What is granola

Granola is a cereal-like breakfast food and snack food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey or other sweeteners such as brown sugar, and sometimes puffed rice, that is usually baked until it is crisp, toasted and golden brown. During the baking process, the mixture is stirred to maintain a loose breakfast cereal consistency. Dried fruits, such as raisins and dates, and confections such as chocolate are sometimes added. Granola breakfast cereal, particularly if it includes flax seeds, is often used to improve digestion. Granola breakfast cereal is often eaten in combination with yogurt, honey, fresh fruit (such as bananas, strawberries or blueberries), milk or other forms of cereal. It also serves as a topping for various pastries, desserts or ice cream. Though granola is a good source of protein and fiber, granola can also be high in sugar, fat and calories, especially the store-bought varieties. It’s best to watch your portion sizes or create your own healthier granola to limit the amount of fat, calories and sugar in each serving.

How many calories should breakfast provide ?

A helpful rule of thumb to maintain a healthy weight is to follow the 400-600-600 kcal approach.

That means having about:

• 400kcal for breakfast (including any drinks and accompaniments)
• 600kcal for lunch (including any drinks and accompaniments)
• 600kcal for dinner (including any drinks and accompaniments)

That leaves you with just enough left over to enjoy a few healthy drinks and snacks throughout the day. This advice is based on a adult’s daily recommended calorie intake of 2,000kcal.

You might get about 150kcal from a 35g serving of granola (approx. only depending on make and brands). You could add a medium sliced banana and 200ml of semi-skimmed milk, which altogether would provide about 350kcals.

You need fuel in the morning, and starting the day with a filling breakfast can help you avoid reaching for a less healthy mid-morning snack to keep you going until lunch.

Granola nutrition

Granola calories depends on the added sugar and fat content of the granola breakfast cereal.

Table 1. Granola nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g
Approximates
Energy	kcal	418
Protein	g	10.91
Total lipid (fat)	g	14.55
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	63.64
Fiber, total dietary	g	5.5
Sugars, total	g	23.64
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	73
Iron, Fe	mg	2.86
Sodium, Na	mg	227
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	0
Fatty acids, total trans	g	0
Cholesterol	mg	0

Ingredients: Oats, Maple syrup, Brown sugar, Canola oil, Vanilla, Sea salt, Cinnamon.
Manufacturer: Good Life

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 2. Granola nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	cup 55 g	Value per 100 g
Approximates
Energy	kcal	240	436
Protein	g	6	10.91
Total lipid (fat)	g	7	12.73
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	39	70.91
Fiber, total dietary	g	4	7.3
Sugars, total	g	12	21.82
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	20	36
Iron, Fe	mg	1.31	2.38
Potassium, K	mg	140	255
Sodium, Na	mg	70	127
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	1.001	1.82
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	3.498	6.36
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	2.502	4.55
Fatty acids, total trans	g	0	0
Cholesterol	mg	0	0

Ingredients: Whole grain rolled oats, cane sugar, canola oil, rice flour, flax seed, honey, flax seed meal, freeze dried blueberries, salt, natural flavor, barley malt syrup, mixed tocopherols (to maintain freshness).
Manufacturer: Post

