The American breakfast cereal granola is gaining momentum in popularity in Russia, and in Kyiv it has already become a real hit in local coffee shops. But how healthy is this food product?

The standard composition is roasted oatmeal mixed with nuts and honey. However, the set of ingredients may vary: snacks of this type are often made from rice, buckwheat and other grain flakes. Also, various dried fruits are often added to the product: dried apricots, raisins, dates and prunes. Sometimes you can find dried berries, chocolate pieces, and spices in granola.

Today, special bars are also produced in large quantities, which practically do not differ in their composition from crumbly snacks, but are pressed into briquettes.

It is believed that granola owes its birth in part to an American priest. Sylvester Graham was a supporter and promoter of healthy eating, in particular, he invented “Graham flour”, which retained the beneficial properties of grain due to the absence of bleaching and the presence of bran.

The priest inspired people to create healthy products, and in the 19th century the first breakfast called “Granule” was released. It was created by physician James Caleb Jackson, who began serving edible bars baked from healthy Graham flour to the guests of his sanatorium: the dough was rolled out thinly and sent to the oven, then broken into unequal pieces and baked again.

The product was a success for some time, and it began to be produced under different brands. Then came a period of oblivion. The 1960s were pivotal in the history of granola. Then, with a slight change in the recipe, many companies began producing baked cereal. Since then, the product has gained popularity not only in the USA, but also in European countries.

Approximate composition of breakfast cereal

This is a very high-calorie product - 100 g contains 450 kcal or more. Granola can consist of a mixture of a wide variety of cereal flakes, syrups or honey, nuts, berries or dried fruits, which greatly affects the final energy value. For the same reason, it is difficult to provide specific figures on the chemical composition of this product.

For classic oatmeal granola with honey (for every 100 g):

• about 10 g dietary fiber, including about 2.7 g fiber;
• sugars and starch are also present;
• a lot of carbohydrates - 60 g, of which simple ones - around 20 g.

It cannot be said that the traditional mixture is rich in vitamins. It only contains: B1, B2, B9, E, PP. Berry and fruit additives can significantly expand the vitamin composition of granola.

Mineral profile: iron and iodine, fluorine and zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and copper, calcium and molybdenum, potassium, cobalt and sodium.

How and with what to eat

So, granola can be:

• eat dry - crunchy and sweetish flakes can easily replace popcorn or some other snack;
• mix with milk, ice cream, fruit juices, yoghurts and kefir;
• enrich with dried fruits, fresh or dried berries, pieces of fresh fruit, chocolate chips (remember: dates, dried apricots, raisins and prunes greatly increase the calorie content of the snack).
• use as a topping - decorate fruit salads, ice cream, cakes, pastries and other desserts with it.

This product is usually consumed as a hearty and quick breakfast. However, granola can also replace lunch or dinner, and kids are allowed to give it to an afternoon snack.

The mixture is often taken with you on hikes. After all, it charges with energy, at the same time it is very light, takes up little space, does not require careful storage, but the main thing is that it does not need to be prepared or heat-treated before use.

Granola bars can be carried in your bag for a quick snack at work, before an exam, or while studying. The product will give you strength to solve any problems - both physical and intellectual.

What benefits does the mixture bring?

A high-quality product without harmful additives is really useful if you eat it in reasonable quantities.

Natural granola made from nuts and oat flakes:

1. Cleanses the intestines due to its high dietary fiber content.
2. Quickly and for a long time satisfies hunger.
3. Helps to recover from mental or physical stress.
4. Eliminates inflammation and acne if they are caused by gastrointestinal disorders.
5. Prevents constipation and fermentation processes in the intestines.
6. Strengthens the immune system.
7. Promotes healthy hematopoiesis.
8. Slows down the aging process.
9. Helps preserve the functions of the reproductive system.
10. Normalizes blood pressure.
11. Reduces cholesterol levels.
12. Protects against the development of cardiovascular diseases.

Of course, a warm breakfast of boiled eggs, oatmeal or fruit will be more beneficial. However, the dry mixture does not require preparation, and therefore allows you not to miss your morning meal in a hurry.

Harm and contraindications

1. This is a very high-calorie product, but few people realize this. Therefore, it can be harmful, especially if a person eats a lot of it, while hoping to lose extra pounds.
2. And one more thing: granola is still a snack, and therefore cannot serve as a full breakfast 7 days a week. For health, people need to eat warm, varied foods.
3. Many harmful additives are added to modern granola: sugar syrup, roasted nuts, oils, etc. Such ingredients make the mixture tastier, but are not beneficial at all.

