Granola Guide

Granola is a tasty favorite and healthy in small amounts, but some brands are loaded with added sugar and calories. This guide highlights a few brands with high-quality ingredients.

Guidelines

When you’re shopping for a tasty low-sugar granola, read the labels for these ingredients. Also, take note of the serving size.

• Less than 10 grams of added sugar per serving

• Prioritizes whole grains and other whole food ingredients

• At least 2 grams of fiber per serving

• No artificial sweeteners

Here are a few delicious ways to enjoy granola as breakfast, a snack, or even dessert:

• Over low-sugar and low-fat yogurt.

• On top of fruit.

• Stirred into oatmeal or overnight oats, or used as a crunchy topping for baked oatmeal.

• In yogurt parfaits. Layer low-sugar/low-fat yogurt, add fruit (such as berries or peaches), and then top with some crunchy granola.

• Over oven-baked or poached fruit. Poached apples or pears and granola are a delicious combination.

• On top of low-fat cottage cheese.

Make your own homemade granola.

Recommended Brands

If you don’t have the time to make homemade granola, try one of the options below. If you can’t find one of these at a local store, search online.

Back To Nature Vanilla Coconut Lower Sugar Granola

Made with pure vanilla extract, this granola is a tasty blend of coconut, seeds, and nuts. Even though there’s no added sugar, it does incorporate zero-calorie sweeteners, like monk fruit extract, which provides a natural sweetness. This granola is vegan and gluten-free. Sugar stats: 0g added sugar per ⅓ cup.

Cascadian Farm Organic Coconut Cashew Granola

This one has no added sugar and it contains 4 grams of fiber per ⅔ cup serving, a heftier portion than most brands. This granola is also naturally sweetened using dates providing just the right hint of sweetness. Sugar stats: 0g added sugar per ⅔ cup serving.

Go Raw Raisin Crunch Sprouted Granola

Go Raw Granola is made with sprouted buckwheat groats and flax seeds, and is naturally sweetened with raisins and dates. It’s gluten-free with no added sugar and has 2 grams of fiber per serving. Sugar stats: 0g added sugar per ¼ cup serving.

Paleonola Grain Free Granola

This is a great option for a grain-free experience with 2 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein per serving. It’s packed with healthy fats and protein from almonds, pecans, pepitas, walnuts, sunflower seeds and flax seeds, and it’s lightly sweetened with honey and dried cranberries. Sugar stats: 4g added sugar per ¼ cup serving.

365 by Whole Foods Market, Granola Maple and Almond Butter

This granola is vegan and kosher. It’s lightly sweetened with maple syrup and is packed with 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per serving. Sugar stats: 5g added sugar per ⅓ cup serving.

Bear Naked Cereal Granola Triple Berry

This brand is packed with 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per ½ cup serving. It’s a crunchy mix of whole-grain oats, oat bran, and seeds with raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries, giving it a touch of sweetness. Sugar stats: 5g added sugar per ½ cup serving.

Bob's Red Mill Peanut Butter Homestyle Granola

Made with whole-grain oats, creamy peanut butter, and real maple syrup, it’s baked to crispy, golden perfection. It’s gluten-free, kosher, and non-GMO, and you’ll get 2 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein per serving. Sugar stats: 5g added sugar per ¼ cup serving.

gr8nola THE ORIGINAL

This non-GMO granola incorporates whole almonds, cinnamon, flaxseeds, oats, and sunflower seeds, boosting its fiber, protein, vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant status. It is lightly sweetened with honey and monk fruit extract, a natural sweetener. Sugar stats: 5g added sugar per ⅓ cup serving.

Michele's Lemon Pistachio Granola

If you’re on the hunt for a wheat and grain-free granola, this one's for you. With 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per ¼ cup serving, this crunchy lemon pistachio granola is a sunny mix of almonds, pistachios, and sweet and tangy lemon juice. It also includes sunflower seeds and pistachios, which adds heart-healthy fats. Sugar stats: 5g added sugar per ¼ cup serving.

Good Life Natural’s Granola Cereal

This granola contains pecans and almonds and is lightly sweetened with maple syrup, pure vanilla, and cinnamon delivering a perfect balance of flavors. It’s vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free, and contains 3g of protein and 2g of fiber per serving. Sugar stats: 6g added sugar per ¼ cup serving.

Nature's Path Love Crunch Dark Chocolate and Red Berries Granola

You'll love this delicious combination of crunchy granola clusters, bright red berries, and decadent dark chocolate chunks. It’s organic, non-GMO, and vegan. You’ll also love that their Bite4Bite program donates to food banks every year. Sugar stats: 6g added sugar per ¼ cup serving.

Purely Elizabeth

This granola is gluten-free and uses ancient grains, oats, chia seeds, and coconut oil. It provides a nice balance of healthy fats, fiber, and protein, using ingredients like quinoa flakes, sunflower seeds, and puffed amaranth. Sugar stats: 7g added sugar per ⅓ cup serving.

Hemp Yeah! Blueberry Granola

This granola is filled with quality, organic ingredients including hemp seeds, chia seeds, puffed quinoa, and pumpkin seeds, and is protein-packed with 14 grams of protein per serving. It is also a good source of heart-healthy omegas. The added sugar content is higher compared to other granolas but note the larger serving size. So, the added sugar is on par with the others above. Sugar stats: 9g added sugar per ⅔ cup serving.

Adapted from https://www.samanthacassetty.com/post/low-sugar-granola.