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 3. Granola bars (plain and hard) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g
Approximates
Water	g	3.9
Energy	kcal	471
Energy	kJ	1972
Protein	g	10.1
Total lipid (fat)	g	19.8
Ash	g	1.9
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	64.4
Fiber, total dietary	g	5.3
Sugars, total	g	28.57
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	61
Iron, Fe	mg	2.95
Magnesium, Mg	mg	97
Phosphorus, P	mg	277
Potassium, K	mg	336
Sodium, Na	mg	294
Zinc, Zn	mg	2.03
Copper, Cu	mg	0.392
Manganese, Mn	mg	1.777
Selenium, Se	µg	16.2
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0.9
Thiamin	mg	0.264
Riboflavin	mg	0.119
Niacin	mg	1.581
Pantothenic acid	mg	0.813
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.085
Folate, total	µg	23
Folic acid	µg	0
Folate, food	µg	23
Folate, DFE	µg	23
Choline, total	mg	22
Betaine	mg	6.9
Vitamin B-12	µg	0
Vitamin B-12, added	µg	0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	2
Retinol	µg	0
Carotene, beta	µg	17
Carotene, alpha	µg	6
Cryptoxanthin, beta	µg	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	33
Lycopene	µg	0
Lutein + zeaxanthin	µg	189
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	2.09
Vitamin E, added	mg	0
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg	0
Vitamin D	IU	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	14.6
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	2.37
04:00:00	g	0
06:00:00	g	0
08:00:00	g	0
10:00:00	g	0
12:00:00	g	0.01
14:00:00	g	0.01
16:00:00	g	1.54
18:00:00	g	0.76
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	4.38
16:1 undifferentiated	g	0.01
18:1 undifferentiated	g	4.37
20:01:00	g	0.13
22:1 undifferentiated	g	0
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	12.05
18:2 undifferentiated	g	11.99
18:3 undifferentiated	g	0.06
18:04:00	g	0
20:4 undifferentiated	g	0
20:5 n-3 (EPA)	g	0
22:5 n-3 (DPA)	g	0
22:6 n-3 (DHA)	g	0
Cholesterol	mg	0
Amino Acids
Tryptophan	g	0.177
Threonine	g	0.264
Isoleucine	g	0.352
Leucine	g	0.724
Lysine	g	0.4
Methionine	g	0.177
Cystine	g	0.304
Phenylalanine	g	0.479
Tyrosine	g	0.352
Valine	g	0.508
Arginine	g	0.674
Histidine	g	0.216
Alanine	g	0.46
Aspartic acid	g	0.83
Glutamic acid	g	1.975
Glycine	g	0.499
Proline	g	0.518
Serine	g	0.47
Other
Alcohol, ethyl	g	0
Caffeine	mg	0
Theobromine	mg	0
Isoflavones
Daidzein	mg	0.05
Genistein	mg	0.07
Total isoflavones	mg	0.13
Biochanin A	mg	0
Formononetin	mg	0
Coumestrol	mg	0.01

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 4. Granola bars (plain and soft and uncoated) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g	bar (1 oz) 28 g
Approximates
Water	g	6.4	1.79
Energy	kcal	443	124
Protein	g	7.4	2.07
Total lipid (fat)	g	17.2	4.82
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	67.3	18.84
Fiber, total dietary	g	4.6	1.3
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	105	29
Iron, Fe	mg	2.56	0.72
Magnesium, Mg	mg	74	21
Phosphorus, P	mg	230	64
Potassium, K	mg	325	91
Sodium, Na	mg	278	78
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.5	0.42
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0	0
Thiamin	mg	0.295	0.083
Riboflavin	mg	0.165	0.046
Niacin	mg	0.515	0.144
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.1	0.028
Folate, DFE	µg	24	7
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.39	0.11
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	0	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	7.25	2.03
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	3.82	1.07
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	5.32	1.49
Cholesterol	mg	0	0

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 5. Granola bars (soft, uncoated and raisin) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g	bar (1.5 oz) 43 g	bar (1 oz) 28 g
Approximates
Water	g	6.4	2.75	1.79
Energy	kcal	448	193	125
Protein	g	7.6	3.27	2.13
Total lipid (fat)	g	17.8	7.65	4.98
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	66.4	28.55	18.59
Fiber, total dietary	g	4.2	1.8	1.2
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	101	43	28
Iron, Fe	mg	2.44	1.05	0.68
Magnesium, Mg	mg	72	31	20
Phosphorus, P	mg	220	95	62
Potassium, K	mg	362	156	101
Sodium, Na	mg	282	121	79
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.3	0.56	0.36
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0	0	0
Thiamin	mg	0.231	0.099	0.065
Riboflavin	mg	0.163	0.07	0.046
Niacin	mg	1.101	0.473	0.308
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.103	0.044	0.029
Folate, DFE	µg	21	9	6
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.18	0.08	0.05
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	0	0	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	0	0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	9.57	4.115	2.68
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	2.84	1.221	0.795
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	3.21	1.38	0.899
Cholesterol	mg	0	0	0