Want to avoid harmful effects? Learn to make your own granola and don't get too carried away with it.

Is it possible to lose weight

This is not diet food at all. Granola is very high in calories, and therefore you won’t be able to lose weight with it. On the contrary, the habit of snacking on a handful of dry mixture can lead to weight gain. After all, the number of such snacks is usually not controlled.

But you don’t have to completely give up granola because of its calorie content. The dry mixture helps solve one of the main problems associated with excess weight - gastrointestinal disorders. And if you eat a small portion of granola from time to time in the morning, when you can’t have a normal breakfast, you can avoid frequent snacking on chocolates and sandwiches.

Homemade granola recipes

Making your own granola is easy. Such a product will bring much more joy and benefit, because you can put your favorite ingredients in it. Prepares in about half an hour.

Oatmeal with berries

Ingredients:

• 4 cups oatmeal;
• 4 spoons of honey;
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup;
• half a glass of your favorite nuts or seeds;
• a glass of dried cherries and/or cranberries;
• a spoonful of cinnamon and vanilla.

Cooking method:

1. Mix nuts with cereal.
2. Combine honey, butter and cinnamon in a Turk. Heat. When the mixture becomes liquid, add vanilla.
3. Pour the previously prepared cereal mixture with honey.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment and transfer the ingredients.
5. Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 170°C.
6. Add dried berries to the finished product and mix.

Bar

Ingredients:

• a glass of raw cashews;
• half a glass of dry cherries;
• 60 g dark chocolate;
• half a glass of raw almonds;
• a handful of pumpkin seeds.

For the base:

• half a glass of rice and/or oatmeal;
• 150 ml honey;
• spoon of almond oil;
• a pinch of salt.

Cooking method:

1. Chop the nuts and chocolate with a knife.
2. Mix dry ingredients.
3. Add honey and almond oil, stir.
4. Spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place another piece of parchment on top and press down well.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes at 165°C.
6. Cut the cooled granola into 10 servings.

These homemade bars, wrapped in cling film, can be carried with you for up to 5 days. And they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

From green buckwheat

There is no sugar or gluten in this breakfast cereal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups green buckwheat;
• 4 spoons of cocoa;
• 20 pitted dates;
• a glass of sunflower seeds;
• 4 spoons of honey;
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• a handful of almonds.

If desired, add spices: cinnamon, vanilla, ginger or a little ground cloves.

Cooking method:

1. Soak buckwheat and seeds for 20 minutes. Then drain the water and dry slightly.
2. Chop the dates and add to the mixture.
3. Mix honey, cocoa, spices, butter in a saucepan. When the mixture becomes liquid, pour it over the buckwheat.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread granola evenly.
5. Bake for half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Cooled breakfast cereal can be stored in a regular glass jar.

Enjoy an original breakfast in the form of granola, but do not forget that the morning menu should be varied.

- a dry American breakfast made of cereal, dried fruits and nuts, which has become a healthy eating trend in our country. It all started in the 19th century with the priest Sylvester Graham, a fan of proper food, who invented bran flour that was not subject to bleaching. A little later, a healthy breakfast called “Granule” appeared from Graham flour. These were delicious pieces of whole wheat dough baked in the oven. Modern granola appeared in the 60s of the twentieth century, and its basis was baked flakes. Now granola is also produced in pressed form. Snack bars made from flakes with nuts and dried fruits are practically no different in composition and beneficial properties from the crumbly mixture. Let's try making granola at home!

What is granola and what do you eat it with?

There are different recipes for granola, but the constant ingredient remains flakes - oatmeal, wheat, rye, rice, buckwheat. Dates, prunes, dried apricots, raisins, nuts, seeds, honey, fruits, berries, candied fruits, sometimes spices and pieces of chocolate are added to them. All ingredients are mixed in an arbitrary ratio and baked in the oven until crispy. In this case, the granola is stirred during baking to maintain its crumbly texture. Thanks to heat treatment, this dish acquires a brighter and richer taste, and the honey caramelizes. The good thing about homemade granola is that you can use whatever you like in whatever quantities you like. However, it is usually customary to mix cereal, dried fruits and nuts in equal proportions. If you compare muesli and granola, the differences are quite significant. Muesli is not always baked, and fruit and nut additives act as a savory addition, nothing more.

