Meet Struesli: The Versatile, Crispy, and Grain-Free Granola Alternative

What Is Granola?

Granola is a type of cold breakfast cereal that is typically made from baked oats or another grain, plus nuts, dried fruit, and a sweetener, such as honey. People eat it as a cereal with milk, sprinkled over yogurt, or for snacking out of hand. Because it is baked, granola is typically crunchy and held together as small clusters. 

Is granola gluten free? 

Whether or not granola contains gluten depends on the ingredients used to make it. Most simple granola is made from a base of oats and naturally gluten free, since oats are a gluten-free grain. However, many oats may be contaminated with gluten when they are processed in a mill or bakery that also uses gluten-containing ingredients. And some granolas may contain other gluten ingredients, such as wheat or barley. To know if a granola is 100% gluten free, look for a gluten-free certification on the label.  

How Struesli Is Different Than Regular Granola

Struesli is a light and crispy grain free granola made from a base of sliced and roasted tiger nuts, which are a root vegetable. This nutritious base ingredient, plus chopped walnuts, pecans, and coconut flakes, gives Struesli a unique flavor profile. It is the only granola you'll find that doesn't have any added sugars of any kind. That's right ... there's no added sugars, sweeteners, or even "natural" sweeteners like dates, maple syrup, fruit juices, or stevia. 

Because Struesli isn't like other simple granolas that are made from a base of oats, it is a naturally low carb granola that is also a wonderful source of fiber. The tiger nuts provide some subtle sweetness, kind of like the sweetness you taste in an almond. So in that way, Struesli tastes great when paired with a variety of foods. You can use this new best granola to top yogurt and smoothies, or sprinkle it over savory foods, like salads and avocado toast. 

Struesli Granola Nutrition Highlights

• A true no sugar added granola that doesn't contain brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, dates, or any other natural sweeteners. And it doesn't contain low-calorie sweeteners either, like monkfruit, stevia, or allulose, which you'll often see in other "low sugar granola" 
• Meets many special diets, including gluten free, grain free granola, dairy free, granola wheat free, vegan, egg free, Paleo, and keto
• A low carb granola that contains just 8 grams of carb per serving plus an impressive 5 grams of prebiotic fiber
• A good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, due walnuts, pecans, and three nutrient-packed seeds
• Comes in a nut free granola variety

The Taste Experience

When you taste Struesli for the first time, your eyes widen, your taste buds awaken, and your senses all try to figure out what is this curious new thing you're experiencing?! It's not sweet, but it's not totally unsweet. It's not crunchy, but it is crispy. It's not oats and grains, but it is so satisfying. 

We've seen it time and time again ... someone tries Struesli for the first time and is a bit taken back by the new and wonderful taste explosion. They try to place it ... is it granola? Is it a topping? Is it trail mix? Then, they start to digest all the possibilities of this wonderful new food. In that way, Struesli really stands in a category all its own. Though it may be most comparable to granola, it's not really granola.

What Is Granola Redefined 

While you may have tasted each of the individual ingredients inside Struesli on their own, the combination of tiger nuts, pecans, walnuts, coconut, chia, flax, and hemp hearts come together to create something that is so versatile that it can be many things as once. Struesli can be

• a nutritional topper used to boost the health of yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, soups, and salads
• a mix-in added to pancake and muffin batters, parfaits layers, and baked goods 
• a snack that can be enjoyed as a whole food right from the canister
• a condiment that can add that perfect flavor boost to avocado toast, fruit, power bowls, and smoothies

The Ultimate Pantry Clean Out

Because Struesli can be so many things, you can finally clear out your pantry of all the extra nutrition toppers that have gathered there over the years. Think about it ... you may have gotten used to pulling out all the little baggies and containers of nuts, chia, flax, hemp hearts, green powders, and more to add a boost to your yogurt and smoothies. But now a single food can replace all of that. What you get in Struesli is the healthy topper you want with the taste you crave ... plus a much cleaner pantry!

All The Things You Want In A Granola; None Of The Stuff You Don't

One of the reasons we like to refer to Struesli as Granola Redefined is because it takes all those great qualities of granola, but leaves behind the things that are less desirable. People love granola because it has a crunchy texture and delicious flavor. You still get those things from Struesli but you don't get the added sugars, processed oils, and grains that are typical in granola, which are things many people are trying to avoid. Granola has a health aura to it, and Struesli has redefined granola to finally live up to that aura. 

Written by Jessie Shafer, RD
Updated Sept 16, 2024