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 6. Granola bars (hard and chocolate chip) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g	oz 28.35 g	bar 24 g
Approximates
Water	g	2.4	0.68	0.58
Energy	kcal	438	124	105
Protein	g	7.3	2.07	1.75
Total lipid (fat)	g	16.3	4.62	3.91
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	72.1	20.44	17.3
Fiber, total dietary	g	4.4	1.2	1.1
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	77	22	18
Iron, Fe	mg	3.05	0.86	0.73
Magnesium, Mg	mg	72	20	17
Phosphorus, P	mg	204	58	49
Potassium, K	mg	251	71	60
Sodium, Na	mg	344	98	83
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.93	0.55	0.46
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0.1	0	0
Thiamin	mg	0.18	0.051	0.043
Riboflavin	mg	0.1	0.028	0.024
Niacin	mg	0.555	0.157	0.133
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.058	0.016	0.014
Folate, DFE	µg	13	4	3
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.01	0	0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	2	1	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	42	12	10
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	11.41	3.235	2.738
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	2.63	0.746	0.631
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	1.27	0.36	0.305
Cholesterol	mg	0	0	0

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 7. Granola bars (hard and almond) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g	oz 28.35 g	bar 24 g
Approximates
Water	g	3.1	0.88	0.74
Energy	kcal	495	140	119
Protein	g	7.7	2.18	1.85
Total lipid (fat)	g	25.5	7.23	6.12
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	62	17.58	14.88
Fiber, total dietary	g	4.8	1.4	1.2
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	32	9	8
Iron, Fe	mg	2.5	0.71	0.6
Magnesium, Mg	mg	81	23	19
Phosphorus, P	mg	228	65	55
Potassium, K	mg	273	77	66
Sodium, Na	mg	256	73	61
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.58	0.45	0.38
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0	0	0
Thiamin	mg	0.28	0.079	0.067
Riboflavin	mg	0.07	0.02	0.017
Niacin	mg	0.61	0.173	0.146
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.047	0.013	0.011
Folate, DFE	µg	12	3	3
Vitamin B-12	µg	0	0	0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	2	1	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	37	10	9
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	12.51	3.547	3.002
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	7.74	2.194	1.858
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	3.76	1.066	0.902
Cholesterol	mg	0	0	0

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 8. Granola bars (non-fat and fruit filled) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g
Approximates
Water	g	13.7
Energy	kcal	342
Protein	g	5.9
Total lipid (fat)	g	0.9
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	77.6
Fiber, total dietary	g	7.4
Sugars, total	g	45.24
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	3
Iron, Fe	mg	4
Magnesium, Mg	mg	50
Phosphorus, P	mg	122
Potassium, K	mg	220
Sodium, Na	mg	16
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.42
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	1.7
Thiamin	mg	0.03
Riboflavin	mg	0.07
Niacin	mg	0.4
Vitamin B-6	mg	1.59
Folate, DFE	µg	527
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.18
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	1
Vitamin A, IU	IU	28
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	0.22
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg	0
Vitamin D	IU	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	1.3
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	0.2
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	0.24
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	0.35
Cholesterol	mg	0
Other
Caffeine	mg	0

