Granolove’s Moka Java flavor includes chopped coffee beans. 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 6d: Best Healthy Granola
The Best Granola Brands: G
This is Page 6d 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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Good Life Granola
The Original Blend Granola (per 1/2 cup: 250 calories, 100 fat calories, 12 g sugars, 110 mg sodium) has no fruit. It’s light in nature, with the good flavors of cinnamon and maple syrup, but the salt taste comes on too strong, especially at the finish. The Apple Crisp Blend Granola (per 1/2 cup: 230 calories, 80 fat calories, 14 g sugars, 120 mg sodium) is similarly light-textured. The dried apple dice adds a nice touch, and there’s a cinnamon sweetness to the product, but it, too, is overly salty. Website.
Goodness Gracious Granola (Runner Up: CocoMocha Commotion)
The Classic Blend Granola has organic oats and organic pumpkin seeds. There’s no fruit here. You’ll taste a little cinnamon and notes of molasses, and you can smell and taste the honey used. Good. You’ll also find no fruit in the CocoMocha Commotion Granola, but instead you’ll see entire pecan halves as well as large pecan pieces. This blend offers organic oats as well as organic turbinado sugar. Good coffee and cocoa presence. Very good! No nutrition information provided. Website.
Go Raw (Certified Kosher, Certified Organic, Raw Food)
Certified organic. Certified kosher by Star K Kosher Certification. No oats are used here; these granolas are based on sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat and flax seeds. All contents are dried below 105°F. The serving size for all varieties is listed as 1/3 cup. The Original Granola (per 1/2 cup: 330 calories, 45 fat calories, 19.5 g sugars, 15 mg sodium) is a simple mix of buckwheat groats, flax, dates and raisins. The only sweetening is provided by the dried fruits, yet the mix was sweet enough for me. An interesting, crunchy-chewy blend. Good. I didn’t like the Apple Cinnamon Granola as much (per 1/2 cup: 345 calories, 105 fat calories, 27 g sugars, 15 mg sodium). Although there was a pleasant chewiness from the dried apples, I found the flavors of sesame and hemp overwhelming. The same held true for the Chocolate Granola (per 1/2 cup: 360 calories, 120 fat calories, 27 g sugars, 15 mg sodium). Cocoa provided a modest chocolate taste, but the sesame and hemp bowled over all other flavors. Website.
Grandy Oats (Certified Kosher, Certified Organic)
Certified organic. Certified kosher by Rabbinical Council of New England. The Classic Granola (per 1/2 cup: 260 calories, 120 fat calories, 7 g sugars, 80 mg sodium) has no fruit. This variety is much less sweet than many others. Light in texture, with bursts of salt taste here and there. The low-fat Cranberry Chew Granola (per 1/2 cup: 190 calories, 10 fat calories, 17 g sugars, 55 mg sodium) is also not as sweet-tasting as many other granolas. The cranberries add a very good flavor, and they and the dried apple dice add good textural contrast. A good amount of Goji berries are added to the Goji Agave Granola (per 1/2 cup: 230 calories, 70 fat calories, 10 g sugars, 80 mg sodium). This product presents a nice visual contrast between the bright dried berries, raisins, dried cranberries and the oat/nuts/seeds mixture. The Goji Agave seems a little less salty than the other blends, although the nutritional information insists otherwise. Website.
Granola Lab (Runner Up)
No nutrition information provided. A deep, earthy note of the holiday season (provided by cloves) is the chief distinguishing feature of the Cranberry-Cashew Compound Granola. This is a pleasant blend overall, but there’s a slightly salty finish I didn’t enjoy. The same held true for the Elemental Formula Granola, a pecan and orange granola. The Tamarind Fusion Granola (with banana and walnut) had a tartness to it, courtesy of the tamarind, and seemed less salty. My preferences here were the Get Gingersnapping Granola (with a definite molasses note and a mild ginger flavor) and the Activation Energy Granola, the latter with coffee, chocolate, hazelnuts and no fruit. In fact, were it not for a slight saltiness, the latter would be a favorite. Website.
Granolove (Favorite)
Do you enjoy dark roast coffee? If you do, chances are you’ll enjoy these products, the “dark roast” varieties of the granola world. They’re not at all burned, but they’re darker in color than most others, and the granola base itself is very crisp (any dried fruit, added when the base has cooled, retains its chewiness). The Original Granola with Blueberries & Cranberries (per 1/2 cup: 240 calories, 130 fat calories, 11 g sugars, 50 mg sodium) has a cinnamon-honey aroma, and you can taste the honey in this visually appealing mix. There’s a mild chocolate presence in the Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola (per 1/2 cup: 250 calories, 150 fat calories, 12 g sugars, 50 mg sodium), and I’d like to see a few more dried cherries present.
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Moka Java granola. Coffee lovers: This one’s for you! |
The Moka Java Granola (per 1/2 cup: 240 calories, 150 fat calories, 10 g sugars, 50 mg sodium) has a strong coffee aroma from the chopped coffee beans present. There’s a pronounced coffee flavor, some chocolate flavor, and a hint of cinnamon in this no-fruit-included blend. The Peanut Butter-Chocolate Granola (per 1/2 cup: 270 calories, 160 fat calories, 11 g sugars, 60 mg sodium) also has no fruit, but it does have a definite peanut butter aroma. It’s rich-tasting, with a slightly salty peanut butter flavor and mild chocolate presence. The Moka Java is a favorite (photo above). Website.
Continue To Page 6e: Granola Brands H To K
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