Breakfast is the essential meal of each day. The quality of the rest of our day depends on how we spend our mornings, so it's worth ensuring an appropriate dose of vitamins and nutrients right after waking up. Granola comes in many flavor variants and can be served with various additions; there is an unlimited number of diverse breakfasts that can be prepared based on it. Still hesitating whether it's worth a try? Let us clear those doubts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- What is granola?
- Is it worth eating granola?
- Granola - nutrients and health impact
- Does granola make you gain weight?
- Granola and muesli - what is the difference?
- Muesli - what is it?
- What to eat granola with?
- Chia seed pudding with granola
- Granola smoothie
- Granola with yogurt and fruit
- Omelet with granola and fruit
- Granola with milk
WHAT IS GRANOLA?
Granola is simply rolled oats with additions such as dried fruit, nuts, or seeds. It may also contain other grains like quinoa, millet, or barley. Granola can be freely modified according to your preference by adding your favorite ingredients, which you can find in our store.
Since the earliest generations, food has been processed to protect it from spoiling and allow for long-term storage. It is thanks to products like granola that you can enjoy the taste of fresh products even when access to them is limited, for example, in winter. At the same time, it avoids wasting surplus harvests in the summer when not all fruit can be used up immediately. Granola is an excellent way to extend the shelf life of a product. Another advantage is its diversity. You can eat a different version every day by adding your favorite dried fruit, seeds, and nuts. You can pack a practically unlimited amount of vitamins and minerals into a single bowl.
What can be found in granola?
- oat, barley, corn, millet, spelt, buckwheat flakes, and others,
- nuts – walnuts, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, etc.
- spelt bran, oat bran,
- seeds such as: chia, flaxseed, milk thistle, amaranth, ground milk thistle,
- pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame,
- dried, candied, or freeze-dried fruits,
- a sweet binder, most often honey or maple syrup.
IS IT WORTH EATING GRANOLA?
Wondering if granola is healthy? Is granola a fit product? Does granola support weight loss? Many myths have grown around this topic. Let’s explain it as simply as possible. Granola is as healthy as the products it is made of. If you choose a typical supermarket granola, it may turn out that for every 100 g of product, 23 g is sugar! No wonder your weight isn't dropping, even though you seemingly eat so healthily.
If you prepare your breakfast based on unprocessed products, it will not only be lower in calories but also healthy. Granola is an excellent breakfast option that provides the body with a large dose of energy needed to start the day without pain or complaints. This is thanks to the high content of vitamins and minerals in the oats, nuts, dried fruits, and seeds it contains.
GRANOLA - NUTRIENTS AND HEALTH IMPACT
Granola ingredients positively influence body function and boost vitality. The base components—oats, seeds, and nuts—enhance the nervous system's ability to maintain balance, which in turn prevents panic attacks and anxiety, soothes irritability and nervousness, improves mood, and calms stress. It is therefore worth including granola in your diet for literal peace of mind ;)
Oat flakes, which are the primary ingredient in granola, are a wealth of minerals, especially iodine. Iodine is a compound essential in the prevention and treatment of thyroid diseases. Regularly consuming granola in the morning may help reduce symptoms of thyroid overactivity or underactivity, such as excessive sleepiness, fatigue, lack of appetite or excessive hunger, hair loss, weight gain, and many others.
Nuts, despite being caloric and rich in fat, contribute to improving the function of almost every organ and system in the body when consumed regularly in limited amounts. Thanks to their high antioxidant potential, nuts reduce the risk of cancer, particularly colorectal, pancreatic, and endometrial cancer. Due to their significant content of unsaturated fatty acids, they improve cardiovascular health. Dietitians agree that eating a small portion of nuts several times a week lowers blood cholesterol levels, reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease, and lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke. Thanks to their high protein content, nuts are an essential supplement to a vegetarian diet.
Additionally, being a rich source of vitamin E, granola contributes to maintaining healthy skin and strong nails, while the B vitamins and iron in its composition prevent anemia. Thanks to substantial amounts of zinc, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, which support concentration and soothe the nervous system, granola is a perfect way to start a day full of challenges.
DOES GRANOLA MAKE YOU GAIN WEIGHT?
Despite numerous debates on this issue, most dietitians recommend eating granola even on a weight-loss diet, as the high dietary fiber content it contains accelerates bowel function and thus stimulates metabolism. Let's be honest, though. Nothing we consume in excess will help with weight loss. It's worth limiting not the variety of ingredients, but their quantity.
