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We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – particularly when you’re trying to lose weight. Eating a healthy breakfast can increase your metabolism and help regulate your appetite throughout the day, but the wrong foods may have an opposite effect. And there is one breakfast food that we used to think was healthy, but in reality it might be ruining your metabolism.
We’re talking about granola. Yes, that’s right - granola is not actually good for you. We were surprised to hear this too, especially because many healthy-seeming breakfasts, like parfaits and grain bowls, are based with granola.
But the truth is that granola may be very bad for your health, because most of it comes with high amounts of calories, fat and sugar. This can actually lead to a blood sugar spike and make you feel hungrier than you actually are. Because of this, granola can slow down your metabolism and cause weight gain.
“Most [granola options] have too much sugar and very little fiber. A healthy breakfast cereal should be the exact opposite,” nutritionist Keri Gans, RD explained to Real Simple.
Granola on its own is not actually bad for you. If you buy granola on its own, made from 100% whole grains, and mix it with other non-sugary ingredients yourself, it can be very nutritious.