Granola is usually served with cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, milk, fresh fruit and syrups. A little granola for breakfast - and you will be full until lunch, and your body will be provided with the necessary nutrients.

How to cook granola: secrets and subtleties

Preparing granola is not difficult even for novice cooks. All you need is ingredients, a bowl and spoon for mixing, an oven, a baking sheet or baking dish.

Classic recipes usually use rolled oats, but if you add barley, rice, buckwheat, wheat or other flakes, the dish will only benefit! A couple of tablespoons of sprouted wheat or bran will also enrich the taste of the snack, making it more healthy and satisfying.

Nuts should first be chopped into pieces, but not ground in a blender. By quantity - about half the mass of the flakes or more, according to your taste.

It is better to take a liquid sweetener - honey, fruit or chocolate syrup. They coat cereals, nuts and dried fruits evenly, unlike sugar. But if you add a little brown sugar to the syrup or honey, the granola will turn out crispy, and this will give it a zest.

Don't forget about vegetable oil - it brings out the flavor of the ingredients and prevents the granola from turning into a sticky mess. The best solution is olive or coconut oil, with which the snack will acquire a pleasant aroma and taste. If you pre-mix the butter with the whipped egg white, the granola will be especially tasty and crunchy, and the protein will help bind the cereal and nuts better.

Be sure to salt the granola, but just a little - this will make it very bright and piquant. In addition to nuts, use pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds, sesame seeds, millet and coconut flakes. Suitable spices include cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or more “salty” flavors - rosemary, ginger, sage.

First they mix, then liquid products are added to them and the mixture is stirred well. Next, the granola is placed on a baking sheet with high sides and sent to the oven. The temperature and baking time depend on the composition of the snack and the characteristics of the oven. You need to stir the mixture periodically to maintain its crumbly texture. When the appetizer acquires a brown color and a divine aroma, it is ready. Let it cool right in the pan, and then put it into glass jars with airtight lids.

Add dried fruits only after baking, otherwise they will become too hard and dry. In addition to the traditional dried apricots, dates, prunes, and raisins, you can take dried apples, mangoes, papaya, pineapple, figs, dried cherries and berries. If you are preparing chocolate granola, then cocoa powder can be added before cooking, and chocolate chips - only after baking into the cooled mass.

Combine different flavors and experiment so that your breakfasts are always enjoyable and not boring. But don't mix too many ingredients, otherwise the flavor will be lost. Granola is convenient because you can take it to work, on trips and hikes. It perfectly satisfies hunger and satisfies the need for dessert.

The calorie content of granola depends on the composition, but even on a diet you can afford this delicacy if you do not overdo it with honey and nuts. The benefits of granola are beyond doubt, because it is prepared only from natural whole foods.

Nut granola with flaxseed oil

There are different ways to make granola at home. One of them looks something like this. Combine 200 g rolled oats, 70 g crushed almonds, 50 g pumpkin seeds, 40 g peanuts, 50 g sunflower seeds in a bowl. In a heat-resistant container, mix 50 ml of water and the same amount of linseed oil, bring them to a boil, and then add 150 g of honey. Stir well, pour the liquid into the dry mixture and mix well again. Preheat the oven to 140°C, line a baking sheet with parchment, grease it with linseed oil and lay out the granola. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. Serve with natural yogurt and fruit.

Apple granola with seeds

There is nothing tastier and healthier than apple juice, the recipe for which is suitable for cooking at home.

Mix 350 g of rolled oats, 60 g of white sesame seeds, 50 g of sunflower seeds, 40 g of almonds and 1 tsp. cinnamon without a slide. Peel and seed 2 sweet apples and puree the pulp. Mix applesauce with 3 tbsp. l. honey and 3 tbsp. l. olive oil. Now combine the dry and liquid products and mix them thoroughly again.

The oven should already be preheated to 130 °C.

Place baking paper on a baking sheet, place cereal with apples on it, put the granola in the oven for half an hour and stir every 5 minutes.

Cool the granola and add it to cottage cheese, kefir or smoothies for a delicious and healthy super breakfast!

Granola with mango and red currant

This healthy dessert will appeal to all those with a sweet tooth who are watching their figure. Grate the mango on a fine grater and grind 150 g of any nuts in a mortar. Squeeze juice from 250 g of red currants.