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 9. Granola bars (uncoated, nut and raisin) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g	bar (1 oz) 28 g
Approximates
Water	g	6.1	1.71
Energy	kcal	454	127
Protein	g	8	2.24
Total lipid (fat)	g	20.4	5.71
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	63.6	17.81
Fiber, total dietary	g	5.6	1.6
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	84	24
Iron, Fe	mg	2.18	0.61
Magnesium, Mg	mg	91	25
Phosphorus, P	mg	241	67
Potassium, K	mg	392	110
Sodium, Na	mg	254	71
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.6	0.45
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0	0
Thiamin	mg	0.19	0.053
Riboflavin	mg	0.19	0.053
Niacin	mg	2.61	0.731
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.12	0.034
Folate, DFE	µg	30	8
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.24	0.07
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	2	1
Vitamin A, IU	IU	41	11
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	9.54	2.671
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	4.22	1.182
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	5.52	1.546
Cholesterol	mg	0	0

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 10. Granola bars (hard and peanut butter) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g	oz 28.35 g	bar 24 g
Approximates
Water	g	2.3	0.65	0.55
Energy	kcal	483	137	116
Protein	g	9.8	2.78	2.35
Total lipid (fat)	g	23.8	6.75	5.71
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	62.3	17.66	14.95
Fiber, total dietary	g	2.9	0.8	0.7
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	41	12	10
Iron, Fe	mg	2.4	0.68	0.58
Magnesium, Mg	mg	55	16	13
Phosphorus, P	mg	139	39	33
Potassium, K	mg	291	82	70
Sodium, Na	mg	283	80	68
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.25	0.35	0.3
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0.2	0.1	0
Thiamin	mg	0.21	0.06	0.05
Riboflavin	mg	0.09	0.026	0.022
Niacin	mg	1.97	0.558	0.473
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.096	0.027	0.023
Folate, DFE	µg	18	5	4
Vitamin B-12	µg	0	0	0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	1	0	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	16	5	4
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	3.2	0.907	0.768
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	7	1.985	1.68
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	12.08	3.425	2.899
Cholesterol	mg	0	0	0

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

Table 11. Granola bars (coconut and chocolate coated) nutrition facts

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g	oz 28.35 g
Approximates
Water	g	6.1	1.73
Energy	kcal	531	151
Protein	g	5.2	1.47
Total lipid (fat)	g	32.2	9.13
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	55.2	15.65
Fiber, total dietary	g	6.2	1.8
Sugars, total	g	34.27	9.72
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	42	12
Iron, Fe	mg	1.75	0.5
Magnesium, Mg	mg	56	16
Phosphorus, P	mg	154	44
Potassium, K	mg	254	72
Sodium, Na	mg	152	43
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.17	0.33
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0.5	0.1
Thiamin	mg	0.14	0.04
Riboflavin	mg	0.08	0.023
Niacin	mg	0.42	0.119
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.12	0.034
Folate, DFE	µg	9	3
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.07	0.02
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	0	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	0
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	0.3	0.09
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg	0	0
Vitamin D	IU	0	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	1.4	0.4
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	22.72	6.441
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	4.97	1.409
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	3.1	0.879
Cholesterol	mg	0	0
Other
Caffeine	mg	3	1

[Source: United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service ¹]

How to find the best granola bars

Read the Nutrition Labels on the granola bars packaging.

Nutrition labels can help you choose between granola bars and keep a check on the amount of granola you’re eating that are high in fat, salt and added sugars.

Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition label on the back or side of the packaging. These labels include information on energy in kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal), usually referred to as calories.

They also include information on fat, saturates (saturated fat), carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. All nutrition information is provided per 100 grams and sometimes per portion of the food.

Supermarkets and food manufacturers now highlight the energy, fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt content on the front of the packaging, alongside the reference intake for each of these.

You can use nutrition labels to help you choose the best granola bar.

How do I know if granola or a granola bar is high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or salt ?

There are guidelines to tell you if a granola cereal or granola bar is high in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugar, or not. These are:

Total fat

• High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g
• Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g

Saturated fat

• High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g
• Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g

Sugars

• High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g
• Moderate: between 5g to 22.5 g of total sugars per 100g
• Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g

Salt

• High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
• Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)

For example, if you are trying to cut down on saturated fat, limit your consumption of foods that have more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.

