Ambrosial Granola’s Grecian Grove Antioxidant Blend. Photography by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.
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STEPHANIE ZONIS is a contributing editor.
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January 2012 |
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Page 6a: Best Granola Cereal
In Search Of The Best Granola Ever
This is Page 6 of a seven-page-plus article on granola cereal, and reviews of 44 granola cereal brands and nine muesli brands. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.
Article Index
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Granola Reviews
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A Lyttle Goodness
Proprietor Scott Lyttle runs this small business from Utah. The listed serving size is 1/4 cup. Per 1/2 cup: 280 calories, 120 fat calories, 16 g sugars, 100 mg sodium. The oats, walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries and canola oil used are organic. This seemed to be mostly oats, with some dried fruits and smallish nut pieces. A pleasant-enough mix but too salty for me. Website.
Ambrosial Granola (Favorite, Kosher, Organic)
Photo above. Products are certified organic and certified kosher by Young Israel of West Hempstead (NY). It was love at first bite when I tasted the Grecian Grove Antioxidant Blend Granola (per 1/2 cup serving: 230 calories, 70 fat calories, 13 g sugars, 20 mg sodium). This granola has a great aroma with a distinct orange component. It’s a terrific combination of flavors and textures, thanks in part to dried apricots, coconut, orange oil, and molasses, and the amount of dried fruit is generous. The Venetian Vineyard Omega-3 Plus Granola (per 1/2 cup serving: 230 calories, 70 fat calories, 14 g sugars, 20 mg sodium) is a nice combination, as well; to my mind, the dates are the most significant presence in this cereal. The Grecian Grove Antioxidant Blend Granola is a favorite. Also see the review in the muesli section. Website.
Amy’s Nuts Crazy Good Granola (Favorite, Organic Oats)
No nutrition information provided. Organic oats. Both the Maple Vanilla Granola and the Cinnamon Coffee Bean Granola are so thick with dried fruits and nuts that the oats seem to play second fiddle in these blends, even though they’re listed as the first ingredient in both. The former has a slight maple flavor, although the sunflower seeds are a little overwhelming. The Cinnamon Coffee Bean Granola, however, has a wonderful balance of textures as well as cinnamon and coffee tastes, and it’s a favorite. Website.
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 Amy’s was an overall favorite of THE NIBBLE editors. |
Anahola Granola (Runner Up)
There’s no fruit in the Original Granola (per 1/2 cup: 210 calories, 110 fat calories, 9 g sugars, 10 mg sodium). It’s a crisp-crunchy mix of oat clusters, with a definite presence of both honey and coconut. This granola contains nonfat dry milk powder. The Tropical Granola (per 1/2 cup: 210 calories, 110 fat calories, 9 g sugars, 10 mg sodium) has a strong honey taste but almost no coconut presence, though this blend does contain coconut. There are big chunks of dried pineapple, dried papaya and macadamias here, and this variety is light-textured and pleasant. There was no nutrition information on my package of Mango Ginger Granola. You’ll see chunks of dried mango all through the mix, and there are no nuts in this variety. Despite the fact that crystallized ginger is listed as an ingredient, I couldn’t detect it. The Trail Mix Granola may or may not be a granola, depending on whom you ask, but the first ingredient is “Anahola Granola,” so you tell me! This sample package contained no nutrition information. This is an “everything” blend, with multiple types of dried fruits, seeds and almonds. Good. Website.
Continue To Page 6b: Granola Brands ~ B
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