Granola to Feel Good About: Purely Elizabeth Granola

Granola is one of those foods that have gone through the healthy eating ringer over the past few years. Ten years ago, any kind of “granola” was healthy. Then, everyone figured out how to really read a nutrition label, did the math on the amount of calories and fat grams in an itty-bitty serving and granola got kicked to the health foodie curb. But these days, granola is back—and healthier than ever.
Thanks to granola recipes like this and Purely Elizabeth, this crunchy mix isn’t just food for hippies and/or those with incredibly high metabolisms. We tried two flavors in the Purely Elizabeth granola line: Original and Pumpkin Fig. And people, this stuff is amazing superfood! Yes, it is a little dense—meaning think more about portion size and value quality over quantity—but it has so much good stuff in it and it’s sooo flavorful. Not overly sweet at all, it really lets the natural flavors of the ingredients shine.
Made with a base of organic certified gluten-free oats, coconut palm sugar, raw virgin coconut oil, puffed amaranth, quinoa flakes and chia seeds, the Original variety has a really nice cinnamony taste and lets its sunflower seeds do the flavor talking. With a similar ingredient list, the Pumpkin Fig adds—as you might expect given the name—pumpkin seeds and dried figs. The result is a gluten-free, vegan and refined-sugar-free granola that tastes like fall. It’s amazing. It’s so tasty though that we will remind you about the portion-control thing again. Just one-third cup has 140 calories, 6 grams of healthy fab, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein. And trust us; eating only one-third of a cup is darn near impossible. A 12.5-ounce pack of granola goes for about $8, but you can also get the fun little single-serving size packages for about $3 a pouch. Not cheap, but you can taste the quality in every bite.
Are you a granola fan? Do you ever eat it? Are you loving the healthier granola options these days like we are? And do you struggle with portion control? —Jenn