If you’re trying to cut down on sugar, you should avoid foods that have more than 22.5g of sugars per 100g.

Some nutrition labels on the back or side of packaging also provide information about reference intakes.

Reference intakes explained

You’ll see reference intakes referred to on food labels. They show you the maximum amount of calories and nutrients you should eat in a day.

• Nutrition labels can also provide information on how a particular food or drink product fits into your daily diet.
• Reference intakes are guidelines about the approximate amount of particular nutrients and energy required for a healthy diet.

Daily reference intakes for the average adult aged 19 to 64 are:

• Energy: 8,400 kJ/2,000kcal (for an average adult male)
• Total fat: less than 70g
• Saturates: less than 20g
• Carbohydrate: at least 260g
• Total sugars: 90g
• Protein: 50g
• Fiber: 35g
• Salt: less than 2.3g

The reference intake for total sugars includes sugars from milk and fruit, as well as added sugar.

Reference intakes aren’t meant to be targets. They just give you a rough idea of how much energy you should be eating each day and how much fat, sugar, salt and so on.

Unless the label says otherwise, reference intakes are based on an average-sized adult doing an average amount of physical activity.

This is to reduce the risk of people with lower energy requirements eating too much, and to make sure information on labels is clear and consistent.

Where to find reference intakes on food packs

Most of the big supermarkets and many food manufacturers also display nutritional information on the front of pre-packed food. This is very useful when you want to compare different food products at a glance.

If you look closely at food packaging, you’ll see that it usually tells you what percentage of your daily reference intakes each portion of that food contains.

Front-of-pack labels, such as the label in the above image, usually give a quick guide to:

• energy
• fat content
• saturated fat content
• sugars content
• salt content

These labels provide information on the number of grams of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt, and the amount of energy (in kJ and kcal) in a serving or portion of the food.

• But be aware that the manufacturer’s idea of a portion may be different from yours.

Some front-of-pack nutrition labels also provide information about reference intakes.

Color-coded nutritional information, as shown in Figure 2. below, tells you at a glance if the food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt.

• Red means high
• Amber means medium
• Green means low

In short, the more green on the label, the healthier the choice. If you buy a food that has all or mostly green on the label, you know straight away that it’s a healthier choice.

Amber means neither high nor low, so you can eat foods with all or mostly amber on the label most of the time.

But any red on the label means the food is high in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugars, and these are the foods we should cut down on. Try to eat these foods less often and in small amounts.

Figure 1. Reference intakes on food packs 

For example, the label above, taken from a box of pizza, shows that per half (1/2) slice of pizza will provide you with 4.7g of sugars, which is 6% of your daily reference intake for sugars.

The red color shows you that the pizza are high in saturated fat and salt.

Each pizza also contains 10.3g of saturated fat, which is 52% of your reference intake for saturated fat.

The amber color tells you that the pizza slices contain a medium amount (20.3g per 100 g of pizza) of fat.

Green means a food is low in a particular nutrient. These pizza slices, for example, are low in added sugars.

Ingredients list

Most pre-packed food products also have a list of ingredients on the packaging or an attached label. The ingredients list can also help you work out how healthy the product is.

Ingredients are listed in order of weight, so the main ingredients in the packaged food always come first. That means that if the first few ingredients are high-fat ingredients, such as cream, butter or oil, then the food in question is a high-fat food.

Figure 2. Breakfast cereal ingredients list (Oatmeal Crisp cereal)

Is granola healthy?

