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When it comes to “healthy” foods that can pack on the pounds, granola is at the top of the list!  With hundreds of calories and nearly a day’s worth of added sugar in a single half-cup, many brands of granola have more sugar than a serving of Froot Loops!  Fortunately there are some diet-friendly options, so in today’s Love it, Like it, Hate it we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on the best & worst of granola on store shelves.

 

NOTE: Serving sizes vary from ¼ cup to 2/3 cup; all of the following are adjusted for ½ cup servings

 

LOVE IT!

 

Engine 2 | Original Granola

  • 240 calories – 37 grams carbs – 5 grams fiber – 7 grams sugar – 8 grams protein
  • Ingredients: steel cut oats, whole rolled oats, applesauce, maple syrup, walnuts, vanilla, cinnamon

 

 

LIKE IT!

Each of the following has equal (or similar) protein: sugar ratio

 

Kashi Go Lean Peanut | Butter Crunch

  • 150 calories – 20 grams carbs – 4 grams fiber – 6.7 grams sugar – 6.7 grams protein
  • Soy flakes, peanut butter (peanuts), brown rice syrup, puffed whole grain blend of hard red wheat, brown rice, barley, rye), whole grain oats, sugar, molasses…

 

Bear Naked | Honey Almond

  • 280 calories – 30 grams carbs – 6 grams fiber – 12 grams sugar – 12 grams protein
  • Ingredients include: oats, honey, soybeans, oil, almonds, soy crisps, flax seeds, soy protein isolate

 

Nature Valley PROTEIN Cranberry Almond

  • 210 calories – 31 grams carbs – 3 grams fiber – 14 grams sugar – 10 grams protein
  • Ingredients include: whole grain oats, sugar, soy protein, canola oil, refiner’s syrup, honey…

 

 

HATE IT!

Each of the following has at least 3x more sugar than protein or fiber, along with 3+ different types of sugar

 

Cascadian Farm Organic

  • 195 calories – 34 grams carbs – 2 grams fiber – 10.5 grams sugar – 3.75 grams protein
  • Made with oats + sugar, honey, molasses

 

Honey Bunches of Oats Granola

  • 220 calories – 38 grams carbs – 3 grams fiber – 12 grams sugar – 4 grams protein
  • Made with oats, brown sugar, whole wheat, whole grain rice, oil, corn syrup, sugar, honey, caramel color

 

Udi’s Simple Au Natural Granola | GF

  • 240 calories – 38 grams carbs – 4 grams fiber – 14 grams sugar – 6 grams protein
  • Made with oats, honey, oil.

 

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Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD