How to Make Lean Granola

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Granola is an excellent snack to bring on all outdoor adventures. It is high in protein and fiber, and can give you a much-needed boost of energy. Many granola recipes, however, are high in fat. There are ways to modify these recipes to make a lean granola.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1

Reduce the quantity of nuts used. While nuts are an excellent source of protein, they are also high in fat. Try halving the amount of nuts called for in the recipe. Many recipes call for a cup or more of nuts, and this can be reduced to a half cup without compromising taste.

Step 2

Replace sunflower seeds with pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are lower in fat than sunflower seeds. For the best results, roast your own: Carve a pumpkin and remove all seeds. Rinse under running water, and sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper. Bake on an oiled cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Stir and bake for another 10 minutes, checking to see if they're done after 5 minutes. If the seeds are not crispy, stir again, and check every 5 minutes until done.

Step 3

Add more rolled oats to take the place of the nuts that were eliminated from the recipe. Rolled oats are low in fat and high in fiber.

Step 4

Use half the amount of dry sweetener (usually brown sugar) and a bit more wet sweetener (honey or maple syrup) than called for in your recipe. This will allow you to cut down the amount of oil. Try reducing the oil by a third to save calories and fat grams. Don't add too much honey or maple syrup, as this will add empty calories to your granola.

Step 5

Add more dried fruit to your granola to replace some of the sweetener that was eliminated. Dried cranberries and raisins are typically included in granola; other options are dried apricots, apples, banana chips and pineapple rings broken into pieces.

Step 6

Carry fresh berries, bananas or other fruits to add to your granola as you eat it. This will add to the density and nutrition of your snack while not contributing to the overall fat content.

Tips & Warnings

Avoid adding coconut to your granola, as it is high in fat. Replace this with other dried fruits. You may need to experiment to find your preferred level of sweetness when reducing sugar and adding dried fruit to your granola.

Avoid adding coconut to your granola, as it is high in fat. Replace this with other dried fruits.

You may need to experiment to find your preferred level of sweetness when reducing sugar and adding dried fruit to your granola.

Resources

A Lower-Fat Granola Recipe

Article Written By Michelle Kulas

Michelle Kulas is a freelance writer specializing in SEO, Web content and blogging. She has worked as a certified nurses' assistant, a dental assistant and a dental insurance billing coordinator. Her areas of expertise include health and dental topics, parenting, homeschooling, education, homekeeping, natural family planning and decorating.

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