Granola is also known as crispy oats or baked oats.
It’s made by mixing natural oat grains with natural ingredients like nuts and dried fruits, then adding honey, cane sugar, or maple syrup before baking until golden brown, creating a crunchier texture than plain oats.
Granola is a common breakfast food in American households, typically eaten with milk or yogurt.
Some products also make granola into cereal bars for convenient, on-the-go energy boosts.
Further testing: What Kind of Oatmeal R U?
How Many Calories Does Granola Contain?
100 grams of granola contains approximately 483 calories, similar to the same weight of baked cookies.
The recommended serving size for breakfast is about ¼ cup of granola (approximately 29 grams), with the following nutritional content:
- Carbohydrates: 14 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Sugar: 4 grams
- Fat: 9 grams
- Protein: 3 grams (mostly from nuts)
The nutritional content of granola varies slightly depending on the ingredients, but most contain: vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, vitamin E, vitamin K, and various minerals.
Overall, granola is quite suitable for quickly replenishing energy after exercise.
It can also be used for weight loss, but product selection is important to avoid those with too many additives or high sugar content.
The ingredients used in granola—oats, nuts, and dried fruits—are all highly nutritious foods.
Although nuts provide more fat, the rich dietary fiber provides a significant degree of satiety, making it a good option between meals to prevent dieters from consuming nutritionally poor, high-calorie snacks.
There Are 4 Common Types of Grain Cereals! What’s the Difference Between Cereal, Muesli, Porridge, and Granola?
Grain cereals refer to food made from wheat, oats, corn, and other grains, processed into flakes or granules. Different names are given based on the degree of processing and additives.
The most common grain cereals include: Cereal, Muesli, Porridge, and Granola.
Below is an introduction to each of these four different types of grain cereals.
Cereal
Cereal is the most processed of these four grain products.
Its main ingredients are wheat and corn, which are ground into powder and then shaped into various forms, losing the original shape of the food.
Some commercial cereals add sugar powder, coloring, etc., to make their flavors and shapes more varied, resulting in the best taste but lower nutritional value.
Every 100 grams of cereal contains approximately 376 calories, with 83 grams of carbohydrates and 3.38 grams of fat. If more flavoring is added, such as chocolate cereal, the fat content and calories will be higher.
Granola
Granola’s main ingredient is oats, followed by nuts and dried fruits. Its biggest feature is that it’s baked with honey or syrup, creating a golden, crispy texture with a sweet taste.
Due to the added sugar, granola is suitable for quick energy replenishment, such as after high-intensity exercise or activities that consume a lot of energy like hiking or skiing.
100 grams of granola contains about 483 calories, including 48 grams of carbohydrates and 31 grams of fat.
Because it’s baked at high temperatures, granola has a crispier texture and doesn’t soften quickly even when soaked in milk, making it suitable for those who prefer crunchy textures.
Muesli
Compared to the previous two, muesli is minimally processed. The oats are simply flattened and mixed with nuts and dried fruits without being baked, preserving the food’s most original form.
Muesli’s flavor comes entirely from the food itself, including the sweetness of dried fruits and the aroma of nuts. It has almost no added sugar and relatively high nutritional value.
100 grams of muesli contains about 351 calories, including 75.6 grams of carbohydrates and 3.3 grams of fat, as well as rich calcium and iron.
Its calorie content is similar to rice, but it has high soluble fiber content, which easily provides satiety, making it suitable for elderly people as a rice substitute.
Abroad, the most common way to eat muesli is to soak it overnight in milk or juice to soften it, providing a ready-made breakfast the next morning.
In Taiwan, it’s also common to eat muesli with soy milk or yogurt, which is equally healthy and convenient.
Porridge
Traditional porridge originated in Britain, where oat grains are boiled with water or milk until the oats become paste-like.
Its ingredients only include oats and water or milk, with much lower calories—about 91 calories per 100 grams, including 2.5 grams of fat, 4.7 grams of protein, and 12.8 grams of carbohydrates.
Porridge is usually eaten heated and is suitable for people who prefer softer food textures.
Compared to the previous three products, it hasn’t undergone much processing, has no added sugar or other ingredients, has the lowest overall calories, and provides satiety, making it suitable for dietary control.
Below is a comparison table of the four grain cereal products: Cereal, Granola, Muesli, and Porridge, for interested readers.
