Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is eating homemade granola healthy? ›

On the downside, granola can be high in added sugars, hidden calories, and saturated fat, making some options less healthy. Choosing the right type of granola, controlling serving sizes, and homemade options can make granola a part of a healthy diet.

Once you try homemade granola, you won't go back to store-bought granola. It's so much better! This granola recipe is also a far more healthy granola option, since it's made with whole grains, unrefined oil and naturally sweetened.

Which One Is Better for Breakfast? Both oatmeal and granola make for a healthy, nutritious breakfast, but the winner for us is granola—the added nuts, seeds, and dried fruits give you a source of fiber and healthy fats that oatmeal can't quite compete with.

Weight Loss

High-fiber foods, like the oats and whole grains found in granola, fill you up and keep you feeling fuller longer. Dietary studies have found eating a high-fiber diet can help you lose weight.

The serving size for granola can differ by brand, but a typical portion of granola is 1/3 cup, says Sass, “about the size of one-third of a tennis ball.” That means sitting down to a big bowl of granola for breakfast is excessive.

Bake low and slow.

Cook at 300 degrees F slowly for about 30 minutes or until it is golden brown and toasty. Cooking at too high of a temperature will likely burn the honey coating, the oats, and the nuts. A lower temperature ensures even baking for crispy, crunchy granola.

When stored properly at room temperature, fresh homemade granola can last for up to four weeks. Preserve its quality by letting it cool completely before storing. Packing it while it's warm leads to condensation and, consequently, unnecessary moisture.

Smoothie with Granola

Try adding it to your favorite smoothie to give it an extra boost of fiber from the whole grains, healthy fats and added flavor. It's also an easy way to increase calories in a smoothie. Personally, I think it would be a delicious addition to my Strawberry Peanut Butter Smoothie!

Honestly, a lot of Nature Valley's granola bar products are packed with added sugar, which is totally OK to enjoy once in a while, but be sure to check the nutrition label if you're looking for something less sugary to enjoy on the daily.

Granola may form part of a varied and balanced diet, but it's best to keep to the recommended portion size because granola is high in calories, carbs and sugar.

Why is granola so high in calories? ›

Granola is also calorie dense – some contain a little more than 300 calories per cup, but others can pack up to 600 calories per cup, from added oils, coconut, chocolate and added sugars including evaporated cane juice, honey, maple syrup, molasses, cane sugar and brown rice syrup.

The healthiest breakfast foods include a protein, healthy fat and source of carbohydrates, according to Smolen. For a healthy breakfast, consider eating foods like oatmeal with nut butter, avocado toast with an egg, chia seed pudding or a greek yogurt parfait with nuts and berries.

Granola is a significant source of important vitamins and minerals. It is typically made from oats, which contain micronutrients like Vitamin E, folates, zinc, iron, selenium, copper, manganese, choline and more. These all play crucial roles in the human body. Vitamin E is vital for immune function and skin health.

There's no wrong way to enjoy granola. It's just as good when sprinkled on as a crunchy topping, baked into healthy bars and bites, or eaten on its own like cereal. Adventurous cooks could even try sneaking it into baked goods or using it as a nutritious whole-grain breading for fried foods.

Because granola contains carbohydrates, it can spike blood sugar levels in some people with diabetes. However, whether or not granola spikes your blood sugar levels, and how quickly it may cause a blood sugar spike, will vary depending on what type of granola you eat and what you pair it with.