You might be wondering: If granola is supposed to be so good for you, then why does it have so much sugar?
Why Does Granola Have So Much Added Sugar?
To put it simply: Food companies (both big and small ones) add sugars and sweeteners to foods because they don't think you'll buy them otherwise.
This is disheartening, especially when 75% of adults are trying to limit or avoid sugars altogether in their diets. But anyone who has tried to reduce their sugar intake knows it's not so easy. Our taste buds have been trained to recognize sweetness as an enjoyable and safe trait in foods. The trouble is: The more sugar we eat, the more sugar we want. So food makers just keep adding them, which is why 3 out of every 4 products you can buy contain sugar or alternative sweeteners - or both.
Sadly, our demand for ever sweeter foods, coupled with food manufacturers increasingly providing them to us, has resulted in a nearly 30% increase in added sugar consumption by American adults in the last three decades.
The Impact of High Sugar Consumption on Health
The reasons so many people are trying to cut out sugar are many, including
- better management of blood sugars
- losing weight
- improving dental health
- reducing chronic inflammation
The Downside of Low-Calorie Sweeteners
One response to the desire for lower-sugar foods has been a flood of food producers employing artificial and natural low-calorie sweeteners, such as sucralose, aspartame, sugar alcohols like erythritol, and even more natural options like stevia and monk fruit.
While these products do result in a sweet-tasting product that contains fewer calories and grams of sugar, the health risks of regularly consuming low-calorie sweeteners is alarming and also has not proven to equate to a weight-loss benefit or a blood sugar benefit (in fact, the opposite is proving to be true).
Additionally, many people balk at the taste (or aftertaste) of these intensely sweet alternatives.
Finding Truly Healthy Granola Options
So by now you're probably wondering: Is granola good for you and is granola healthy? Well, granola definitely has a health aura to it, which is why many people are surprised to learn just how much sugar is in many of the mainstream and "natural" granola brands you can buy. Even granola brands that boast "no added sugar" on the label almost always still contain some form of artificial or natural sweeteners added in.
When selecting a granola for your breakfast, snacks, and using in recipes, you do have many choices. But you don't have many choices when it comes to granolas that don't contain added sugars or sweeteners of any kind and still taste great ... until now.
Does granola have added sugar? The answer is: Yes, most do. But Struesli granoa is in a category of it's own, with no added sugars or sweeteners of any kind. Here's a look at the carb, fiber, total sugars, added sugars, and sweeteners used in many mainstream and better-for-you natural granolas.
all numbers are reflective of a 1/4-cup serving size
Introducing Struesli: A Sugar-Free Granola Alternative
Struesli is Granola Redefined. It is an organic, grain-free, sweetener-free, sugar-free granola alternative that is light, crispy, and delicious. It's granola, but also so much more. It can be used in a variety of ways, including both sweet and savory uses and recipes. Since it is a granola with no added sugar it can be a granola for diabetics, people on a low-carb diet, or just anyone who wants sugar-free granola that doesn't have other sweeteners added.
The Natural Sweetness of Tiger Nuts in Struesli
One of the reasons Struesli granola still tastes so good and even has a little bit of natural sweetness to it is because of the thinly sliced tiger nuts. These fiber-rich root vegetables look a lot like chickpeas and taste a little like almonds. They have a subtle and pleasant natural sweetness to them, which makes Struesli so delicious to eat without containing any of the added sugars and sweeteners that so many people are trying to avoid. The numbers don't lie: When it comes to your health, Struesli can't be beat!
Benefits of Choosing Struesli for Your Health
The beautiful thing about Struesli is that it tastes great but it's also so good for you!
- It has no added sugar or sweeteners. Not only are you finally able to get granola that isn't loaded with sugars you don't want, but it also benefits your health. Without all those added sugar, Struesli is a very low-glycemic, low-carb food that doesn't spike blood sugar and doesn't make inflammation worse in the same way that traditional granola does.
- It contains plenty of fiber. Every 1/4-cup serving of Struesli provides 5 grams and fiber, which is so important since research shows that most people get less than half of what they need. Getting enough fiber is essential to heart health, digestive health, and maintaining a healthy weight.
- It has good-for-you fats. Many of the plant-based foods that make up Struesli contribute some dietary fats. And because of the smart and delicious combinations of nuts, seeds, and coconut, what you’re getting is the ideal amounts and ratios of fats that can improve health. These help your body absorb certain vitamins, support the growth of your cells, transport hormones, provide energy, and even improve mental and physical performance.
Written by Jessie Shafer, RD
Updated January 7, 2025