Since the following data is compiled from general commercial product information (nutritional content is calculated per 100 grams of product), actual nutritional content varies depending on ingredients and additives. The comparison table is for reference only.
| Cereal | Granola | Muesli | Porridge | |
| Preparation | Corn and wheat ground into powder, then reshaped. | Oats, nuts, and dried fruits mixed with honey or other syrups, baked until crispy. | Oats flattened, mixed with nuts and dried fruits, can be eaten with soy milk or milk. | Oats cooked with water or milk until paste-like. |
| Processing Level | Highest | Medium-high | Low | Lowest |
| Nutritional Value | Lowest | High sugar content | High | Nutrition from oats |
| Texture | Light and crispy, easy to chew, softens quickly in milk | Crispy, harder, doesn’t soften easily in milk | Raw oats are chewy, mixed with dried fruits and nuts for varied texture | Paste-like, soft, almost no chewing required |
| Calories | High (376/100g) | Highest (483/100g) | Medium-low (351/100g) | Lowest (91/100g) |
| Sugar | 4.3g | 14g | 20.5g | 0.08g |
| Fiber | 9.3g | 10g | 9.1g | 1.2g |
| Protein | 12.1g | 10g | 11.2g | 4.7g |
| Fat | 3.38g | 31g | 3.3g | 2.5g |
What Are the Benefits of Eating Granola?
Rich in Dietary Fiber, High in Protein, Extends Satiety, Helps with Weight Loss
Granola combines oats, nuts, and dried fruits, with oats providing rich dietary fiber and nuts containing protein.
Protein and dietary fiber easily create satiety that lasts longer, making you feel full and maintaining that feeling longer compared to other foods.
When using granola for weight loss, it provides long-lasting satiety, reducing appetite so dieters don’t need to consume additional food. Overall, this helps reduce calorie intake, achieving dietary control.
Dietary fiber also promotes intestinal peristalsis, increases stool volume, and makes stools easier to excrete.
Rich in Essential Minerals, Helps Maintain Health
Besides protein and dietary fiber, granola also contains many essential minerals and vitamins.
These rich nutrients, such as potassium, help with body osmotic pressure balance and maintain stable blood pressure.
Granola is rich in vitamin E, which has good antioxidant properties in the body, reducing the attack of free radicals (unstable factors that damage cells) on body cells, improving skin and blood cell health.
Iron is an important element in forming hemoglobin and myoglobin. Proper supplementation helps with normal red blood cell formation, especially important for women during menstruation when blood is lost.
Convenient to Carry, Easy to Store, Replenish Energy Anytime, Anywhere
Granola is often baked with honey or maple syrup, which can quickly replenish energy needed by the body after exercise.
Dried fruits have the same effect, while the protein and fat in nuts extend satiety and provide materials needed for muscle repair after exercise.
Some products make granola into energy bars for easy carrying, especially useful for outdoor activities like hiking, rock climbing, or trekking, where you can keep some in your backpack for emergencies.
How to Make Homemade Granola? Granola Recipes Revealed
Interested people can make granola at home, eliminating concerns about too many additives in commercial products.
However, making your own granola is more time-consuming and requires buying multiple ingredients. For those who just want it as a snack or breakfast, homemade granola has a higher cost and might not taste as good.
In reality, not all commercial granola products contain many additives. By checking the nutritional content, you can eat without worry. Commercial granola products also offer many flavor choices and can be used in other recipes after purchase, suitable for busy working people who want to eat healthily.
Whether you want to challenge yourself to make homemade granola or buy granola products to process further at home, you can find recipes here for both sweet and savory dishes!
Homemade Granola Recipe (Oven & Air Fryer)
Oats are a quality whole grain source, containing more dietary fiber and protein compared to other snacks like potato chips or desserts. Adding nuts, dried fruits, and other natural flavors creates a homemade snack for when you’re craving something. Below are two cooking methods, so you can make simple and delicious granola at home using either an oven or an air fryer!
