Is granola good for you? - Fit and flex Granola

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Granola is known as a healthy meal for breakfast.


 

It has a toasted mixture of rolled oats, nuts, and a sweetener like sugar or honey. Although, it can also 

include other types of grains, puffed rice, dried fruit, seeds, spices, and nut butters.

Yet, some ingredients like chocolate, oils, and syrups might be high in added sugars and fats.

So, let’s check out what granola is.

Granola is a breakfast food that is similar to muesli, but it is coated in some form of sugar like honey to 

give it a chunky texture. Some other common ingredients also include oats, chopped nuts, seeds, and 

dried fruit.

Nutritional breakdown

Granola or granola bars are dense in calories, rich in protein, fiber, and micronutrients. It might also 

provide you with iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium, copper, B vitamins, and vitamin E.

However, the nutritional profile also varies depending on the ingredients used.

It can sometimes be lower in fat and calories but high in carbs and sugar. At other times, it can be high

 in fat and calories and even high in protein and fiber.

Generally, granola with more dried fruits or added sweetener has high sugar, nut & seed-based varieties

 are high in protein, and the ones with more whole grains are high in fiber.

Benefits of granola

Although it is little on granola itself, some common ingredients include oats, flax seeds, chia seeds, and

 almonds which are linked to a number of health benefits.

High in Fiber & Filling

Most granola bars are rich in protein and fiber that contribute to the fullness.

Protein in granola can even influence the levels of fullness in hormones like ghrelin and GLP-1.

Ingredients of high-protein in granola might also include nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, and

 seeds like pumpkin, hemp, and sesame.

Some high-fiber foods, like oats, nuts, and seeds can slow down the emptying of the stomach and

 increase in time of digestion, and aid in appetite control.

Other potential health benefits

Granola can also:

  • Improve blood pressure: The presence of high-fiber protein like oats and flax seeds, makes

     granola bars healthy and reduces blood pressure.

  • Reduce cholesterol levels: Oats are also a good source of beta-glucan which is a type of fiber

     that can reduce the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

  • Reduce blood sugar: Whole grains, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds can reduce and control blood 

    sugar levels, especially with people who

     suffer from obesity or prediabetes.

  • Improve gut health: Granola can increase the levels of healthy gut bacteria compared to breakfast 

    cereals.

  • Provide many antioxidants: Some ingredients like coconut, chia seeds, and Brazil nuts are 

    sources of inflammation-fighting antioxidants.

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