Get ready to dive into the world of granola, a breakfast staple that's as versatile as it is delicious! But here's where it gets controversial: is granola a health food or a sweet treat? Let's find out!
Granola, a cousin of muesli, is crafted by baking a blend of whole grains, dried fruits, nuts, and seeds with a touch of sugar syrup. This process creates a unique texture and flavor profile that's both crunchy and sweet. However, as a sugar enthusiast, I find myself enjoying granola sparingly as a special indulgence.
The ideal granola, in my opinion, presents itself in golden clusters. These clusters should offer a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness, with a sugar content ideally below 10% for a healthier option. The addition of toasted coconut is a personal favorite, as it enhances the flavor without significantly increasing the cost.
Our taste test revealed a diverse range of granola options, from nutty bargains to indulgent, sugar-loaded treats, and even some surprisingly healthy, low-sugar wholefood alternatives. Now, let's uncover the best supermarket granola picks!
Best Overall:
- Eat Natural Low-Sugar Granola: This granola boasts medium-roast oat clusters with a generous serving of toasted coconut, sunflower seeds, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. Flavored with buckwheat and sweetened with just 4.4% sugar, it's a perfect balance of taste and health.
Best Bargain:
- Tesco Finest Super Nutty Granola: Generous clusters of dark-roasted oats, spelt, and barley, combined with 15% nuts, including almonds. With 12% sugar, it's not overly sweet, but the addition of flavoring seems unnecessary. Nonetheless, it's an excellent value for a classic, tasty granola.
And the Rest...
Scrumshus The Premium Granola: Large clusters of dark-roast oats sweetened with honey and maple syrup, creating an aromatic and flavorful granola. Packed with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, it's super sweet (31.6% sugar) and indulgent, more like a dessert than a breakfast.
Bio&Me Super Seedy & Nutty Granola: A healthy, savory wholefood granola with small, dark-roasted clusters of oats, puffed brown rice, buckwheat, and quinoa. Made with extra-virgin olive oil and no added sugars (9.7% overall), it's a nutritious option.
Nibs Etc Rye, Hazelnut & Cacao Granola: Small-batch, UK-made granola sweetened with upcycled apple pulp and maple syrup. Fortified with sunflower seeds and hazelnuts, it's quite savory (11% sugar) and an excellent choice for health-conscious individuals.
Morrisons The Best Nuts & Seed Granola: A classic granola with small clusters of oats, seeds, and nuts, including pecans. With almost 20% nuts and seeds, it offers a great ratio for the price. The addition of coconut stands out, but the use of uncertified palm oil and 13% sugar may be a concern for some.
Spoon x Manilife Peanut Butter Granola: Small dark clusters of peanut-coated granola with raisins and peanuts, and 13% peanut butter. Sweetened with date syrup (16% sugar), it has a lower GI. Spoon donates 1% of turnover to planetary charities.
Gail's Toasted Coconut Rye & Maple Granola: Small, well-roasted clusters of oats, rye, and millet with coconut and vanilla. Very sweet (17% sugar) with muscovado sugar and maple syrup. Lacks nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
Dorset Cereals Nutty Granola: Small, medium-roast oat and rye clusters sweetened with golden syrup (13.1% sugar). Limited on nuts (7.5%) and dried fruit.
Fuel10K Chocolate Chunks Granola: Big, crunchy oat clusters with pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate. Fortified with wheat protein and vitamins, but the high sugar content (17.5%) and glucose may contradict the health messaging.
So, which granola will become your new breakfast favorite? And here's a thought-provoking question: is granola a health food or a sweet treat? Let's discuss in the comments!