Granola is as caloric as the products it is made of. If you choose a popular supermarket brand, it may contain more sugar than valuable ingredients. Therefore, it's worth paying attention not only to the quantity and type of dried fruits and nuts (the more there are, the more calories the product will have, but also more nutritional value), but also the method of sweetening. It's worth choosing one that doesn't contain fructose syrup, but for example, honey or other natural sugar substitutes.
Granola leaves a feeling of fullness for a long time, making it a great ally in fighting cravings. By choosing granola for breakfast, you minimize the chances of reaching for an extra snack during the day. However, if you do feel like something sweet, you can easily prepare cookies, bars, or muffins based on granola. If you prefer faster solutions, you can add it to yogurt, milk, or a fruit smoothie.
GRANOLA AND MUESLI - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
To understand the difference between granola and muesli, we first need to establish what we are comparing. You already know a lot about granola, but what is muesli?
Muesli was invented at the end of the 19th century by a Swiss physician – Maximilian Bircher-Benner. The inspiration for this discovery was the customs of ancestors living in the mountains, who mixed milk and berries with oat grains for their morning and evening meals.
The doctor was likely aware of the benefits of consuming oats, though he might not have been aware of the flavor advantages of combining it with fruit and milk. Classic Swiss muesli, named in honor of the doctor – birchermüesli – consists of oat flakes, nuts, and fresh fruit. All ingredients are mixed with yogurt to a mousse-like consistency. The version that gained worldwide popularity, however, is dry – usually flakes with dried fruits and nuts served with yogurt or milk.
MUESLI - WHAT IS IT?
Muesli and granola can be prepared from exactly the same ingredients; the difference lies in the production process.
Muesli is a mix of cereal flakes, nuts, and fresh or dried fruit. Muesli is eaten with cold or warm milk or yogurt. Granola is a grain product made by mixing flakes with oil and a sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup, or cane sugar, and then heat-treated. It is the baking process that creates the crunchy clusters characteristic of granola.
It is often believed that muesli, due to its lower calorie content, is healthier than granola, but these differences are often too small for a definitive judgment. What matters is the composition of both products and the ratio of flakes to fruit and nuts. One must remember that even the healthiest product can be harmful if introduced into the diet without moderation. Therefore, do not be afraid of a more caloric breakfast with granola once in a while.
WHAT TO EAT GRANOLA WITH?
Ready to finally include granola in your diet? Or perhaps you think you've exhausted all ideas for using it? Regardless of your needs, granola can be modified and combined with other products to always provide new flavor experiences. Since it tastes excellent with yogurt and milk, you can endlessly create new variants using more exotic fruits or seeds and nuts. It works perfectly as an addition to baked goods or a base for cookies. See how to use granola so it stays in your menu without monotony!
CHIA SEED PUDDING WITH GRANOLA
In the evening, pour a cup of milk or a plant-based drink over 3 tablespoons of chia seeds, stir, and leave in the fridge overnight so the seeds absorb the milk and swell. Upon waking, add granola and fresh fruit to the resulting pudding. Done!
GRANOLA SMOOTHIE
Put your favorite fruit mix into a tall container and cover with a plant-based drink or milk. Use a blender to combine the ingredients until a thick juice is formed. Before serving, sprinkle with your favorite granola; we recommend Exotic Muesli Granola with physalis, papaya, and passion fruit. The smoothie has a slightly fluffy consistency, and the addition of granola will give the drink a crunchy character and, more importantly, provide energy for a longer time. Fast and healthy!
GRANOLA WITH YOGURT AND FRUIT
Cut your favorite fruits into pieces and place them in a bowl. Then pour natural yogurt over them and sprinkle everything with granola. We recommend Crunchy Granola. Since it contains no additions, you can let your imagination run wild and use all your favorite grains and seeds. From chia and goji to amaranth and bran, ending with dried fruits and nuts.
OMELET WITH GRANOLA AND FRUIT
Prepare an omelet according to your favorite recipe (limit the use of herbs, as they may not pair well with sweet additions). Pour your favorite natural, fruit, or vegan yogurt over the omelet and then sprinkle the whole thing with granola. You can also add a handful of seasonal fruit.
GRANOLA WITH MILK
Granola pairs perfectly with milk. It can be served both hot and cold, with cow's or plant-based milk. This is a proposal for those in a hurry, as preparation takes no more than a minute!
Sources:
- H. Koprowska, Robimy Susze, Warsaw 1980.
- Jak wybrać zdrowe MUSLI i jak zrobić własną mieszankę musli? Małgorzata Hynek-Okonski, www.poradnikzdrowie.pl/zywienie/zasady-zywienia/muesli-zrob-sama_34921.html, [accessed: 03.01.2022].