The health benefits of granola in general depends on the amount of oats and whole grains in the granola breakfast cereal or granola bars in addition to the amount of added sugar (sugars content), fat (saturated fat content) and salt (salt content).Consumption of oats or oat based products by individuals with various metabolic disease risk factors (e.g., hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and diabetes) and in different ethnic groups, has been shown to mediate an appreciable normalization of plasma cholesterol levels ². The cholesterol lowering activity of oats is usually attributed to its ability to reduce intestinal absorption of cholesterol and/or inhibit the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids by increasing carriage of cholesterol and/or bile acids into the colon and facilitating their excretion in feces ³. Whole grain oats contain a number of potentially bioactive components capable of modulating cholesterol metabolism in mammals, including unsaturated fatty acids, fibers, such as beta-glucan, arabinoxylans, arabinogalactans, and resistant starch. Some of these polysaccharides can form viscous gels in aqueous solutions, and/or directly bind cholesterol or bile acids, while all are fermentable by the gut microbiota into short chain fatty  acids (SCFA).

Oats, and whole grain oat Granola also contains polyphenolic compounds and phytoeostrogens which may also modulate the gut microbiota and impact on host metabolic parameters ⁴. However, it is the gel forming nature of beta-glucans which is most commonly attributed to the cholesterol lowering effect of oats. Tiwari and Cummins ⁵ performed a meta-analysis on 126 studies and concluded that there was a significant dose-dependent inverse relationship between beta-glucan from oats and barley and blood total cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, and triacylglycerol concentrations with 3 g/day beta-glucan being sufficient to lower blood total cholesterol by −0.30 mmol/L ⁵. There is significant body of evidence that ingestion of oats, and oat derived fractions, most notably, β-glucan, at 3 g/day, is associated with a significant reduction in blood total cholesterol and LDL “bad” cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic groups ⁶. Although, the bile acid and possibly cholesterol binding abilities of β-glucans have been suggested to be responsible for the hypocholesterolemic effects in vivo, other mechanisms may also be involved, including those linked to the human gut microbiota which have not been addressed to date. While the ability of oats and beta-glucans to increase excretion of bile acids and cholesterol in feces appears to be well established, the underlying mechanism still remains to be fully elucidated. Although the gel forming nature of beta-glucans reducing bile acid/cholesterol absorption is the most commonly proposed mechanism, recent studies with probiotic microorganisms raise the possibility of bile salt hydrolase activity as another possible mechanism by which oats and fermentable fibers can lower plasma cholesterol ⁷. Studies on non-gel forming prebiotic fibers, which modulate gut bacteria and increase bile salt hydrolase active lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, support the hypothesis that an increased bile salt hydrolase activity due to gut bacterial modulation could reduce plasma cholesterol ⁸.

What is the healthiest granola breakfast cereal

Try looking at the nutrition label and compare brands so you opt for the healthier version.

For a healthier option, choose granola breakfast cereals that contain wholegrains and are lower in sugar, fat and salt.

Whole grains consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked fruit of the grains where the primary components (bran, germ, endosperm) are retained within their natural ratio ⁹. The putative health enhancing properties of whole grains are attributed to the presence of nutrients and bioactive compounds which are mainly found in the bran and germ ¹⁰. Consistent observational evidence associates habitual consumption of wholegrain foods with a wide range of positive impacts on health such as a reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer ¹¹.

Examples include:

• Wholewheat cereal biscuits
• Shredded wholegrain pillows
• Oats
• Barley

Table 12. Grains included in the HEALTHGRAIN whole grain definition

Cereal	Scientific name
Cereals
Wheat, including spelt, emmer, faro, einkorn, khorasan wheat1, durums	Triticum spp.
Rice, including brown, black, red, and other coloured rice varieties	Oryza spp.
Barley, including hull-less or naked barley but not pearled	Hordeum spp.
Maize (corn)	Zea mays
Rye	Secale spp.
Oats, including hull-less or naked oats	Avena spp.
Millets	Brachiaria spp.; Pennisetum spp.; Panicum spp.; Setaria spp.; Paspalum spp.; Eleusine spp.; Echinochloa spp.
Sorghum	Sorghum spp.
Teff (tef)	Eragrotis spp.
Triticale	Triticale
Canary seed	Phalaris canariensis*
Job’s tears	Coizlacryma-jobi
Fonio, black fonio, Asian millet	Digitaria spp.
Pseudocereals
Amaranth	Amaranthus caudatus
Buckwheat tartar buckwheat	Fagopyrum spp.
Quinoa	Chenopodium quinoa Willd. is generally considered to be a single species within the Chenopodioideae
Wild rice**	Zizania aquatica

