Are you looking for a healthy breakfast that is nutritious, quick to prepare and keeps you full until lunchtime? What if granola were the ideal solution?
By making the right choices, you can steer clear of granolas packed with sugar and additives to find the perfect option and enjoy plenty of good things - resulting in an ultra-tasty breakfast!
- What are the benefits of granola for breakfast?
- How do you choose a high-quality granola?
- What should you eat it with to boost your energy and start the day on the right foot?
In this article, we answer all these questions, with examples to illustrate!
It’s easy to see why this iconic mix of oat flakes, nuts and dried fruit is such a good choice for breakfast.
- Rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein
- Ideal for digestion
- Very filling
Let’s take a closer look at the subject.
What is Granola?
Granola is that crunchy, essential modern breakfast mix, which is now often eaten with a base of fresh yoghurt and fruit cut into pieces.
Typical granola ingredients include:
- Oat flakes
- Nuts: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, etc.
- Seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
- Dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, etc.
Created by the nutritionist physician James Caleb Jackson towards the end of the 19th century, granola quickly gained popularity thanks to its irresistible taste and nutritional qualities…
And its versatility! It’s very easy to vary the flavours and opt for a chocolatey note one morning (which often appeals to everyone), a spiced note the next morning (by focusing more on cinnamon and banana, for example), a tangy note with a few berries or an exotic note with açaí, of course!
The nutritional benefits of granola
High in fibre
Made with oat flakes, granola is naturally very high in fibre.
And if we add the nuts, seeds and dried fruit that complement it, we get an absolutely perfect nutritional contribution - especially nowadays in Western Europe, where fibre deficiency is becoming chronic.
What does it actually do? Fibre helps to:
- Regulate intestinal transit
- Nourish the gut microbiome
- Promote a feeling of fullness
- Ensure the health of our digestive tract
A source of protein
Protein is essential for creating a balanced breakfast.
They contribute to satiety when we sit down to eat and provide gentle, productive energy throughout the morning.
And more fundamentally, proteins help us to:
- Maintain our muscle mass
- Support the proper functioning of our immune system
- Boost our metabolism
And once again, they are absolutely everywhere in our bowl of granola!
Among plant-based sources of protein, nuts and seeds need no introduction; they make up a substantial portion of granola and therefore contribute to its protein content.
Yogurt can also be mentioned when served with it, as can oats — which we might not necessarily think of right away, but which nevertheless contain around 14g of protein per 100g.
A source of healthy fats
Lipids provide us with many benefits. Healthy fats are:
- The key to feeling full after a meal
- Crucial for providing continuous energy throughout the morning
- Essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K)
And once again, we have to give credit to nuts and seeds, our wonderfully nutritious ingredients packed with nutrients!
Vitamins and minerals
When properly chosen, granola is naturally rich in essential vitamins and minerals:
- Magnesium: almonds, pumpkin seeds, and oats are rich in magnesium, a mineral crucial for muscle function, bone health, and blood sugar regulation.
- Zinc: found in pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Zinc is important for the immune system, wound healing, and protein synthesis.
- Iron: found in oats, pumpkin seeds, and almonds, iron is essential for red blood cell production and oxygen transport in the body.
- Vitamin E: found in almonds, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds, vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells from oxidative damage.
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): found in oats and sunflower seeds. Thiamine is essential for carbohydrate metabolism and the proper functioning of the nervous system.
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): found particularly in almonds, riboflavin plays a crucial role in energy production and fat metabolism.
It also contains vitamins B3 and B6, potassium, and phosphorus, among other essential micronutrients, leading us to say, without the slightest exaggeration, that a well-balanced breakfast is a golden opportunity to stock up on good things.
Granola and satiety
Granola (as long as it is not too sugary - this is essential) is particularly effective at creating genuine satiety that lasts all morning thanks to its combination of fiber, fat, and protein.
Each of these three components plays its own role:
- Fiber guides and slows the movement of food through the digestive tract
- Fat forces the stomach to control the release of food into the intestines
- Protein creates an additional workload for the digestive system
This naturally results in a breakfast that keeps us fuller for longer and allows us to ride a beautiful wave of energy throughout the morning without an energy slump.
A low glycemic index
The glycemic index (GI) measures how much a food can raise blood sugar levels (our blood glucose).
Today, understanding the importance of GI is truly crucial, especially when it comes to breakfast, because this first meal of the day can greatly influence our metabolic health.
