Did you ever wonder while you’re enjoying a bowl of it- “Is granola good for healthy weight gain?”
Granola is a great food in the gaining healthy weight arsenal. I’ll even go so far as to call it a game changer. But what kind of granola you’re eating matters.
But first what is granola?
Granola is a breakfast food made with oats, seeds, nuts, dried fruit and a sweetener. It can also be enjoyed as a snack.
What I really love about granola is it is so versatile and there are so many ingredients you can add into it depending on how you feel.
It can be healthy depending on what’s in it, but you’ll find lots of brands with quite high amounts of things like added sugar.
I highly recommend making your own granola because firstly you will know and control the amount of fat and sweetness in it.
Second, you’ll make it with the stuff you like. So if you’re not so keen on almonds, substitute with cashews or walnuts etc. Or if you’re allergic or just don’t like nuts, you don’t put any in.
Granola is easy and fun to make (and eat)! It’s also easy to store and take with you outside the home for example to work or on trips.
So here are some reasons why you should include this as part of your healthy weight gain foods.
Why Granola Is Good For Healthy Weight Gain
- Home-made granola has a great amount of calories for healthy weight gain. Depending on what you put in it, you can have over 300 calories per serve. And that doesn’t even include the milk or yogurt!
- Granola contains good amounts of fibre which helps with easing bowel movements and bowel health in general.
- Having granola with milk (or yogurt) and fruit is a great way to start the day by getting energy from protein, good fats and carbohydrates all in one bowl.
- Granola containing nuts and seeds (depending on the type) can be a good source of vitamins and minerals including vitamins B, D, E, iron, zinc, copper among others.
- Ingredients in granola such as whole grain oats and nuts may support health heart and prevent some chronic diseases. Oats for example is linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
- It can improve gut health due to its composition of seeds, nuts and whole grain oats. Eating a varied range of plant based foods increases the microbial diversity in your gut which helps support the digestive and immune system.
- Healthy granola is made of natural ingredients that are high in anti-inflammatory properties.
Something To Note About Granola
Like with most things in life, enjoy granola in moderation. It’s not something to eat everyday as it is very high in calories.
Remember you need to mix things up food-wise and enjoy a variety of healthy foods to maintain diversity in the gut. (And also just because we’re human and like some variety in life.)
Finally while eating healthy weight gain foods is the goal, don’t forget that exercise is just as important in this journey. You don’t want to just put on fat, which could lead to health issues.
Easy Granola Recipe
Healthy granola recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup raw nuts and seeds. (I used cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
- 1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup
- 1/3 cup dried fruit (E.g raisins, cranberries, apricots,mango etc)
- 1/2 tsp spice powder (E.g cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg)
- 1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1/3 cup dried coconut flakes
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees C. Line a large baking try with baking/parchment paper
- Mix the oats, nuts, seeds and spice powder together.
- To this mixture, add the olive oil, sweetener (honey/maple syrup) and combine together until its all well coated.
- Spread the mixture out on the baking try in an even layer and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once at 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown.(Use 2 trays if the mixture is too thick as it won't brown evenly.)
- At the midway point, take the granola out, add the coconut flakes and stir well before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
- Add dried fruit to the granola 10 minutes after removing from the oven. Wait until completely cool before storing in an airtight container.
Making your own granola is easy and will save you money. I mean have you seen how much granola costs at the supermarket or health food shops?
I’d encourage you to make your own granola because you’re more likely to eat it if you put the foods that you like in it.
Granola is a tasty weight gain food with great nutrition benefits. Make some today and see for yourself.