Granola is becoming more and more popular – and rightly so! Because the crunchy muesli not only tastes good, it also provides you with important nutrients. We explain what granola is and how healthy it is.
The 2019 nutrition report of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Germany clearly shows: Germans rely on healthy nutrition, eat a varied diet and make sure to eat fruit and vegetables every day. 84 percent also want finished products to contain less sugar. In the course of this health awareness, breakfast habits have also changed. Instead of toast and jam, more and more people are reaching for muesli in the morning, preferably with oatmeal. They provide energy for a good start to the day. As granola, they also crunch in the mouth instead of tasting mushy. But what is behind the term “granola”? How healthy is such a breakfast or snack?
Table of Contents
What exactly is granola?
The basis is oat or spelled flakes. They are very high in fiber and are good for digestion. Since they only allow the blood sugar level to rise slowly, oatmeal is also a good source of energy that prevents cravings. There are also dried fruits and nuts. Chia seeds and flaxseeds also go well with it. This combination makes granola and granola an excellent source of energy. To make granola from oat or spelled flakes, the oat flakes are mixed with sugar and fat and baked.
Is granola healthy?
This information at the latest will set off alarm bells for nutrition-conscious people. But sugar is not just sugar and fat is not just fat – there are healthy variants here too. Instead of industrial sugar and palm oil, you can use syrup, agave juice or coconut oil.
Is there a difference between granola and granola?
The terms “granola”, “crunch” and “crunchy muesli” are mostly used interchangeably. However, there is a subtle difference, literally, between granola and crunchy muesli: while granola has a finer consistency, crunchy muesli has larger crunch pieces.
In order to get the muesli according to your own preferences and personal taste, you should make your own crunchy muesli .
Benefits of Homemade Granola
If you take a little time and prepare your own granola, you can be sure that you won’t fall into a ready-made sugar trap.
sugar reduced
Making it yourself has the advantage that you can control how sweet the mixture is. Maple syrup or honey are good choices.
Preparation without palm oil
Unfortunately, palm oil is often used in the industry to produce even supposedly healthy granola. However, this oil has a very high proportion of saturated fatty acids. These are particularly harmful to the human body. However, since palm oil solidifies quickly and ensures a good creaminess, it is contained in more and more products. In addition, it is also cheap for the manufacturers.
A better choice for your own creation is coconut oil or sunflower oil, but you should pay attention to organic production.
Versatile ingredients
Another advantage of preparing it yourself: You can mix whatever you want. Chia seeds, because you don’t want to do without superfood, or would you rather have a lot of different nuts? As a supplier of healthy unsaturated fatty acids, they are considered a natural appetite suppressant and are also good for the nerves. You can also add flaxseed. This stimulates digestion. Or you can use freeze-dried fruits for a pleasant, fruity taste.
Granola also as a snack
Not everyone likes muesli. Many also have problems drinking milk in the morning. But you don’t have to do without the healthy granola kick. You can also mix the sugared oat or spelled flakes with the other desired ingredients in advance and then bake them into small bars. The perfect snack for on the go.
Conclusion
Industrial ready meals are often enriched with sugar and palm fat, since both ingredients are good flavor carriers. This allows the use of other ingredients of inferior quality, as studies and numerous negative prices for the food industry show again and again. Organic products, on the other hand, are usually more expensive, but they usually contain good quality ingredients and the manufacturers do not use industrial sugar and palm fat. Or you can make your granola yourself, so you know exactly what’s in it.
