Whats a healthy granola?
#2
Granola is sort of tricky, because a lot of it is made with HFCS, also it tends to be high calorie so if you're watching your calories you can't eat very much at a time, maybe 2-4 Tablespoons max in a pot of yogurt. You can actually make it yourself and it's really healthy and yummy. I make it with maple sugar, oats, cinnamon, ground ginger, wheat bran, raisins and almonds, it's fantastic. If cooking is not your thing, try your local health food store. Ours doesn't carry anything that has HFCS or hydrogenated oil in it so every thing they sell is healthy as long as you watch the portion size.
#3
I second the homemade option. You can use Google for a recipe but once you get the basics, it's really up to you what you put in it, with the grains, nuts, dried fruits, etc. and you can do it differently every time. I love doing the homemade granola and also granola bars, just to get away from all the processed stuff. Granted, that's not always practical, but it's worth considering.
#5
I love Kashi! They do make granola cereals, and a wide variety of granola bars. They're a lot higher in protein and lower in sugar than most. If you got some of their crunchy granola bars and smashed them up, that would make a nice yogurt topping (I've done this with their pumpkin spice flax)
#6
Here's a recipe my sister is trying out for a "Paleo challenge" she's doing with her gym. While I'm not a huge follower of the Paleo diet myself, this recipe is super high in protein/low in sugar and sounds pretty yummy. I might give it a try in the next few days....
This is a general recipe and makes a large batch. Each "bag" called for should weigh approximately 1/2 to 3/4 lb. You could also buy the supplies in bulk at a natural foods store.
1 bag sunflower seeds
1 bag SLICED almonds
1 bag walnuts/pecans
1 cup dates chopped
approx. 2 cups of coconut flakes (unsweetend)
1 lb mixed dried fruit of choice
Mix everything above together...
You'll also need:
1/2 cup coconut oil (use extra virgin if you want the coconut flavor use regular if not)
Vanilla (1-2 tsp. to taste)
Cinnamon to taste
On the stove heat coconut oil, 1-2 tsp of vanilla and stir in some cinnamon. Heat on medium until runny and warm. Pour over nut/fruit mixture and stir well. Spred on parchment paper on several cookie sheets and bake at 300 for about 30-35 mins. Watch carefully and do not let BURN! enjoy dry or with unsweetend almond milk!
This is a general recipe and makes a large batch. Each "bag" called for should weigh approximately 1/2 to 3/4 lb. You could also buy the supplies in bulk at a natural foods store.
1 bag sunflower seeds
1 bag SLICED almonds
1 bag walnuts/pecans
1 cup dates chopped
approx. 2 cups of coconut flakes (unsweetend)
1 lb mixed dried fruit of choice
Mix everything above together...
You'll also need:
1/2 cup coconut oil (use extra virgin if you want the coconut flavor use regular if not)
Vanilla (1-2 tsp. to taste)
Cinnamon to taste
On the stove heat coconut oil, 1-2 tsp of vanilla and stir in some cinnamon. Heat on medium until runny and warm. Pour over nut/fruit mixture and stir well. Spred on parchment paper on several cookie sheets and bake at 300 for about 30-35 mins. Watch carefully and do not let BURN! enjoy dry or with unsweetend almond milk!
#8
FitDay Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 144
I third the Kashi GoLean Crunch. I was a big granola fan and find I really like this in my yogurt in the morning. 1/4 cup has 48 calories, less than a gram of fat, no cholesterol, under 50 mg of sodium. Actually, it's about as nutritious as the Bear Naked in the post above, but with about 1/4 the calories.
I actually didn't like other Kashi cereals, but I really do like this Crunch. It holds up in my yogurt!
I actually didn't like other Kashi cereals, but I really do like this Crunch. It holds up in my yogurt!
#10
Kelloggs Plain Lowfat Granola is probably a little more comparable to Kelloggs Kashi Crunch. 1/4 cup is 52 cals, less than a gram of fat, no cholesterol and 35 mg sodium.
I like the puffed brown rice/cracked red wheat in Kashi but I just buy it plain since 1 cup is only 60 cals, 14 carbs, no fat/sodium/cholesterol. I mix my yogurt into it instead of mixing it into my yogurt!