Granola, muesli's fancier and generally more expensive cousin, usually contains toasted oats, fruit and nuts, with the addition of a sugar to help the oats and other ingredients cluster together. The result? An awesome-tasting, crunchy toasted cereal.
We analysed more than 70 breakfast cereals labelled with the word "granola" or "cluster", to see which ones came out better nutritionally.
Top scoring granola
To find this selection, we assessed the granola products on their Health Star Rating (HSR) and the estimated added sugar content. Three of these products have less than four grams (one teaspoon) of estimated added sugar per serve.
Blue Frog Keto Almond, Peanut & Raspberry Cereal
- HSR: 5
- Estimated added sugar: 0g per 100g
- Fibre: 17.9g per 100g
- Claims on pack: 88% nuts and seeds, 1g sugar per serve, gluten-free
Carman's Low Sugar Granola Raspberry and Coconut 450g
- HSR: 5
- Estimated added sugar: 4.8g per 100g
- Fibre: 17.2g per 100g
- Price: $1.53 per 100g
- Claims on pack: Excellent source of fibre, no artificial colours or flavours, low sugar, less than 3g sugar per serve, prebiotic fibre, suitable for a vegan diet
Jordan's Low Sugar Granola Almond Hazelnut 500g
- HSR: 4.5
- Estimated added sugar: 0g per 100g
- Fibre: 7.9g per 100g
- Price: $1.70 per 100g
- Claims on pack: Less than 5% sugar (total sugar), no artificial colours or preservatives, suitable for vegetarians, whole grain oats
Jordan's Granola Low Sugar Cherry Almond 500g
- HSR: 4.5
- Estimated added sugar: 0.7g per 100g,
- Fibre: 7.4g per 100g
- Price: $1.70 per 100g
- Claims on pack: Less than 5% sugar (total sugar), low sugar, no artificial colours or preservatives, wholegrain oats, suitable for vegetarians
Is granola good for you?
Sugar
Granola can be high in sugar because it is necessary to help form clusters of cereal. However, in our review of 300+ cereals that include categories such as muesli, oats, kids' cereals and flakes, it was the granola category that had the most claims regarding sugar, with 21 products bearing a claim about low or reduced sugar.
Wholegrains
The use of wholegrains such as rolled oats and barley in some granolas means they have the benefit of containing fibre, and at least 26 different nutrients including carbohydrates, protein, minerals and a variety of phytonutrients. Consuming wholegrains is also shown to reduce inflammation-related conditions.
Fat
If the granola has been toasted with oils it may have a higher fat content than granola that's been dry-toasted. So if you're watching your kilojoule intake, look for those without added oils.
Which is better: Granola or muesli?
If you're stuck between the choice of buying granola or muesli for breakfast, on average muesli will be the healthier choice.
In our review, muesli has an average HSR of 4, with an average estimated added sugar content of 3.6g per 100g. Granola products had an average HSR of 3.6, with an average estimated added sugar content of 13g per 100g.
If you're looking to save money, then muesli again is the better choice. The muesli products in our review averaged $1.62 per 100g, compared with $2.24 per 100g on average for granola.
How we tested granola
The granola label information was collected, and where Health Star Ratings weren't available on pack we estimated them, using estimates for fruit and nut content where necessary. Estimates of added sugar per 100g were sourced from the George Institutes Food Switch Team.
To find the top rating granola products, we ranked them by Health Star Rating and added sugars per 100g as listed by the George Institutes Food Switch App
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
