Top 8: The best shop-bought granolas with high protein content for breakfast
Pic: iStock
This week, the Top 8 team was on a mission to find granola with the highest protein content to sustain us until our next mealtime.
We compared the amount of sugars in each, seeking 10% or less, and checked if they came from added sugar (better than oversweet sugar substitutes) or dried fruit, which also delivers fibre and iron.
What else goes into what is generally perceived as a healthy breakfast cereal? We found plenty of fibre from oats, seeds, nuts, and fruit.
Good fats in nuts (except coconut, which contains saturated fats) and seeds were found in most samples too.
Soya protein isolate is a source of protein in some granolas.
An online search revealed that this protein can disrupt the balance of hormones in those with thyroid problems, so check with your dietician or doctor if you are planning a feast of soya-laden granola daily.
Other websites quote the benefits of soya beans as low in fat, a vegan protein option, and good for circulatory diseases.
Granola is simple to make at home. Mix 200g of chopped nuts and seeds with two tablespoons of vegetable oil and 300g of rolled oats.
Sweeten with honey or maple syrup to taste. Bake at 150˚C for 15 minutes, before adding 100g of dried fruit and baking for 10 to 15 minutes more.
Cool and serve with milk or yoghurt.
This raisin cashew, almond version has no added sugar with a fair enough 9% sugars mainly from the raisins, with 19% fats, mainly from nuts and rapeseed oil.
Protein at 11% is fair from 49% Irish oats, perfectly toasted, which add greatly to the flavour and crunchy texture.
Almonds, cashew nuts and sunflower seeds add more protein. A hit with all tasters.
With 60% gluten-free oats, nicely baked, and 13% mixed nuts (some of them crushed), 6% cashews, 4% almonds, 3% sunflower and 2% pumpkin seeds, we get a decent 12.4% protein and a good bite.
Sugars from date and maple syrups and orange juice at 11.4% are high.
Fats, mainly good ones at 16.7% come mainly from the nuts, seeds and sunflower oil. Delicious, Ella.
This one with fruit and nuts has crunchy oats and wheat flakes toasted with rapeseed oil, glucose syrup, and sugar to bring them into clusters.
The result is 8.9% sugars, a low enough 8% protein and 15% fats from the oil, and 21% sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and flax seeds, which are also good sources of protein.
It was a favourite of one teenage taster.
The high 18% peanut content is intensified by the added 6% peanut butter, which is combined in clusters with 43% oats.
Along with 2% sunflower seeds, these deliver a fair 12% protein. Raisins, 13%, and 7% date powder bring sugars to a steep 17% (there are no benefits of whole date fibre here).
Tasters liked the nutty flavours. Made in Britain
Gluten, wheat and dairy free with 42% gluten free oats, 6% each cashews and almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, bring protein to a moderate 11%.
Fats at 26% are mainly ‘healthy’ unsaturated fats, with some saturated fats in desiccated coconut and cashews.
There’s natural vanilla, and 1% cinnamon. Sugars at 16% come mainly from sultanas and honey. Tasters approved. Made in Dublin.
We liked the generous 5% whole almonds, 3% each cashews, hazelnuts, flaked Brazil nuts, and 1% chopped almonds—super nutty for sure, with some sunflower seeds.
Combined with toasted wholegrain oats (63%), protein comes to 12%.
The oats are clustered with sugar, rapeseed oil, glucose syrup, and 1% honey, bringing sugars to a high 12.8%, though the taste is not oversweet.
Fats, at 18.9%, are good. Adults liked this one.
Oat, spelt, and barley flakes combine with a generous amount of deliciously fresh whole almonds (6%), hazelnuts (5%), cashew nuts (2%), and 1% each Brazil and pecan nut pieces, delivering 12.6% of protein.
High sugars of 12.1% come from sugar syrup powder, sugar, and honey. Fats are 18.7%.
The result is a well-balanced mix of nutty and (albeit) sweet flavours that tasters liked.
One of a range, it has freeze-dried redcurrants, blackcurrants, blueberries, and cranberries, which are quite tasteless and dry, so we expect most of the 17.3% sugar is from added sugar, which is second on the ingredients list.
Wholegrain oat flakes (76%) baked with honey are in crunchy clusters.
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds (1.5%) add to the fair 11.6% protein content and 12.3% mainly good fats. Made in Britain
