. They consist of long-chain carbohydrates and vegetable protein, which ensure a long-lasting feeling of satiety and do not suddenly increase blood sugar levels after consumption. They also contain the fiber beta-glucan, which binds cholesterol and can therefore naturally regulate cholesterol levels in the blood. The flakes also contain B vitamins, magnesium and iron.
Be careful with cereal crispies: In contrast to cereal flakes, these are highly processed cereals that have been produced at high temperatures with a lot of sugar.
Granola: The mix makes it healthy
Often only oat flakes are used as a base for granola. But it's not just oat flakes that are suitable for preparing the crunchy muesli. Many other types of grain and pseudo-cereals are also suitable as a base: wheat, spelt, soy or buckwheat, quinoa or amaranth.
Whole-grain cereals are preferable because they contain valuable minerals and lots of filling fiber. You don't always have to rely on flakes for a delicious granola: puffed grains, such as puffed amaranth, are also ideal for a crunchy muesli. It provides a bite and tastes particularly good in combination with cereal flakes.
Our tip: A mix of wholemeal flakes and puffed pseudo-cereals (for example wholemeal spelled flakes and puffed amaranth) complement each other perfectly and provide lots of fiber.
Gluten-free granola
Breakfast lovers who are sensitive to wheat or suffer from celiac disease should avoid cereal flakes made from wheat or spelled that contain gluten. Gluten-free alternatives include rice, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth or millet.
Nuts, seeds and kernels
Whether whole or chopped: nuts, kernels and seeds are an excellent addition to granola. They provide valuable unsaturated fats and provide that certain extra crunch. Not to mention the wonderful roasted aromas they develop when baked.
Nuts and seeds are also rich in vegetable protein and provide vital amino acids that the body cannot produce itself. Nuts in granola are an excellent idea for a healthy breakfast. Almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia or linseeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pecans or macadamia nuts are particularly suitable.
The high content of minerals and omega-3 fatty acids also makes nuts a granola must-have for all early exercisers. How come? The polyunsaturated fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect and, together with magnesium, support muscle regeneration. Goodbye, sore muscles!
sweetener
Refined sugar is often used to sweeten crunchy muesli - and not too little. Although this sweetening method is cheap and easy, refined sugar provides no nutritional benefit and often makes granola an unhealthy sugar trap.
Better alternatives to sweetening include honey, maple syrup or coconut blossom syrup. In contrast to white granulated sugar, coconut blossom syrup still contains numerous micronutrients. Another advantage of liquid sweeteners is that, in combination with oil, they ensure the sticky consistency of the granola clusters. In the case of granola with refined sugar, this effect is achieved with binding agents and other additives.
Coconut oil
Unlike sunflower or palm oil, coconut oil not only provides a unique taste. Thanks to its saturated fatty acid content, coconut oil can be heated safely and is therefore ideal for baking muesli clusters.
Healthy ingredients in granola: The ratio is important
Okay: A crunchy muesli made from whole grain cereal flakes and nuts is healthier than a granola made from cereal crispies. But even the healthiest basic ingredients are of no use if they are then prepared with kilos of sugar and cheap oil. However, without oil and sweeteners, the granola will neither be tasty nor will the typical crunchy clusters be created. That's why it absolutely depends on the ratio in which they are used.
A good granola contains a good 50 percent whole grain or pseudo-grain, which provides fiber and complex carbohydrates and ensures a filling basis.
The sweetener should not make up more than a quarter of the recipe and the oil used should also be used sparingly: around 1 tablespoon (that's around 10 g) per 100 grams is enough.
You will often also find other ingredients in crunchy muesli: coconut chips, dried fruits or cocoa nibs. They make the granola really tasty, but are often high in calories, sugar or fat. However, they should only be used sparingly.
The same applies to chocolate: Since it often contains a lot of sugar, there should be no more than 10 percent chocolate in 100 grams of crunchy muesli. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar it contains.
Spices provide flavor, are low in calories and can be added to the granola as desired: cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom...
How much sugar would you like?
The German Nutrition Society recommends that simple sugars such as table sugar should not make up more than 10% of the total daily energy intake. Converted, this means: with an energy requirement of 2,000 kilocalories, no more than 50 g of sugar. With 100 g of crunchy muesli from the supermarket, half of the recommended amount of sugar quickly ends up in the bowl - just for breakfast.
It is therefore important to make sure not to eat too much sugar at breakfast and not to enjoy granola on its own, but as a delicious add-on. After all, the day is still long.
Is granola suitable for losing weight?
Granola can help you lose weight. I'm sorry, what? Yes, you heard that right. Thanks to its crunchy consistency and sweet taste, granola - used sparingly - is the ideal complement to porridge or overnight oats. It not only drives away sweet hunger, but also protects against later cravings. But be careful: it depends on the dose. More than half a handful of granola a day can be counterproductive to losing weight.
Is granola vegan?
No, it's not always that. If honey, butter fat, milk chocolate or whey powder are used in the preparation, granola is not vegan. Homemade crunchy mueslis, which have ingredients such as nuts and cereal flakes, coconut oil, date or maple syrup and vegan dark chocolate, are purely plant-based.
Tip: Check the list of ingredients before buying or look for the vegan seal.
Sugar trap or healthy crunchy fun? The conclusion
Granola can become a sugar trap and a calorie bomb, but it doesn't have to be. Homemade crunchy muesli is usually the better alternative because you can decide what the recipe is. What is important is the ratio or the quantitative ratio.
How you enjoy the granola is also important - pure with sweetened plant milk or as a topping on the smoothie bowl? We recommend not eating granola on its own for breakfast, but rather enjoying it as a topping or snack in small portions - around 30 grams per portion.
Together with coconut yoghurt and a few fresh fruits, nothing stands in the way of a healthy, crunchy breakfast.
Make healthy granola yourself: Three recipes for DIY granola
If you want to be sure that you get a healthy crunch in and on your bowl, then just make your own crunchy muesli from now on. The emphasis is on simple: It's really not complicated or difficult at all to make your own granola . All you need is an oven, a baking tray, a few ingredients and 15 minutes of time.
How do chocolate granola with almonds, banana bread granola or vanilla cranberry granola sound to you? You can enjoy our three homemade granola recipes without feeling guilty!
Plan B: Wholey Crunchy Granola for breakfast
Don't feel like making crunchy muesli yourself or you don't have the right ingredients? Don't worry: Our Crunchy Granola made from organic ingredients also ensures a delicious and healthy start to the day. It consists of a great mix of hearty ancient grains and oat flakes, which we bake into extra large clusters with coconut blossom syrup in coconut oil. Perfect as a crunchy topping on a bowl or with coconut yoghurt. Have you tried it yet?
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