Mix 200 g of oatmeal, 100 g of rye flakes, crushed nuts and 50 g of any seeds - sunflower, pumpkin or sesame. Add 120 g of honey, 60 g of sunflower oil, a pinch of salt and nutmeg to the currant juice. Place the bowl with the liquid ingredients on the fire and heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mass becomes homogeneous, remove it from the heat, add 1 tbsp. l. orange zest and mango pulp. Stir the mixture well and combine it with dry foods - cereal, nuts and seeds.

Bake the granola in a pan lined with oiled baking paper. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 160°C, stirring occasionally.

Serve this aromatic and delicious granola with pudding, natural yogurt and fresh mango.

Granola: recipe by Yulia Vysotskaya

Yulia Vysotskaya loves and prepares it only from those flakes that need to be boiled for at least 5 minutes. She uses brown sugar as a sweetener, which gives the snack a burnt caramel flavor. Her favorite recipe calls for cinnamon, but you can substitute cocoa powder, and maple syrup is sometimes a good idea instead of honey. She recommends using sea salt and certainly coarse salt. It's nice when the sweet taste has savory salty notes.

So, mix 300 g oatmeal, 200 g whole almonds, 100 g sunflower seeds, 80 g sesame seeds, 50 g brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and ground ginger.

Combine 6 tbsp. l. honey and 2 tbsp. l. good vegetable oil. Stir honey and butter into cereal with nuts and add 250 g of raisins. Place the mixture on a baking tray covered with baking paper - it should be greased with butter.

Bake granola for 40 minutes at 170°C, stirring occasionally. Salt, cool and enjoy a healthy and tasty snack!

Once you learn how to make granola, you will understand that healthy eating can be very tasty and enjoyable. And you shouldn’t give up sweets, because granola is the most delicious dessert in the world!

Which are usually baked until crispy. During baking, the mixture is stirred periodically to achieve a crumbly consistency, similar to breakfast cereals. Sometimes dried fruits such as raisins or dates are added to the mixture.

In addition to the standard use of granola as a breakfast food or afternoon snack, granola is often eaten by those who like to be active, spend time hiking and traveling with a backpack on their shoulders, since granola weighs little, is high in calories and can be stored well; these properties make granola similar to trail mix (tourist's breakfast) or muesli. Very often granola is formed into a bar. The bar is convenient to keep in your bag in case you want to have a snack. Granola goes well with yogurt, honey, strawberries, bananas and milk and/or other types of grains. Granola is also often used as a topping for various types of cakes and desserts. Granola containing flaxseed is often used to improve digestion.

Story

Name Granule and Granola was patented as a term in the late 19th century in the United States for a food product containing whole grain products, ground and then baked until crisp, as opposed to the modern unbaked and unsweetened version called muesli. This name is patented only in Australia (by Australian Health & Nutrition Association Ltd.'s Sanitarium Health Food Company). Granola- this cereal “hippie” product has a very rich history. The first scout and explorer was Sylvester Graham (1794-1851), who is referred to in some books as "Dr. Sylvester Graham", "American physiologist" or "American nutritionist". Sylvester actually trained as a Presbyterian preacher who spent much of his time promoting moderation in life and food. He was a strict vegetarian (a phenomenon often called Grahamism in the 19th century), urging people to abstain from meat, alcohol, tobacco, stimulants (tea, coffee) and white bread. Bakers and butchers hated him. The mainstay of his diet was homemade bread made from whole grain flour he produced, called Graham flour. Soon he began to produce crackers from this flour. The granule was soon released in Densville, New York by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at his dispensary in 1894. Jackson's dispensary was a very famous spa resort that began operating in the early twentieth century on a hillside in the Dansville valley. The place was known as "Our House on the Hill"; therefore, the company selling Jackson's cereal is known as "Our Home Granule Company." The granule was made from graham flour (like graham crackers). First, the flour was made into a dough, then rolled out into thin sheets, which were then baked. The next step was to break the sheets into pieces irregular shapes, which were mixed and baked again. Moving to Battle Creek, Michigan in the 1850s Various medical movements develop in the Midwest. In 1855, Battle Creek becomes the central office of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which preaches temperance for religious reasons. vegetarianism and a healthy diet. They headed the sanatorium, which was previously run by Graham's followers, and called it Western Health Reform Institute (Western Health Reform Institute, 1876). And in 1876, the son of a prominent Adventist became director - Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.

