The Best Low Fat Granola
Some prepared cereals are tasty but not necessarily healthy. If you read labels, you may find that a bowl of mixed grains, seeds, fruits, and nuts is high calorie, loaded with sugar, and full of fat. Just switching to a commercial low-fat variety may not help. Finding the perfect low fat granola for boosting health and satisfying hunger takes a little work.
Whole grains are good for you if they are non-GMO, organically grown, and fresh. Most granolas start with rolled oats. You can find ones with other grains, like quinoa, barley, wheat, or corn. Any whole grain will be rich in carbs but also a good source of fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient, providing bulk in your diet and helping to fill you up without adding a lot of calories.
Grains are not especially high in fat content, but they are also not very palatable eaten alone. That's why granola and muesli are so popular. Dried or fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and spices add texture and flavor. The right combination of additives can make a great cereal without adding too many calories.
Of course, good fats are needed for health. Many nuts and seeds are high in nutritious oils, so adding them is a good idea even if you are dieting. Most current theories point to refined carbohydrates and sugars as the culprits in weight gain, anyway. That said, there are some nuts which are best avoided if you are counting grams of fat.
Nuts, often high in all kinds of fat, are still worth eating. Walnuts, almonds, and pecans are considered safe for dieters. Macadamia nuts are known to be fattening, but they also contain the kind of fat that's quickly used for energy rather than being stored in the body. Cashews and pistachios are high-calorie, too, and so are Brazil nuts. Brazil nut, however, support a healthy thyroid by supplying selenium, a scarce trace mineral.
Seeds are another common ingredient that contain high levels of nutrition. Chia, flax, and sunflower seeds are often included for their fiber, proteins, and essential fatty acids. Seeds, being the germ of new life, are one of the 'perfect foods', like eggs.
The point is that fats are not bad per se. However, many cereals also contain oils, which add crunchiness to the mix when it is baked or toasted. These oils may be adding calories and lowering the nutritional value of the breakfast food. Canola and soy oils, which are a popular additive, will almost certainly be GMO is not certified organic. Any hydrogenated fats should be avoided.
It may be best to make your own cereal, which is actually easy to do. Consider what you like, research the health benefits, and include sensible amounts of dried fruit (high calorie!) and nuts. Seeds are not much of a concern. If you want to lower the fat and calorie count of each serving, add bran to the mix. Wheat, oat, and rice bran are all good sources of fiber and won't add many calories. Create a mix, add spices to taste, sweeten with stevia or the equivalent, toss with a heat-stable, organic oil like coconut, and bake on shallow pans for about forty minutes at 300 degrees or until lightly browned and crunchy.
Whole grains are good for you if they are non-GMO, organically grown, and fresh. Most granolas start with rolled oats. You can find ones with other grains, like quinoa, barley, wheat, or corn. Any whole grain will be rich in carbs but also a good source of fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient, providing bulk in your diet and helping to fill you up without adding a lot of calories.
Grains are not especially high in fat content, but they are also not very palatable eaten alone. That's why granola and muesli are so popular. Dried or fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and spices add texture and flavor. The right combination of additives can make a great cereal without adding too many calories.
Of course, good fats are needed for health. Many nuts and seeds are high in nutritious oils, so adding them is a good idea even if you are dieting. Most current theories point to refined carbohydrates and sugars as the culprits in weight gain, anyway. That said, there are some nuts which are best avoided if you are counting grams of fat.
Nuts, often high in all kinds of fat, are still worth eating. Walnuts, almonds, and pecans are considered safe for dieters. Macadamia nuts are known to be fattening, but they also contain the kind of fat that's quickly used for energy rather than being stored in the body. Cashews and pistachios are high-calorie, too, and so are Brazil nuts. Brazil nut, however, support a healthy thyroid by supplying selenium, a scarce trace mineral.
Seeds are another common ingredient that contain high levels of nutrition. Chia, flax, and sunflower seeds are often included for their fiber, proteins, and essential fatty acids. Seeds, being the germ of new life, are one of the 'perfect foods', like eggs.
The point is that fats are not bad per se. However, many cereals also contain oils, which add crunchiness to the mix when it is baked or toasted. These oils may be adding calories and lowering the nutritional value of the breakfast food. Canola and soy oils, which are a popular additive, will almost certainly be GMO is not certified organic. Any hydrogenated fats should be avoided.
It may be best to make your own cereal, which is actually easy to do. Consider what you like, research the health benefits, and include sensible amounts of dried fruit (high calorie!) and nuts. Seeds are not much of a concern. If you want to lower the fat and calorie count of each serving, add bran to the mix. Wheat, oat, and rice bran are all good sources of fiber and won't add many calories. Create a mix, add spices to taste, sweeten with stevia or the equivalent, toss with a heat-stable, organic oil like coconut, and bake on shallow pans for about forty minutes at 300 degrees or until lightly browned and crunchy.
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