Ingredients:
Olive oil 15g Honey 20g Salt 2g Oats 60g Mixed nuts 7g Raisins 20g
- Lay out baking paper Oven version: Preheat to 150°C for 10 minutes Air fryer version: Preheat to 200°C for 5 minutes
- Add olive oil, honey, salt, oats, nuts, and raisins to a large bowl
- Mix all ingredients evenly, chopping nuts while stirring
- Oven version: Spread the mixed ingredients evenly on baking paper, no thicker than 1cm, bake at 120°C for 10 minutes. If edges start turning golden, take out, flip slightly, and bake for another 5 minutes. Air fryer version: Spread the mixed ingredients evenly on baking paper, no thicker than 1cm, air fry at 180°C for 20 minutes, flip slightly, then air fry at 160°C for 10 minutes
- Store in the refrigerator for regular use, adding to various dishes anytime
Notes:
You can substitute honey with maple syrup, but maple syrup is sweeter, so add accordingly. You can also add cinnamon powder or unsweetened cocoa powder according to taste preferences. Raisins can be replaced with other dried fruits to create various flavors!
Nutritional Content:
Calories: 538.1 kcal Water: 13.3ml Fat: 24.5g Carbohydrates: 71.4g Protein: 9.9g Fiber: 4.5g Sugar: 9g
Italian Pork Loin Granola Yogurt Lettuce Salad (Single Serving)
Italian chicken lettuce salad with sweet and sour yogurt sauce is refreshing and guilt-free. When hot weather makes it hard to eat hot food, why not make this for yourself!
Ingredients:
Chicken tenderloin 50g Olive oil 1 tsp Italian herbs small amount Salt 1 tsp Lettuce 80g Cheese shreds appropriate amount Cherry tomatoes 5 Granola 30g
Yogurt Sauce Ingredients:
Unsweetened Greek yogurt 30g Honey 10g Lemon juice 10g
- Marinate the tenderloin with Italian herbs and salt for 20 minutes
- Wash and cut lettuce and cherry tomatoes, set aside
- Heat oil in a pan, cook the tenderloin
- Place lettuce, cherry tomatoes, tenderloin, and cheese shreds in the plate in order
- Sprinkle granola on top
- Finally, drizzle with yogurt sauce
Yogurt Sauce Preparation: Mix unsweetened Greek yogurt, honey, and lemon juice evenly. Adjust honey and lemon juice amounts according to personal taste.
Nutritional Content:
Calories: 348.9 kcal Water: 159.1ml Fat: 14.28g Carbohydrates: 37.3g Protein: 18.8g Fiber: 3.4g Sugar: 5.5g
Yogurt Cheese Granola Toast (Single Serving)
Toast can be sweet as well as savory. You often see fruit cream sandwiches in Japanese bakeries. Soft toast with colorful fruits looks appetizing, but fresh cream is high in calories. If you want to eat it, replace fresh cream with plain yogurt and a little cream cheese.
Ingredients:
Cream cheese 50g Plain unsweetened yogurt 80g Thick slice of toast 1 piece Kiwi, strawberry, blueberry small amount Maple syrup or honey small amount Osmanthus oolong tea granola 45g
Method:
- Soften cream cheese at room temperature and mix evenly with plain yogurt.
- Press the middle of the toast to create a depression, then spread the cream cheese yogurt spread on the toast.
- Cut kiwi and strawberry into small pieces, mix with blueberries in a small bowl, and pour on the toast.
- Sprinkle 45g of osmanthus oolong tea granola on top.
- Drizzle with a little maple syrup/honey to finish.
Nutritional Content:
Calories: 496.7 kcal Water: 155.3ml Fat: 23.1g Carbohydrates: 62.4g Protein: 16.4g Fiber: 8.2g Sugar: 14.1g
Granola FAQ
Q1: Is Granola Healthy?
Yes, the main ingredients of granola—oats, nuts, dried fruits—are all natural food sources that haven’t undergone much processing and contain rich nutrients.
Oats are rich in dietary fiber, which helps intestinal peristalsis and maintains digestive health.
Nuts provide unsaturated fatty acids and moderate protein, creating satiety, while their rich vitamin E has antioxidant effects.
However, commercial granola products vary in additives, often containing added refined sugar that increases calorie intake.If more dried fruits or honey are added for sweetness, the proportion of sugar and carbohydrates will be higher, causing blood sugar to rise faster.
Before purchasing, check the nutrition label, choose products with fewer additives, and avoid trans fats for better health benefits.
Q2: Can I Eat Granola Every Day?
