The ketogenic diet, commonly known as keto, has become an increasingly popular way of eating over the past few years. The diet is characterized by a very low carbohydrate intake, moderate protein intake, and high fat intake. The goal of the keto diet is to reach a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body switches from using carbohydrates as its main source of fuel to using fats and ketones instead.
Granola is often thought of as a healthy breakfast food, but the typical granola you find in the grocery store is full of added sugars and often doesn’t fit into a keto eating plan. However, there are some modified lower-carb versions of granola that can potentially be included in moderation on a keto diet.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at granola and the keto diet to help you understand if and how you can incorporate granola into your keto lifestyle. We’ll cover the following topics:
What is granola?
Granola is a baked snack food typically made from rolled oats, nuts, dried fruit, honey or maple syrup, and oil. It has a crunchy texture and is often eaten as a cereal or as a topping for yogurt.
Here is a closer look at the main ingredients found in most granola recipes:
– Oats – The base of most granola is rolled or old-fashioned oats, which are whole oat groats that have been steamed and rolled flat. Oats are high in carbohydrates. A 1⁄4 cup serving of dry oats contains about 27 grams of net carbs.
– Nuts – Granola often includes nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, and cashews. Nuts add protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They are lower in carbs than grains.
– Dried fruit – Raisins, cranberries, cherries, and apricots are commonly added to granola for both flavor and texture. Dried fruits have a high natural sugar content.
– Sweetener – Most granola gets its sweetness from sugar, honey, maple syrup, or other added sweeteners, which add a significant amount of carbohydrates.
– Oil – Granola recipes call for a neutral oil like canola, olive, coconut, or vegetable oil to bind the ingredients together after baking.
– Mix-ins – Some granola recipes include coconut flakes, chocolate chips, seeds like chia or flax, or other dried fruits. These extras impact the carb count.
As you can see from the primary ingredients, traditional granola contains a significant amount of carbohydrates, mainly from the oats, dried fruit, and added sweeteners. This makes it challenging to incorporate into a keto diet.
What is a ketogenic diet?
A ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet designed to induce a metabolic state called ketosis. The diet requires reducing net carb intake to usually between 20-50 grams per day.
The drastic reduction in carbohydrates and increase in fats causes the body to switch from using glucose (sugar) as its main source of fuel to using fats and ketones instead. Ketones are produced by the liver as a byproduct when fat is broken down.
Ketosis allows the body to become highly efficient at burning fat stores for energy. It also has a diuretic effect, lowering water weight.
Some of the potential benefits of a ketogenic diet include:
– Weight loss – Burning fat instead of glucose helps decrease body fat.
– Reduced appetite – Ketosis appears to help control hunger hormones.
– Lowered insulin levels – The diet can improve insulin sensitivity for those with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
– Improved mental focus – Ketones may provide an alternative energy source for the brain.
– Decreased inflammation – Ketosis appears to lower inflammatory markers in some individuals.
However, there are also potential short and long-term health risks to consider, so it’s important to speak with your doctor before starting a ketogenic diet, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.
Is granola keto-friendly?
Straight out of the box, plain granola is generally not keto-friendly or appropriate for a ketogenic diet. Here are a few reasons why:
– High in carbohydrates – A typical 1⁄4 cup serving of granola contains about 21-27 grams of net carbs, which would use up the majority of a day’s carb limit on keto.
– High in natural sugars – Dried fruits and the added sweeteners like honey or maple syrup significantly increase the sugar content.
– Oats are high-carb – Even “low-carb” oats are still too high for keto. Substituting with a nut flour instead would lower carb count.
– Often contains sugary mix-ins – Chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and candied nuts add extra carbs.
Granola lacks fat – Traditional granola doesn’t contain enough added fat to be satiating on keto.
So in its traditional form, granola simply contains too many carbohydrates from oats and sugars to fit into a keto macronutrient ratio. However, there are some modified lower-carb versions and recipes for “keto granola” made with fewer carbs.
Can you modify granola to make it keto-friendly?
While traditional granola won’t work on keto, there are some ways to modify it to significantly reduce the net carb count:
– Use low-carb nut flour instead of oats – Almond flour, coconut flour, sunflower seed flour, and flax meal make good replacements.
– Skip added sugars – Granola can be sweetened instead with low-carb sweeteners like erythritol, monk fruit, or stevia.
– Limit dried fruits – Berries like unsweetened cranberries are lower sugar than raisins, dates, etc.
– Add more healthy fats – Nut butter, avocado oil, extra nuts/seeds boost fat content.
– Avoid sugary mix-ins – Skip chocolate chips, candied nuts, and coconut flakes.
– Watch portions – Stick to a 1⁄4 cup or less to keep net carbs low.
There are also many recipes online for modified “keto granola” using these substitutions to reduce the carb content significantly while keeping a similar crunchy taste and texture.
What does research say about low-carb granola on keto?
