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Why granola even if organic is not a healthy choice nutritionally or for the gut microbiome. Making your own is not even a healthy choice!
Is granola healthy to eat? Are brands from the store that are organic and/or sprouted acceptable?
What about homemade granola?
Sadly, the answer to all three of these questions is a resounding NO!
Even so-called “traditional granola” recipes, where soaked organic oats (or sprouted) are used before toasting in the oven, are not in the least bit digestible.
While soaking or sprouting oats before making granola is a big improvement, the fact is that digestive damage is still going to occur if you eat it. This preparation method is not traditional in the slightest.
Many granola fans do not seem to know that oats, even if sprouted or soaked first, are still not properly prepared in a traditional manner.
Thus, the proteins in the oats remain in a form that is extremely difficult to break down in the digestive tract.
Difficult-to-digest food that is not metabolized completely leaves undigested residues in the gut that cause pathogens to thrive.
This is why some people “crave” granola…it’s an addictive food like sugar that feeds gut pathogens.
Over time, pathogen overgrowth in the gut leads to a disrupted microbiome and eventually digestive symptoms.
The high potential of improperly prepared grains to harm health…with granola being perhaps the most prominent modern example…is why traditional societies took such great pains to soak, sprout, or ferment (sour leaven) them.
Here’s the last piece many folks seem to miss…
Not only did traditional peoples soak, sprout, or sour leaven their grains. They also thoroughly cooked them as the final preparation step before eating!
In other words, toasting sprouted or soaked oats in the oven does not fully deactivate the anti-nutrients.
Let’s explore this important precept of traditional diet in more detail below.
Why Granola is SO Difficult to Digest
The dry heat of an oven at the proper toasting temperature is simply not hot enough to complete the breakdown of anti-nutrients in oats or other grains.
Thus, even homemade granola is extremely difficult to digest. Eaten often, it can damage the gut over time.
Perhaps if a person has an iron gut, then homemade granola that is soaked or sprouted but not fully cooked might work on occasion.
The reality is that most people have sensitive guts today. This is a generational decline in health that is the result of several generations of children raised on antibiotics and processed foods.
Most people have some sort of digestive sensitivity to grains, even if there are no grain allergy symptoms present.
I know for me, I bloat terribly if I eat homemade granola that has been soaked or sprouted and then toasted.
Interestingly, thoroughly cooked unsoaked oatmeal digests far better.
The lesson to me is that the final cooking step for sprouted grains is very important!
Healthy Alternatives
The good news is that when you ditch granola, there are other options to consider that are very tasty and no more difficult to prepare.
In my home, I make these healthy breakfast cereal recipes instead of granola. Several of them provide that lovely crunch that is so yummy in milk for breakfast.
Another alternative is to make grain free granola that uses soaked nuts, fruits, and soaked seeds instead of grains as the primary ingredient.
Sources and More Information
Nourishing Traditions, p. 454
Hi Sarah! Thanks for the great article! I wanted to share with you my grain-free granola that uses soaked and dehydrated nuts as the base. SCD and Paleo legal, and definitely better on the gut!
I used to love Granola…but there are so many other options (if you have time to cook your breakfast!)
I been studying the poor quality and health issue surrounding our breakfast cereals recently:
I guess the world wasn’t designed to go at such a pace. We are meant to take time over cooking AND eating. Fast food will never be REAL food (even something as innocent looking as the humble granola).
Natasha’s last post: Crispy Duck with Fried Potatoes:
I went back and took a look at Sally’s comments on granola in “Nourishing Traditions” for a little guidance. I remembered a comment about granola’s not being a part of traditional diets. Here’s the quote:
Hi Sarah,
Any suggestions / recipes for a care package for a college student? I usually put in some homemade granola! Thanks
My point is that you took a very extreme position in your post and then implied that it was backed by NT, which it was not, based on the text. Opinion and science are not the same thing. “not good for some” is not the same as “not good for all”. As I mentioned, for several years now the WAPF has ranked “soaked granola” as GOOD in their shopper’s guide and it has been offered on the breakfast bar at the Wise Traditions conference since 2009. This seems inconsistant with your position that “No Granola is Good Granola”. And if Sally contributed to your article and shares your viewpoint, why didn’t you quote her directly or refer to her input in your post? Your blog seems well respected as a vehicle to support people who want to embrace a traditional diet and I’ve appreciated your work.
My point is that you took a very extreme position in your post and then implied that it was backed by NT, which it was not, based on the text. Opinion and science are not the same thing. “not good for some” is not the same as “not good for all”. As I mentioned, for several years now the WAPF has ranked “soaked granola” as GOOD in their shopper’s guide and it has been offered on the breakfast bar at the Wise Traditions conference since 2009. This seems inconsistant with your position that “No Granola is Good Granola”. And if Sally contributed to your article and shares your viewpoint, why didn’t you quote her directly or refer to her input in your post? Your blog seems well respected as a vehicle to support people who want to embrace a traditional diet and I’ve appreciated your work.
@Michaeleen I emailed Sally Fallon Morell about granola before I wrote this post and she said that soaked or sprouted granola dried in an oven would not be a good idea and would only be digested by folks with an iron stomach. She doesn’t like granola, period.
oops… I mean bulgur wheat is sprouted AND fermented. And one big difference is I soaked the bulgur in the yogurt for 48 hours… not just 24hours.
Hi Sarah
on pg 112 of NT, it states that bulgur wheat is a coarsely ground sprouted wheat. It is not flour… but as you mentioned previously, it is sprouted so that must be the difference. An update on todays batch: it is working much better then the 1st batch. I have the oven temp at the lowest temp. Much better results, even if it is a much slower process.
Also, You WERE advising your readers correctly. On pg 464 in NT, Ms Fallon states that they do NOT recommend granola because it is extremely indigestible. So thanks for being here to answer all of your readers inquires!!!
Page 454 of NT, as you reference, does NOT say to avoid ALL granolas. Rather, in referring to commercial granolas, they say “we do not recommend granola”. In fact, the WAPF, in their annual shoppers guide, gives “soaked granolas” a GOOD rating. Be careful. Your readers are relying on you to post accurate information about traditional foods. If YOU feel strongly for/against soaked/sprouted granolas, then claim it as your opinion and don’t bring NT into it as if the authors share your postion.
I emailed Sally Fallon Morell about granola before I wrote this post and she said that soaked or sprouted granola dried in an oven would not be a good idea and would only be digested by folks with an iron stomach. She doesn’t like granola, period.