He developed a granule-like product by repeatedly baking whole grains and then changing the product's name to granola to avoid getting into legal trouble with Jackson. Granola was never a commercial success. And Kellogg lost interest in grains for a while, turning his attention to nuts. But in 1902 he returned to cereals, developing corn flakes with his brother and creating a company.

Charles W. Post spent almost a year as a patient at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1891, not very successfully. His health problems were solved by followers of Christian Science (a religious system founded by Mary Baker Eddy). Charles soon opened his own medical department. In 1898, he developed Dr. Jackson's basic recipe to create a new granola called Grape Seed. His marketing strategy led to success.

Kellogg, Post and American Cereal Co. (Quaker Oats) continued to develop breakfast cereals and, most of all, focus on sugar-laden mixtures for children. Both the product and its name were revised in the 1960s. To rehabilitate whole grains and position them as a health product, they were called Granola, which was enthusiastically adopted by the hippie movement. Most mixtures contain dried fruits and/or nuts, added sugar or honey for flavor, and the fresh crunch and flavor are further enhanced by baking in the oven.

At the same time, several people announced an updated or reinvented granola. The prime mover was Leighton Gentry, known in Time magazine as "Johnny Granola the Seed." In 1964, Gentry sold his rights to the oatmeal granola recipe, which he claimed to have invented, to Sovex Natural Foods for $3,000. Sovex Natural Foods was founded by the Harlingers in 1953 in Hawley, Michigan as a family business. The company's main goal was to produce concentrated brewer's yeast and soy sauce under the brand name "Sovex."

In 1964, the company was purchased by John Goodbread and moved to Collegedale. In 1967, Gentry bought back the West Coast rights for $1,500 and then sold the rights to Wayne Schlothauer of Lassen Foods for $18,000. Lassen was formed from a health food bakery run by Schlotthauer's stepfather.

In 1972, Jim Mattson, director of Pet Milk (later Pet Incorporated) of St. Louis, Missouri, introduced Heartland Natural Cereal, the first commercial granola. Almost at the same time, Quaker introduced its 100% Natural Granola to the market. Within a year, Kellogg's introduced its "Country Morning" granola and General Mills released "Nature Valley."

In 1974, McKee Baking (later McKee Foods), maker of Little Debbie cupcakes, bought out Sovex. In 1998, the company purchased the Heartland brand and moved production to Collegedale. In 2004, Sovex's name was changed to "Blue Planet Foods."

The development of food concentrates arose in the Soviet Union in the early 30s and in the first decade grew into an independent industry. Before the war, a breakfast cereal workshop was built at the Moscow food plant. In 1954-1957 technological production modes were developed and the production of dry baby and dietary food products - food concentrates for feeding young children - was organized. Muesli, as a special product, appeared in the 90s, but has not yet gotten rid of the stigma of being a “Western lifestyle” attribute. Initially, only imported products from countries such as Finland, England, and Germany were present on the market; after the 1998 crisis, domestic producers also became interested in this product.

granola bar

granola bar

"Granola bar" was released by Stanley Mason and became an extremely popular delicacy. The bar is usually exactly the same in composition as the usual form of granola, the difference lies in the form: instead of the crumbly consistency of the usual breakfast, the bar is compressed and baked into a mold, resulting in the production of a product that has become a convenient snack that can be easily taken with you. The product is very popular in the United States and Canada, Europe and Brazil, South Africa and Japan. Recently, granola began its journey to the markets of India and South Asia. A variation of the granola bar is the "chewy granola bar." For this bar shape, the baking time of the oatmeal is shortened or there is no cooking at all, which gives the bar a texture that is chewy, unlike traditional granola bars. Some manufacturers, such as Kellogg's, prefer to use the name "cereal bar" or "snack bar." Similar bars appeared in Germany and the UK, known as flapjack or muesli bar. There are other names and varieties of products with similar ingredients, such as oat bar, snack bar, cereal bar, etc. The first granola bar sold in the United States was patented and manufactured by Edward Thayer. Mr. Thayer produced the following products: Peanut Butter Crunch, Granola Crunch, “. Granola Grabber." Mr. Thayer only worked with Lassen Natural Foods before partnering with William Halstead and creating Sierra Natural Foods, where they made granola and opened a natural foods store. Since freshly made granola is made from oats, it is a source of dietary fiber (on average, 11 grams per serving). There are many vitamins (, , thiamine, vitamin B6) and minerals contained

So I got to healthy breakfasts! I’ve been eyeing granola for a very long time, reading recipes, but then I stopped. Although there was curiosity - what it is, why everyone loves her so much and what her strengths are.