There is limited research specifically looking at granola in a ketogenic diet. However, there are a handful of studies examining the impact of replacing grain-based cereals with low-carb alternatives:
– A 2018 study had overweight police officers eat a low-carb granola made with almond flour, whey protein, and unsweetened coconut. The granola group lost more weight and inches after 12 weeks compared to a control group eating oat-based cereal. [1]
– A 2015 study compared blood sugar effects of an almond flour granola to an oat-based cereal in people with prediabetes. The low-carb granola produced a significantly lower glucose response. [2]
– A small 2012 study found that a coconut flour granola reduced cholesterol levels compared to wheat cereal after 5 weeks. However, the granola group also reduced saturated fat intake. [3]
– Research on carbohydrate-restricted diets shows that reducing daily net carbs into the very low-carb or ketogenic range can improve weight loss, blood sugar control, and other health markers. [4]
So while research on granola itself is limited, the evidence does suggest that replacing high-carb grain cereals with low-carb alternatives like nut flour granolas can provide benefits for weight, blood sugar management, and heart health. More studies are still needed on this topic.
Potential benefits of low-carb granola on keto
Here are some of the potential benefits that modified lower-carb or “keto” granolas may offer compared to traditional granola:
– Fewer net carbs and lower glycemic impact.
– Can extend carb allowance to allow other keto-friendly foods.
– Nut flours provide fiber, fat, and may help regulate blood sugar.
– Keeps a similar crunch and texture to regular granola.
– Easy make-ahead breakfast option.
– Provides variety in sources of fat, protein, and carbs.
– Low-sugar options avoid blood glucose spikes and crashes.
– Can be satisfying for crunch-lovers adjusting to fewer carbs.
– No cooking required compared to hot cereals.
Potential drawbacks of low-carb granola on keto
However, there are also some potential downsides to keep in mind:
– Low-carb granola recipes still vary in carb counts. Need to portion carefully.
– Nut flours and oils add calories;portion control key for weight loss.
– May trigger cravings or overeating for some.
– Nut flours more expensive than oat-based.
– Not as nutrient dense as some other keto breakfast options.
– Some ingredients like chia seeds need to be prepared properly to avoid digestive issues.
– Removes oats, which provide beta-glucan fiber.
– Shorter shelf life compared to conventional granola.
For some people, even modified lower-carb granola may still create cravings for sweets or other high-carb foods. Paying close attention to portions and listening to your body’s responses can help determine if it works for you.
How to incorporate low-carb granola into a keto diet
Here are some tips for how to add low-carb granola options into your keto diet:
– Look for recipes with 10g net carbs or less per serving.
– Measure portions carefully using a measuring cup, especially when first using.
– Consume it in moderation – granola shouldn’t make up the bulk of daily carbs.
– Pair with high-fat foods like nut milk or coconut yogurt.
– Add as a topping to keto muffins or quick breads for crunch.
– Use as a coating for keto protein bars or fat bombs.
– Sprinkle on top of cottage cheese or ricotta.
– Use in a parfait layered with chia pudding and nuts.
– Add crunch to chia seed pudding or smoothies.
– Use as croutons for keto-friendly salads.
The key is consuming low-carb granola strategically in proper portions and balancing it within your daily carb limit alongside other nutrient-dense keto foods.
Keto-friendly granola recipes to try
If you want to test modified lower-carb granola options, here are some keto-friendly recipes to consider trying:
Chocolate Hazelnut Granola
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
– 1 1⁄2 cups almond flour
– 1⁄4 cup cocoa powder
– 1⁄4 cup erythritol or Swerve
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1⁄2 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a bowl, mix together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, and salt.
3. Add melted coconut oil and vanilla and mix until crumbly dough forms.
4. Spread onto baking sheet and bake 20 minutes.
5. Let cool completely then mix in hazelnuts.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 250, Fat: 24g, Carbs: 9g net carbs, Protein: 8g
Pumpkin Spice Flax Granola
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
– 1 cup flax meal
– 1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree
– 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
– 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
– 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon
– 1/8 tsp nutmeg
– 1⁄4 cup erythritol
– 1⁄2 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a bowl, mix together flax meal, pumpkin, coconut oil, spices, and sweetener until combined.
3. Spread onto sheet and bake 25 minutes, stirring once.
4. Remove from oven and stir in walnuts. Cool completely before serving.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 117, Fat: 10g, Carbs: 4g net carbs, Protein: 3g
Sunflower Seed Granola
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients:
– 2 cups sunflower seeds
– 1⁄4 cup sunflower seed butter
– 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
– 1⁄4 tsp nutmeg
– 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 tbsp powdered monk fruit/erythritol blend
– 1⁄4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a food processor, pulse sunflower seeds into a coarse flour.
3. Add seed butter, spices, vanilla, and sweetener. Pulse again until combined.
4. Spread onto baking sheet and bake 8 minutes until lightly browned.
5. Let cool then mix in shredded coconut.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 180, Fat: 17g, Carbs: 4g net carbs, Protein: 5g
Conclusion
Traditional granola made with oats, dried fruit, and added sugars does not fit into a ketogenic diet plan due to its high carb content. However, with some simple ingredient swaps like using low-carb nut flours instead of oats and limiting sweeteners, it’s possible to create modified versions of granola appropriate for keto.
Research on low-carb granolas is still emerging, but initial studies suggest they can offer benefits like improved weight loss, blood sugar management, and heart health markers compared to traditional oat-based cereal.
There are also potential downsides to keep in mind, so it’s important to carefully watch portions of keto granola and balance it within your daily carb intake. Focus on recipes with 10g net carbs or less per serving.
When consumed strategically alongside other nutrient-dense keto foods, modified low-carb or “keto” granola can add flavorful crunch and variety to the diet for some granola lovers. Given the limited research, it’s best to listen to your body’s responses and adjust as needed to determine if it can be part of a successful keto regimen for you.