Granola is a perfect example of a supposed “health food”. But what is exactly is a health food? And is granola healthy, really?
Starting with the first question, the obvious answer is that “health food” is “healthy” food – food that enhances health. The nutritionists
I’ve spoken to all agree that for a food to be considered “healthy”, it
should be dense with nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, to
name a few) while not highly caloric, highly processed or high in
anything that science has told us may harm our health (GMO’s, artificial
food colorings, any of the Scary Seven™.
So is granola healthy?
Certainly,
granola has a wonderful reputation as a “health” food. Just the term
“granola”, itself, is synonymous with a natural, earthy lifestyle. But
let’s examine if granola has earned its reputation as a health food or
if it has somehow managed to fool us with its oats and its crunch.
Read more about The Scary Seven™
At
its best, granola made of organic oats, grains and honey or some other
natural sweetener that is not made of “sugar”. At worst, it’s nothing
more than a candy bar that has the audacity to congratulate us for
eating it: Kudos.
Hopefully you’ve already figured out that granola or not, Kudos http://www.kudosbar.com
is not a health food. And maybe you already are a savvy shopper,
thoughtfully selecting organic, minimally processed foods and attempting
to maximize the nutrition you take in with your calories. Yet maybe as
you wheel your shopping cart past the vast array of natural and organic
granolas offerings, you’re still thinking, “granola is healthy, so I
should be eating it.” Never mind that you may not particularly like
granola.
Well, stop. Pull over that cart and consider this:
Granola may not be any more a “health food” than Kellogg’s Froot Loops?
In fact, Froot Loops may be just slightly more of a “health food”.
According to the published nutrition on Froot Loops, for 110 calories,
you get a full cup of cereal that includes 12 grams of sugar and 3 grams
of fiber plus an assortment of vitamins and minerals in significant
amounts
Now, compare that to what you get from a serving of Back to Nature Organic Cherry Vanilla Granola:
For twice as many calories (200), you get only a ¼ cup of cereal, but
that tiny serving packs the same 12 grams of sugar as a cup of Froot
Loops. You get a mere 2 more grams of fiber, but you get almost no
vitamins and minerals (other than scant amounts of vitamin C, iron an
phosphorus.
Where
does that leave you? Well, if you don’t like granola, don’t feel any
pressure to eat it ever. If you do like granola, consider it to be a
treat, and then have it only in the very tiny portion indicated on the
package as one serving. And if you’re looking for a healthier breakfast
that actually tastes as decadent as you might wish granola did, check
out this recipe for wholegrain French toast [link to my article on
French toast.
Photo Credit: Average Jane