So, this is perhaps one of the best breakfast options (especially for ladies). Now I’ll tell you about everything in order.

Granola is a traditional American breakfast food or snack containing rolled oats, nuts and honey, and sometimes rice, usually baked until crispy. During baking, the mixture is stirred periodically to achieve a crumbly consistency, similar to breakfast cereals. Sometimes dried fruits such as raisins or dates are added to the mixture.

It’s very similar to muesli, but granola is much tastier, all because of the cooking method. It is baked until crispy, using honey (which caramelizes, adding a crust). These are, of course, its big advantages and distinctive features.

The most important thing here is to remember the proportions. And then you can experiment to your taste and taking into account the products that you have on hand. That is, you can use any nuts and seeds, as well as any combination of them. The same applies to the berry part - you can take dried fruits, berries, candied fruits - again in any proportions.

This is very convenient when you can adjust the dessert recipe to suit yourself, without any risk of losing the texture or other basic properties of the product. Do the same with juice and honey variety.

Now look - cut the nuts and seeds into pieces of a size that is comfortable for you. This will make it easier to eat them later. Here I took cashews, pistachios, almonds, walnuts and pine nuts in equal parts.

Mix chopped nuts and oatmeal in a bowl. Take the real ones, that is, those that (according to the packaging) take less than 2-3 minutes to cook!

Next are the liquid ingredients. Mix honey, juice, oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Place on the fire and, stirring, wait until all the ingredients are combined and the salt dissolves. There is no need to boil anything.

Pour the hot liquid into the dry ingredients and mix everything well, don’t be lazy. Place in a parchment-lined pan (although this is not entirely necessary).

Bake in the oven at 160 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Take out the mold every 10 minutes and mix everything well. This is necessary so that the granola bakes well and (most importantly) evenly.

While the granola is baking, chop the berries (if they are large), again to the size of nut pieces.

After taking out the granola, let it cool completely. At first it will be quite soft, even wet. Don’t be alarmed, as it cools it will become just the right, crispy texture. And compare how golden it turns out.

Add dry berries to the cooled granola and mix everything again.

So you have received that treasured granola, which is legendary in America and around the world. It is eaten with milk and fresh fruit for breakfast. Add yogurt and get an independent dessert. They make bars and so on.

It’s great when you can experiment with a product. Needless to say, this is a very healthy product - we do not use chemicals, nuts and berries are also not overly processed.

And in a closed jar, granola will easily last for a couple of weeks or even longer, without losing its properties and taste at all.

Hello readers. Continuing the conversation about healthy eating, today I want to talk about granola. I buy myself yogurt with granola, I really like it. I recently wondered if it was possible to make granola at home. It turns out that everything can be done at home with the necessary ingredients on hand. Granola is made from nuts, dried fruits and oatmeal.

You can take your favorite dried fruits and nuts. A few days ago I went to the store to buy nuts for granola; they have become very expensive lately. Still, I bought almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, raisins, dried cranberries, I took what I love most. After all, for granola you can take any dried fruits and nuts, you can pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, as well as sesame, cinnamon and other spices. There are many granola recipes.

What is granola?

Granola, a traditional breakfast food in America. Contains granola oatmeal, nuts, dried fruits, honey. Everything is baked until crispy.

During the baking process, the mixture must be stirred periodically, thus achieving a crumbly consistency. It all looks like breakfast cereal.

Since granola weighs little, you can take it with you on a hike or use it as a snack. Granola is used to form “bars” that can be used to replace an afternoon snack. The bars are convenient to carry in your purse; if you want to have a snack, the bar is always at hand. Granola stores well, weighs little, and is very high in calories.

How to eat granola?

Dry, crumbly granola is suitable for making breakfast if you pour it with milk. But granola goes best with fermented milk products.

Very tasty with yogurt, especially if you sprinkle fresh berries on top. Granola is combined with honey, milk, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt, banana, strawberries, raspberries and other berries.

