Friday, July 06, 2018

gr8nola

Yes, most granola is not exactly healthy, even though its easy to think it is.  Grains, nuts, fruits, its good for you right?  Uh-huh.  Look at the nutrition stats and serving sizes, and realized that your "health food" isn't exactly that.

There are a slew of companies trying to make healthier granola though, less sugar added, not loaded with oils, non-GMO, etc.  gr8nola is one of those companies.
"We're redefining granola for the modern, health-conscious consumer. Discover the gr8ness inside every bite!"
gr8nola uses whole grain oats, extra virgin coconut oil, and other goodies like flaxseed (fiber! omega-3s!), sunflower seeds (vitamin E!), coconut (unsweetened of course, for iron and fiber!), turmeric (anti-inflammatory!), etc, etc.  All good things, but, I'm kinda more about taste than uber focused on nutrition.

I didn't actually know this, but gr8nola launched into success back in 2014, when invited to the Google microkitchen fair (where employees trial products and vote on what to have in our little micro kitchens).  I'm not sure if I attended that year, or if I tried the granola, but, it won, and has been featured in some of our campus since (not the one I work in though).  Yadda, yadda, scaled up production, now at lots of Bay Area campus, etc, etc.
Individual Portion.
But none of that is how I discovered gr8nola.  I recently won a contest (!) and little bags of gr8nola were part of my winnings.

I do sometimes get really, really hooked on granola (like the kind they have at the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, I'm seriously obsessed!), so I was eager to try it out.

The granola now comes in 4 varieties: origina, "coco cacao", golden turmeric, and matcha green tea, I was provided with only the original.  I appreciated the portion controlled, re-sealable packaging.

All varieties lack clusters.  I know this is a style thing, but since I like to use granola as a finger snack food, I like having clusters.  This style was more suited for sprinkling on top of yogurt.
The Original.
"Our signature flavor. Whole grain oats, heart-healthy almonds, ground flaxseed and delectable honey for the perfect touch of sweetness. Whether eaten with milk, on top of yogurt, smoothies or straight out of the bag, gr8nola is a smart, simple way to add crunch, flavor, fiber and nutrition to your diet."

I didn't find this very munchable from the bag.  First, as I said, no clusters, but also, it just was very ... homogeneous.  No large chunks of nuts, seeds, or fruits to go for.

The flavor wasn't plain however, it was heavily cinnamon spiced.  A bit much, really.  I'm personally not a fan of sunflower nor flax seeds, which were also in the mix.

But the dominant flavor?  Stevia.  It tasted artificially sweetened.  I know the goal is low sugar, and I use artificial sweetener myself, but, this was too much.

I tried with milk, and it was better, but I think it would be best suited for a topping on a fruit crumble, where the cinnamon would be a more natural element.  Even then though, you need to want the Stevia taste.

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