Granola...Is packed with suger why does everyone reccomend it?

I bought some granola because everyone was reccomending it but was shocked that a tiny serving contained 200calories. So i checked the package and each serving is 13g of suger,4.4g fat and 2.6g fiber...thats 26% suger,8.8% fat, 5% fiber.

I bought quaker oats granola which is advertised to be 40% less fat than other brands, and the lowest calorie i could find in the supermarket. Im shocked that granola can be considered healthy, i know it contains oats but the second ingredient on the list is suger, and its not even high in fiber, i'd be FAR better off with porridge or bran flakes.

SO why on earth is everyone raving about granola? I know it tastes great and has oats but seriously...

Is "everyone" raving about granola?  I guess I'm reading different threads.  Most people I've read on CC rave about cereals like Fiber One, Special K, or Kashi (which does offer granola, but other types as well).

Granola is indeed one of those healthy weight loss "myths" - people assume it's healthy because of the oats, but yeah, it's also full of sugar, so they're  not exactly weight loss friendly.  And don't forget the ones that have fruit and nuts included in them.  They're decent nutrition wise, probably good for weight gain, but definitely not low calorie.

Hiya! They were raving a couple of years ago...not so much now.

You're right. It is better to stick to porridge and other high fibre low sugar cereals. Try muesli as an alternative to these...super yummy stuff, its just like granola except way less sugar.

Granola bars, fiber one bars, special K bars...loaded with junk ingredents and often too much sugar. I call them "diet" candy bars. Thought of as "healthy", SO not.

Granola makes a great topping (crunchy and sweet), but you're unlikely to find a serving of granola satisfying as breakfast.  It does get recommended to those who are having a hard time eating enough calories in the day and to those who need to gain weight, but I haven't seen it recommended to those trying to lose weight (unless they're posting "I've only eaten 800 calories today and I'm full!" threads).

Granola = calories!

My mom thought she was being healthy by making her own mix of granola, after I analyzed the recipe in here, it turned out it was 487 calories for 1 cup of it (and then she added a cup of yogurt)!

Any doctor would tell you the nutritional value was high, with the whole grains and variety of nuts it contained good fibers, proteins and oils.  But, it is not good for weight loss (or even weight maintenance).

What I think?  If you are backpacking through the mountains and burning 5,000 calories a day, gronola is a healthy way to pack up on the calories.

But if you are in your regular routine - skip it.  I eat regular Cheerios, a slim 100 calories plus a cup of 1/2% milk.  The results is a filling breakfast with 3g of fiber for just under 200 calories.

I don't do granola, but I like to use Grapenuts to give my fruit and yogart some texture in the mornings.  It is still 200 cals, but less sugar and more fiber and protein.  Since I don't use a full serving, in my book, it is a good use cals especially since I combine it with nonfat yogart and fresh fruit.

Its the oil that the oats are baked with that makes granola so high cal.  I have seen some recipes online that use juice (eg apple juice) to bake a healthier low cal granola.  I haven't tried it yet myself, but I'm planning on doing that soon!

It's not only the oil, but the sugar in it as well =x

Granola makes a great compact snack when you're on the go, or doing something outdoors-y like hiking.

Original Post by singing_girl:

Its the oil that the oats are baked with that makes granola so high cal.  I have seen some recipes online that use juice (eg apple juice) to bake a healthier low cal granola.  I haven't tried it yet myself, but I'm planning on doing that soon!

The granola the OP is describing has very little added fat; the additional calories are definitely from sugar.

Anyway, I enjoy granola on a somewhat regular basis because I have a hard time eating when I wake up but nevertheless need to get at least 300 kcal in me to keep from feeling faint.  The serving is small, but for me that is a benefit!  It certainly hasn't hindered my weight loss in the least; it just gets factored in like everything else.  I can't imagine someone specifically recommending it for weight loss, though, either.

However, I would keep in mind that sugar itself isn't always a bad thing.  Although the particular granola you picked up relies on added cane sugar for most of its sugar content, some rely more on dried fruit for their sugars.  And, of course, if you make your own granola you can control the sugar content completely.

It depends on the brand that you are buying...Special K is no good. Very low in fiber and high in sugar....

But in general granola has high fat and high calorie...because they have added oil....and most of the time added sugar as well....not the healthiest thing you can have for cereal really....

Or if you like it you can try make one yourself and lower the use of sugar and oil....

Because it tastes good... and if you stick to the actual recommended serving size it's not that bad for you. A bit of granola is great with yogurt and fresh fruit... but you wouldn't want to eat a whole bowlful or you'd be having a 600 calorie breakfast!

Granola is like peanut butter. It is high in cals but has a high fullness factor. mix a half a cup of granola with cup skim milk. Its about 280 cals but I never get hungry in the morning when I have granola for breakfast

A lot of packaged granola is high in sugar but the core ingredients are good for you (oats, nuts, dried fruit, flax)...that is why I make my own and still eat it in moderation because it is high in calories. 

It's because everything is better homemade, honey. Or maybe it's for the people who have an immense sweet tooth. IDK but other than the fact that granola is sweet, I can't see anyone recommending too much of it.

I, personally, make a version using steel-cut oats, flax seeds, oat bran, chopped dates, 2 tablespoons of agave nectar and a few packets of Splenda it's just as good as the store-bought kind (and nearly half the calories and carbs reduced). Two tablespoons of that with some skyr (fat-free Icelandic yogurt) and a tablespoon of sugar-free strawberry preserves and you've got a filling low-calorie dessert.