Top 8: golden granola for a morning crunch

We look at eight shop-bought cereals and give them the Top 8 taste-test

Granola: a versatile, crunchy start to the day

A delicious start to the day, granola can contain just about any grain, seed or fruit. 

The ingredients can be toasted when coated in oil to add crunch and secure sweet flavours. The more dried fruit, the sweeter it will be, so high sugars may come from that instead of added sugar. But there are often additional sugars in the form of treacle, honey, maple syrup, chicory fibre. These sugars can be probiotic which is good for the gut but can create gas.

We eliminated at least one sample from our survey (otherwise good value) because it had palm oil with no mention of sustainable sourcing. Many brands use rapeseed oil instead, so palm oil, cheaper than other oils, doesn’t have to be used.

High protein is a good idea as it can sustain us until our next healthy meal. However, some high-protein samples had soya isolates produced in Argentina and Brazil – a long journey. Granola is very good with cranberry juice for breakfasters who want to avoid milk, and it’s also good sprinkled over ice cream and fruit salads. 

Granola on plain porridge adds texture and variety, though many samples already contain a decent amount of vitamin and fibre-rich oats. If children don’t like the consistency of porridge or granola, pop a handful in a blender to refine it into a smoother texture.

Rigney’s 400g €8.95

No added sugar here, instead, it’s sweetened with raisins, bitter-sweet goji berries cranberries with 21% gluten-free oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, golden linseeds, cashew nuts, brazil nuts, cashew nut butter, honey, coconut oil and chips, rapeseed oil. Not oversweet and has a good crunch. All tasters liked the balance of flavours and textures. 4.2g sugars per 45g serving. Good protein at 6.4g per serving.

See rigneysfarm.com for other stockists.

Score: 9.75

M&S 3 seeds 500g €4.50

A comfortingly shortlist of 8% each of good quality pumpkin, golden linseeds and sunflower seeds paired with a decent 54% of oat flakes provide a satisfying chew. Sweetened with agave syrup and chicory fibre brings sugars to a middling 5.7g per 45g portion, but the overall taste isn’t sweet and tasters (even the children) liked this. Protein is decent 7.2g. Toasted with rapeseed oil.

Score: 8.5

SuperValu Signature Tastes Hazelnut Black Forest 500g €4.49

Lots of chocolate flavour here with 57% Irish jumbo oats and a good 9% of chopped hazelnuts. The contrast of the chocolate with 6% dried sour cherries was delicious. Sugars middling to high at 7.65g, protein a low 3.64g per 45g serving. Tasters loved it. A bit rich and not for every day but for a treat and sprinkled on porridge to liven it up, as well as enjoying it with milk for an after-school snack.

Score: 9

Jordans Super Berry 550g €4

Oat flakes at 76% are high and are in light clusters and the 2.5% freeze-dried redcurrants, blackcurrants, blueberries and cranberries seem plentiful, along with 2% pumpkin and 1% sunflower seeds, and 1.5% almonds. Sugars from sugar, honey and the fruits come to a high enough 8.5g, with protein middle range at 4.9g per 45g serving. The oil is sunflower. Tasters, especially kids, liked the lightness and fruity flavours.

Score: 8.5

Aldi Harvest Morn 500g €2.49

Oat flakes, chicory fibre, wheat flakes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, rapeseed oil, freeze-dried blueberries, dried apple pieces, maple syrup and an unnamed flavouring here. Overall, a lot of freeze-dried fruit and light oats. Does what it says on the pack with low sugar of just 1.7g and protein high at 6.2g per 45g portion. A comforting low list of ingredients has no additives and is a good price. Tasters thought it a bit too chewy but liked the taste.

Score: 7.5

The Happy Pear Steve’s Dreamy Granola 350g €3.99

Oats a fair 46.5%, 8.4% flax and pumpkin seeds, 6.5% desiccated coconut and shards, some almond pieces, are paired with quite a small amount of freeze-dried raspberries (0.85%) – more would have been welcome. Coconut and olive oils used for toasting with rice flour. Chicory root fibre and fruit bring sugars to a good low 1.66g, with protein middle range at 4.5g per 45g portion. We bought in Supervalu.

Score: 7.75

Dunnes Stores Simply Better honey, almond & apricot 500g €4.49

Jumbo Irish oats 43%, mixed seeds 14% - sunflower, pumpkin, linseed, chia - with honey 11%, rapeseed oil, the 8% apricots were less obvious than the hard, chunky date pieces, flaked almonds 4.5%, pecans and coconut chips gave additional chew. Not surprisingly, given the amount of fruit, sugars are high at 8.1g with protein in middle at 4.14g per 45g portion. One taster found the dates and nuts too hard.

Score: 8

Kelkin Fruit & Nut Oat 450g Granola €3.25

Glucose syrup along with naturally occurring sugars in raisins (10%) brings the sweetness level up here to 11g per 45g serving and caramel toffee flavour adds to that. Protein 3.7g is average from wheat flakes and 4.5% nuts: pecans, flaked almonds, hazelnuts. There are also sunflower and flax seeds and coconut all adding to a nutty mouthful which while too sweet for some, was enjoyed by tasters.

Score: 7.75