You can add a couple of spoons of granola to yogurt, it’s tasty, satisfying, and nutritious. You can eat granola with tea, without adding sugar to the tea, this is a wonderful snack. Everything in granola is edible, you can eat it dry, as they say “crunch.”

Calorie content of granola

Granola is a very high-calorie product due to the ingredients it contains. There are approximately 400 kcal per 100 grams of granola. Therefore, you should not consume it in large quantities.

Granola. Benefit. Harm

Granola is a healthy breakfast. Despite this, you should not eat grana constantly throughout the day. So, my thoughts and the recipe I used to prepare granola.

• It contains fiber, vitamins, and microelements.
• If you add flax seed to granola, then this granola is useful because it improves digestion.
• Granola contains fiber and a minimum of sugars.
• Granola helps improve metabolism in the body.
• Dietary fiber improves digestion and prevents constipation.

There are many granola recipes. It contains honey, nuts and other ingredients. Everything needs to be mixed and baked in the oven at 150 degrees for at least half an hour.

But, here a question immediately arises. Honey cannot be heated, so where is the benefit? By the way, regarding honey, there are different opinions on the Internet, I specifically looked for it and read it.

Then, I tried to make granola, mixed everything and baked it, stirring the mixture every 5 minutes. The nuts were slightly toasted, especially the small ones. Again, roasted nuts are not healthy at all, raw nuts are. Therefore, the mixture needs to be dried, not fried.

Cook granola over low heat. It’s better to dry the oatmeal first, and then add the nuts, and finally add the dried fruits.

Instead of honey, it is better to add maple syrup to the mixture; you can also add viburnum or raspberry puree, if of course you like it. This is an option. You can have orange juice and sugar.

Advice. To make granola, use non-instant oatmeal. Because when stirred the flakes crumble.

In addition to oatmeal, you can take buckwheat, rice, wheat, whatever you like. Granola needs to be dried, so it is better to do this at a minimum temperature.

Many recipes call for toasting a mixture of nuts, dried fruits and cereals. And we all know that raw nuts are much healthier than roasted ones. Having cast aside all doubts, I still prepared granola.

Granola. Harm

• If you have a gallbladder disease, especially with exacerbation of cholecystitis, you should not eat nuts.
• If you have an individual intolerance to nuts or dried fruits.
• Granola is harmful for pancreatitis in the acute stage.
• Also, if a stomach ulcer is in the acute stage, you will also have to give up granola.
• Plus, keep in mind the high calorie content of this product.

If you buy granola in packs, then you need to pay attention to the composition of the granola. Many manufacturers add flavorings and fragrances. Don't forget to look at the expiration date.

How to make granola at home

You can, of course, buy ready-made granola, but a homemade product tastes better, especially if made with love.

The advantage is that you can add whatever you like best to your granola. For spices, for example, I like cinnamon, but I cooked without it.

Ingredients:

• 250 grams of oat flakes
• 200 grams of nuts (I use cashews, almonds, hazelnuts)
• 200 grams of dried fruits (I took dried cranberries and raisins)
• if desired, you can add pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes
• spices as desired (I cooked without spices)
• 3 tablespoons of unscented vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

One hundred grams of nuts should be chopped coarsely, one hundred grams should be added whole. Dried fruits should be washed and dried on a paper towel. Oatmeal flakes are not needed for instant cooking, but those that need to be boiled.

Mix cereal with nuts. Combine maple syrup with vegetable oil. Mix with nuts and cereal. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the granola. Place in the oven preheated to 150 degrees, stir every 5 minutes.

In the oven, dry the granola for about 20 minutes. Again, it is better to dry granola rather than toast it, although toasted nuts, of course, taste better than raw ones.

The granola needs to be cooled and poured into a glass jar. This granola can be stored for about 2 weeks. If desired, you can add chocolate pieces to the granola.

Do you make granola? Do you like granola? Please write below in the comments.

Granola. Recipe by Julia Vysotskaya

I also offer you a granola recipe from Yulia Vysotskaya. I really love Yulia Vysotskaya’s programs, I’ve cooked her recipes many times, everything turned out very tasty. I baked lemon pie, eclairs, and cooked rabbit.

In the recipe, Yulia Vysotskaya puts the granola in the oven for 10 minutes, the oven is preheated to 180 degrees, but when she puts the granola in the oven, she turns off the oven. However, see for yourself.