Granola can be eaten daily, but pay attention to portion size. It’s recommended not to eat more than 180-360g per day, and exercise should complement consumption to burn calories.
Granola is suitable as breakfast, afternoon tea, or as a snack between meals. Especially for those who exercise regularly, using granola as a quick source of energy provides higher nutritional density than other snacks like chocolate or bubble tea.
However, it’s not recommended to replace all meals with granola. Since granola has higher proportions of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat, with relatively less protein, excessive consumption not only creates nutritional imbalance but may also lead to weight gain due to excessive carbohydrate intake.
According to the “National Dietary Guidelines” published by the Health Promotion Administration in 2018, it’s recommended that daily “added sugar intake should not exceed 10% of total calories“. Based on a recommended daily total of 2000 calories, calories from sugar should not exceed 200 calories (1g sugar = 4 calories), meaning daily sugar intake should not exceed 50g; for health foods, there’s an even stricter standard—additional added sugar should not exceed 25g.
Following the above recommendation that daily sugar intake should not exceed 25-50g, it’s advised not to eat more than 180-360g of granola, but actual portions still depend on the nutritional label of each product.
Q3: Can Granola Help with Weight Loss?
Yes, but you need to choose the right product.
The main ingredients of granola—oats, nuts, and dried fruits—contain rich dietary fiber and adequate protein, which can extend the consumer’s feeling of fullness, making it suitable for supporting dietary control.
When selecting products, try to choose low-calorie, high-nutritional value granola, such as:
- Granola made with minimally processed oats, like traditional rolled oats
- Using canola oil rich in omega-3 instead of other oils for baking
- Adding ingredients like chia seeds or flaxseeds, which have high nutritional value and are also beneficial for the cardiovascular system.
If you want to use granola to assist with weight loss, note the following:
- Don’t choose products with non-natural added sugars: Avoid granola with white sugar or corn syrup. If you prefer a sweeter taste, choose products where sweetness comes from honey or dried fruits.
- Choose granola where added ingredients are all unprocessed foods, such as nuts and plant seeds.
- Check the nutrition label before buying: Choose products high in protein and fiber.
- Pay attention to portion size before eating: Any healthy food can burden the body if eaten in excess, so be careful not to overeat.
Further reading: Does Eating Oats Really Help with Weight Loss? What Are the Benefits?
Q4: How Should Granola Be Stored and How Long Can It Be Kept?
Common storage methods for granola include placing it in an airtight container or in the freezer.
Refrigerating granola can make it become soft due to moisture, affecting the texture and even causing mold, so this is not recommended.
Since granola is dried through high-temperature baking, it can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Remember to let the granola cool to room temperature before sealing it, and place it in an area away from direct sunlight.This storage method generally maintains quality for about 6 months; however, in humid and hot regions like Taiwan during summer, it’s recommended to consume it within 2 to 3 months.
For longer storage, you can seal the granola and place it in the freezer, where it can last over 6 months, though the best flavor is within 3 months.
Before freezing, allow the granola to cool to room temperature, as residual heat and moisture in the container will damage the texture after freezing.
When you want to eat frozen granola, you can heat it in the oven to restore its original crispy texture.
Additionally, dried fruits in granola tend to harden during long freezing periods. If this concerns you, you can add the dried fruits after thawing the granola (if you’re making homemade granola).
Q5: Is Granola Difficult to Digest?
The main ingredient in granola is oats, which contain abundant dietary fiber that is indeed more difficult to digest, especially for people with sensitive digestive systems who might experience bloating.
Therefore, it’s recommended that people trying granola for the first time start with small portions until they’re sure their body can accept it and their digestive system can adapt, before increasing their granola consumption.
Q6: Where Can I Buy Granola?
Granola can be found in physical stores in Taiwan, such as PX Mart, Carrefour, etc., but the selection is usually limited since oat-based diets are not yet very popular in Taiwan.
You can also find it on major e-commerce platforms like PChome or Momo shopping, where the selection is better than in physical stores, though you might have to wait a few days for delivery.
Additionally, you can directly target brands that specialize in oat products.
Regardless of which channel you purchase from, pay attention to the ingredients and nutrition label when selecting granola, avoiding products with excessive additives.
Choosing the right product is essential for truly eating healthily and with peace of mind.
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