Notes:

[Source ¹²]

Wholegrains contain fiber and B vitamins, among other nutrients. Fiber helps keep your digestive systems healthy. Research suggests a diet high in fiber may help reduce the risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

• Avoid always going for the same brand, as manufacturers regularly modify their recipes.

Oats, barley, or psyllium-based cereals can help lower cholesterol concentrations (excellent evidence and can be trusted to guide practice), and high-fiber, wheat-based cereals can improve bowel function ¹³.

Serving cereal with milk or yogurt

Having breakfast cereal is a good opportunity to add calcium to the diet if you serve it with milk or yogurt. Go for semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk, or lower-fat yogurt.

Milk and yogurt are good sources of calcium and protein. Alternatives to cow’s milk include fortified soya, rice and oat drinks.

Adding fruit to cereal

Having cereal is also a good opportunity to get some fruit in the diet. Raisins, dried apricots, bananas and strawberries are popular choices and can be added to any cereal, depending on your tastes.

Adding fruit to cereals is a great way to get kids to eat more fruit. It also helps them enjoy less sugary cereals, as you get sweetness from the fruit.

I don’t have time to sit down for breakfast

It’s a sign of the times that people are increasingly abandoning breakfast cereals, one of the earliest convenience foods, for more convenient “on-the-go” options, such as a breakfast muffin and a latte.

If you’re short on time in the morning, how about setting the table the night before ? You could also grab a pot of porridge on your way to work or have your cereal when you get in.

Cereals are still one of the best value breakfasts out there. A bowl of fortified breakfast cereal with milk gives you more nutrients for your penny when compared with most on-the-go breakfast options.

You could try:

• Muesli, fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt – fruit added to your muesli counts towards your daily requirements. Low-fat yogurt provides calcium and protein, and is low in fat, but watch out for the sugar content. Go for muesli with no added sugar.
• Porridge with mashed banana and dried blueberries – put oats and a handful of dried blueberries in a bowl and add semi-skimmed milk. Heat in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring every so often. When cooked, stir in the mashed banana. The mashed banana is a healthier substitute for sugar or honey. For best results, use a very ripe banana.
• Overnight oats – combine oats and apple juice and let it sit overnight in the fridge. In the morning, add low-fat yogurt, honey to taste, and fresh fruit such as berries.
• Quick porridge – making porridge is easier than you think: combine 50g of rolled or instant oats with 200ml (or more for runny porridge) of semi-skimmed milk in a bowl and microwave on full power for two minutes. Top with dried fruit or nuts.
• Baked beans (low sugar & low salt variety) on wholemeal toast – not only are they naturally low in fat, baked beans are also packed with fibre and protein, making them a vegetarian source of protein. Look out for reduced salt and sugar ranges.
• Banana bagel sandwich – mash a ripe banana and serve it between two halves of a toasted (preferably wholemeal) bagel. Mashing instead of slicing the banana gives the filling a creamier texture, meaning you won’t need low-fat spread.
• One-minute omelette – combine one beaten egg, a few spinach leaves and some chopped lean roast ham in a bowl. Microwave on full power for a minute or until the egg is set.
• Baked eggs – put an egg (with yolk unbroken) and some crème fraîche in a ramekin. Put the ramekin in a baking dish and fill with hot tap water so it comes 3/4 of the way to the top of the ramekin. Bake for 15 minutes or until the egg yolk is set to your liking.

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