The importance of avoiding high-GI foods
The traditional breakfast table brings together the worst sources of carbohydrates to start the day:
- White bread
- Fruit juice
- Jam
- Commercial chocolate spread
- Overly sugary commercial cereals
- Commercial breakfast cakes
These foods, which are very high in carbohydrates and have a high GI, cause a rapid rise in blood sugar followed by an equally sharp drop.
This sudden fluctuation can lead to:
- Mid-morning cravings
- Difficulty concentrating
- An increased risk of developing long-term metabolic health problems (prediabetes, type 2 diabetes)
And above all, these fluctuations reinforce one another! A drop in our blood sugar levels will greatly influence our food choices and lead us to consume more carbohydrate-rich, high-GI foods, which will cause another drop, influence our choices, and so on.
Granola: a low-GI alternative
Granola, if it is low in sugar, generally has a low GI compared with other sugary breakfast options.
This means that:
- It provides more stable, longer-lasting energy:
- The gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream prevents energy spikes and crashes.
- You remain alert and focused for longer.
- It helps control weight:
- Stable blood sugar reduces cravings, overeating of carbohydrate-rich foods, and limits body fat storage.
- It promotes better appetite regulation throughout the day.
- It encourages better food choices at lunch:
- By avoiding "false hunger" caused by a drop in blood sugar, you are less likely to turn to unhealthy options at your next meal.
- It contributes to better long-term metabolic health:
- Regular consumption of low-GI foods may help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
By choosing a high-quality, low-sugar, fiber-rich granola, you are opting for a breakfast that not only delights you but also takes care of your metabolic health over the long term.
Ideal for morning concentration
As the renowned neuroscientist Andrew Huberman has repeatedly pointed out on his popular podcast: the brain needs a regular supply of glucose to function optimally.
With its blend of complex carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fats, and protein, granola provides a gentle, steady supply of glucose, ideal for maintaining concentration throughout the morning.
Granola for breakfast: a quick, simple and ultra-versatile option
Granola is one of the most practical and quickest breakfast options to prepare.
You can put your bowl together in a flash in the kitchen in the morning.
And when it comes to customization, it's a real champion!
Your granola base can lean toward chocolatey, tangy, spicy... And you'll have the pleasure of putting your creativity to work by topping it with your favorite nuts and seeds (whole or as a purée), or with seasonal fruit.
And if you're short on ideas, you'll find tons on social media! Granola lovers form an incredibly creative and generous community.
How to choose a healthy granola
With breakfast products more than any other products, it is crucial to read the labels.
Why? The first meal of the day is THE historic stronghold of ultra-processed food.
They contain numerous additives and the worst sweeteners for your health (such as glucose-fructose syrup, for example).
To choose the best granola, here is nümorning's big four, from the experts in healthy and delicious breakfasts:
- Organic: choose granola made from organic farming
- Natural: avoid additives and artificial preservatives
- Low in sugar: opt for granola with a moderate sugar content
- Sweetened with a good sugar: choose granolas sweetened with coconut sugar (by far the healthiest and most nutritionally valuable sweetener)
How to incorporate granola into your breakfast routine
Incorporating granola into your morning routine could not be easier and can be done in many ways.
Here are a few ideas for varying your breakfasts while enjoying the benefits of granola.
Granola on a yogurt base with fresh fruit: the classic
This timeless combination offers a perfect balance of flavor and benefits.
Here are a few ideas to try:
- Chocolate granola: starting with chocolate granola, add a plant-based yogurt base, one banana, and almonds or hazelnuts
- Berry granola: starting with plain granola, add a plant-based yogurt base, a mixture of berries, and pumpkin seeds
- Apple-cinnamon and peanut butter granola: starting with cinnamon granola, add a plant-based yogurt base, one diced apple, and a generous spoonful of peanut butter
Granola on a mashed banana base
You can replace the yogurt base with a ripe, mashed banana.
And if this base is not creamy enough for your taste, you can add a splash of plant-based milk to your banana before adding your granola.
Granola as a topping
Granola has more than one trick up its sleeve! You can use it to add a crunchy boost to:
- An açai bowl (take a look at our recipe right here)
- Porridge
- A bowl of fresh fruit
- Chia pudding
Granola to go
For busy mornings, pour two generous handfuls of granola into a lunchbox and add dry ingredients (dried fruit, chocolate pieces, coconut flakes, seeds, and nuts).
Granola: a healthy choice for breakfast?
A thousand times yes! As long as it is chosen carefully.
It is packed with flavor and essential nutrients from breakfast onward, can be adapted to suit every craving, and is prepared in the blink of an eye.
And it is an absolutely ideal source of gentle, lasting energy to function at your best until lunchtime, without ever being bothered by hunger.