Is Granola Healthy?

You can make healthy, wholesome granola at home.

Most granolas feature oats as their primary ingredient. As a fiber-rich whole grain, oats offer up a heap of health benefits; however, featuring oats doesn’t automatically make granola a health food -- and definitely doesn't make it low-calorie. If you want to chow down on a truly nutritious granola, look for a variety that’s high in fiber, has only natural ingredients and has low amounts of added sugar and fat.

Nutrition Facts

The ingredients and serving size of the granola you eat have a major impact on the final nutrition facts. According to the USDA, 1 cup of homemade granola contains approximately 600 calories, 18 grams of protein, 29 grams of fat, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams of fiber and 24.5 grams of sugar. A cup of commercially prepared chocolate granola has about 440 calories, 11 grams of protein, 16.5 grams of fat, 69 grams of carbohydrates, 13.5 grams of fiber and 21 grams of sugar. However, the ingredients within granola can vary wildly.

Do's and Don'ts

Calorie count is only one piece of the nutritional puzzle. When you’re looking for a healthy granola, do avoid varieties with high amounts of sugar and fat—particularly saturated fat—per serving. However, don’t look for fat-free or sugar-free granola. Many nutritious ingredients, such as nuts, seeds and dried fruit, contain varying amounts of natural sugar and healthy fats that come along with plenty of vitamins and minerals. To play it safe, eat granola that is sweetened only with dried fruit, honey or maple syrup, and that has at least 20 percent of the recommended daily value for fiber. Good fiber content makes[granola healthier and more likely to fill you up, says dietitian Anna Raymond.

Make Your Own

Making granola is quick, easy and allows you to control everything that’s included. Registered dietitian Toby Amidor recommends mixing up a healthy batch with a base of old-fashioned rolled oats and additions of dried fruits, dry roasted nuts, seeds, vanilla extract or apple cider. If you need more sweetness or flavor, add small amounts of honey, maple syrup or oil. Bake the batch on a cookie sheet at a low temperature until it’s golden brown, and then store the cooled granola in an airtight container for up to a month.

Considerations

Granola made with whole, natural ingredients has more health benefits than downsides, but it can still be high in calories and fat. For that reason, it’s important to eat it in moderation. Stick to servings of about 1/4 cup, as Amidor recommends, and enjoy granola with nonfat milk or yogurt. Round out the meal with fresh fruits or vegetables for added health benefits.

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About the Author

Carly Schuna is a Wisconsin-based professional writer, editor and copy editor/proofreader. She has worked with hundreds of pieces of fiction, nonfiction, children's literature, feature stories and corporate content. Her expertise on food, cooking, nutrition and fitness information comes from years of in-depth study on those and other health topics.