You have regularly eaten granola for your diet, how come you have gained weight instead? & bull; hello healthy

Having the ideal weight is the dream of many people. In addition to supporting appearance, ideal body weight can also reduce your risk of experiencing various diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. To achieve this, many people try to lose weight and change their lifestyle to be healthier. Eating healthy foods has also become a trend lately, one of which is granola. In fact, some people think that eating granola can help him lose weight. Is it true?

Nutritional content in granola

Granola is a processed food consisting of a mixture of oats, seeds (such as sesame seeds), nuts (such as almonds and cashews), dried fruit (such as raisins), honey, and other ingredients. These ingredients are mixed together and you get granola with a delicious taste. Not infrequently, granola is eaten by mixing it with yogurt. Definitely a very delicious breakfast menu!

Judging from the composition of these healthy ingredients, it seems that granola can be a healthy breakfast alternative. Oats themselves are a source of carbohydrates that are high in fiber. Meanwhile, nuts contain protein and healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids. Honey as a sweetener also contains carbohydrates that are healthy for you.

It's no wonder that lately there have been many granola products on the market claiming to be healthy products. This also makes many people interested in buying it and eating it in the hope that it can help you lose weight. But, does it really help?

Eating granola can help you lose weight, but …

In fact, granola is one of the healthiest foods and might help you lose weight. However, this will all depend on what kind of product you choose and how you consume it.

Most granola products are packaged in a ready-to-eat form, such as cereal, snack bar, chips, or bulk. It aims to make it easier for you to eat it all the time - at breakfast, dinner, or as a distraction. Rarely do people process the granola they eat themselves.

As for the nutritional value information that is usually contained in granola packaging, you may never have heard of it. All you know is that granola is healthy, but you don't know what other ingredients are in it and how many calories from the granola you eat.

When compared to oats, pure granola basically still has higher calories. About 50 grams of cooked oat pulp contains 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 1 gram of sugar. Meanwhile, about 50 grams of cooked granola contains 200 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 13 grams of sugar or more depending on the ingredients that make up the granola. The more sweeteners you add to granola, the more calories it will contain.

What's more, granola is generally marketed as a "healthy snack" to delay hunger. But without realizing it, consumption of granola that is too much (and often) will contribute to excess calories in your body. As a result, eating too much granola can actually make you gain even more weight.

Tips for using granola for weight loss

If you still want to eat granola because it tastes delicious and you want to lose weight at the same time, you should follow these tips:

Before buying granola products, you should look at the nutritional content listed on the packaging, as suggested by Milton Stokes, RD, MPH, as reported by WebMD. Read and understand the nutritional value information carefully. Choose granola products that contain fewer calories, fat, and sugar.
If you want to be healthier, you can make granola yourself at home. It's easy: Mix the oats, nuts, and honey according to your taste. Then bake until golden brown. That way, you can better adjust the granola content you want.
Don't eat too much granola. It's best to avoid consuming granola bars or granola chips as a snack. Maybe this doesn't keep you full longer and just adds calories to your body. You can eat granola as breakfast, however breakfast can help you lose weight. However, instead of eating granola cereal with milk, you better add a little granola to yogurt for breakfast. This could be your way of cutting calories from the granola you eat.
Don't forget, balance it with the consumption of other healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruits, at lunch and dinner. Also, exercise regularly.