If you are trekking and walking on a trail for 4 hours a day than granola is an incredible source of energy. However, for the average person or normie, there is a really good chance that if you are exercising at all it probably isn't as intense as walking all day to your next campsite. In fact, for most of the world if we get even 30 minutes of exercise a day that is probably higher than the norm yet people gobble up granola like they have a marathon planned for later because it's healthy right?
Unfortunately, you may as well be eating pizza for breakfast.
Think about how much of this stuff you would put into a bowl for breakfast... a cup would be a reasonable size right? For some people it might not be enough. Well i got some bad news for ya out there who might be misinformed about this stuff but if you compare it to the other cereals on the aisle that you would definitely not consider healthy like Cocoa Puffs or Lucky Charms.... It actually has a lot MORE calories than these other ones.
In fact, a mere cup of many popular granola brands contain more than 500 calories a cup an when you consider that the idea for anyone losing weight that the entire idea is to create a calorie deficit, this is a terrible way to start a day.
If someone told you that you'd be better off having fast food burgers for breakfast rather than your "healthy" granola you'd think they were insane but in this particular instance, they are correct! Burgers of course would have more sodium and fat but if we are talking from a purely caloric standpoint, which is the way you need to be thinking if you are trying to lose weight, granola is actually one of the worst things that you can possibly eat for breakfast or any other meal.
Things get even worse when you consider that some of the major brands of granola, IE, the cheaper ones, use processed oils and sweeten the pot by adding dried fruits and even chocolate chips, and you have a cleverly marketed product that is doing the opposite that you actually need if you are dieting to lose weight.
If you are extremely active, which you probably aren't if you need to lose weight, then this is far more calories, carbs, and worst, sugar, than you should have in the morning.
I don't know exactly how the granola craze started but it was probably marketing showing really fit people curbing their appetite with a "healthy snack" that is actually chock-a-block with calories. Always remember to check the packaging because there are a ton of products out there that people have been taught over the years are healthy, when the opposite is actually the case.
While my main vice was always booze, I too have been duped by advertisers with their bogus products and claims. I have lost 50 lbs in my 40's and have kept it off just by learning a little bit. I'm no expert but if it is working for me, I truly believe it can work for others
