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How Do I Choose the Best Sugar-Free Granola?
Breakfast items on a sugar-free or low carbohydrate diet may seem a little restricting when an individual finds that he or she can no longer eat pancakes, cereal, or granola. The health food industry, however, has come a long way in providing these foods with no sugar, sweetened only with sugar substitutes. A popular breakfast item, granola, can purchased as sugar-free and can be safely consumed by most people on a sugar-free diet. A sugar-free granola should be low in digestible carbohydrates and should be made from certain ingredients that will not raise blood sugar significantly. To choose the best sugar-free granola, start by checking the ingredient list.
When choosing a sugar-free granola, it is always a good idea to get a quick view of both the nutrition panel as well as the ingredient list. These two pieces of information will help you decide which granola will not contribute to an quick rise in blood sugar levels. The first item in the ingredient list that you should look out for is the sweetener used in the sugar-free granola. If there is an ingredient such as evaporated cane juice or maltodextrin, you may want to avoid the granola because these are both sweeteners that will raise blood sugar levels in the body.
You may want to avoid sugar-free granola that is particularly high in carbohydrates and low in fiber, as this will stimulate a fast release of blood glucose. Finding a granola that is high in fiber may be helpful, as fiber can help slow down the release of glucose in the body after the breakdown of carbs. Choosing a sugar-free granola that contains a higher proportion of nuts and seeds, compared to grains which are high in carbohydrates, is also a good choice. Nuts and seeds and naturally lower in carbohydrates.
Many low carb breakfast foods are made with a naturally low carbohydrate flour, like soy flour. Choosing a granola made with soy flour or nut meals is a good choice since they will not raise blood sugar levels as quickly as wheat products. If an individual is seeking a more natural sugar-free granola, finding a cereal that uses a natural sugar substitute might be wise over chemical alternatives. Making homemade granola can be helpful as well, if you have access to low carbohydrate flours and natural sugar substitutes; this option will take more time than purchasing a ready to eat cereal, however.
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![Flax seeds, which can be added to granola, are tiny powerhouses of nutrition and contain no sugar.]()
By: VidadyFlax seeds, which can be added to granola, are tiny powerhouses of nutrition and contain no sugar. -
![Sugar-free granola is available for purchase for those people who are on a low-sugar diet.]()
By: nitoSugar-free granola is available for purchase for those people who are on a low-sugar diet. -
![Soy flour doesn't raise blood sugar levels as quickly as wheat flour.]()
By: Monkey BusinessSoy flour doesn't raise blood sugar levels as quickly as wheat flour. -
![People who eat a high-sugar diet greatly increase their chances of developing type 2 diabetes.]()
By: librakvPeople who eat a high-sugar diet greatly increase their chances of developing type 2 diabetes. -
![Nuts can be added to sugar-free granola to increase its protein content.]()
By: JJAVANuts can be added to sugar-free granola to increase its protein content. -
![Eating foods that are sugar-free, like sugar-free granola, is essential to a diabetic's health.]()
By: zothenEating foods that are sugar-free, like sugar-free granola, is essential to a diabetic's health.
Discussion Comments
I don't eat a lot of granola, but I found when I decided to cut back on sugar in my porridge, that I don't miss it all that much after all.
I even stopped using milk for a while. I might add some dried fruit or a banana, but sometimes I would eat plain, cooked oatmeal. It didn't taste all that bad!
Now I sometimes use low GI cane sugar or honey, but just as often I still eat it without sweetener.
It's surprising how little you need the ingredients you think are absolutely necessary. Sugar free cereal is just one example.
If you want to make sure the granola or anything else is not going to raise your blood sugar too much, you should look on a database for low GI foods.
Most of the common brands have been tested for GI levels by now, and many of them will actually put it on the box if the product is low GI.
A low GI diet is one of the healthiest diets, even for people who aren't having blood sugar problems.
If you are allergic to sugar or not eating it for some other reason, though, you should still make sure it is not listed in the ingredients as low GI does not guarantee a sugar free recipe.
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