Bestsellers for Granola & Muesli
Granola is rolled oats baked with sweeteners, oil, nuts and fruit into crunchy clusters, muesli is an unbaked loose mix of grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, and flake cereal is cooked grain pressed thin and toasted. Here is what we carry on our shelves by type and how to compare Nutrition Facts labels.
Because these cereals are processed differently, they vary in texture, how they absorb milk, and how much food fits in a cup.
Granola vs Muesli vs Corn Flakes: The Short Answer
Comparing a 1-cup bowl of each cereal shows what label servings hide. One cup of our Open Nature Nut Honey Granola has 480 calories and 22 g added sugars, while 1 cup of Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli has 560 calories and 0 g added sugars. One cup of our Signature SELECT Corn Flakes has 100 calories and 2 g added sugars, meaning a cup of granola delivers nearly five times the calories and eleven times the added sugar of corn flakes.
Pick corn flakes when you want a light, crisp bowl with a larger portion. Choose an unsweetened muesli such as Bob's Red Mill for whole grains, nuts and dried fruit with no added sugar. Use granola as a crunchy yogurt topping or pour a smaller half-cup serving with milk.
The Granola on Our Shelves
In our granola aisle, we stock our own brands and national favorites, from honey-baked oat clusters to no-added-sugar, protein, gluten-free, grain-free and keto options.
Our Own Brands: Open Nature and O Organics
We make several everyday granolas under our own Open Nature and O Organics brands. Pick up our Open Nature Nut Honey Granola or Open Nature Maple Pecan Granola for crunchy oat and nut clusters, or try our O Organics Oats & Honey Granola made with organic rolled oats and crisp brown rice.
Ingredients Whole Rolled Oats, Cane Sugar, Whole Rolled Wheat, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Coconut, Honey, Almonds, Molasses, Natural Flavor, Salt, Herb Blend (Sugar, Cardamom, Fennel Seed, Fenugreek, Nutmeg).
Ingredients Whole Rolled Oats, Cane Sugar, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Rice Flour, Maple Syrup, Cornstarch, Pecans, Honey, Salt, Barley, Malt Syrup, Natural Flavor.
Ingredients Whole Rolled Oats, Cane Sugar, Dried Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Glycerin, Sunflower Oil), Rice Flour, Whole Oat Flour, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Pecans, Molasses, Almonds, Honey, Natural Flavor, Salt, Barley Malt Syrup.
Ingredients Whole Rolled Oats, Cane Sugar, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Rice Flour, Cornstarch, Flaxseed, Honey, Freeze Dried Blueberries, Salt, Natural Flavor, Barley Malt Syrup.
Ingredients Whole Rolled Oats, Cane Sugar, Rice Flour, Whole Oat Flour, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Chocolate Chips (Cane Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter), Hazelnuts, Honey, Salt, Natural Flavor, Barley Malt Syrup.
Ingredients Organic Whole Rolled Oats, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Crisp Brown Rice (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Salt), Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Molasses, Organic Whole Oat Flour, Organic Honey, Organic Natural Flavor, Salt, Organic Vanilla Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E to Maintain Freshness).
Ingredients Organic Whole Rolled Oats, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Whole Grain Blend (Organic Amaranth, Organic Barley, Organic Quinoa), Organic Oat Syrup Solids, Organic Quinoa Flakes, Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Molasses, Organic Natural Flavor, Salt, Organic Cinnamon Bark, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E to Maintain Freshness).
Granola and Muesli With No Added Sugar
If you are skipping added sweeteners, Cascadian Farm Organic No Added Sugar Coconut Cashew Granola offers baked clusters with no added sugar. For an unbaked bowl, we carry Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli and Alpen Swiss Style Muesli No Sugar Added.
Ingredients Whole Grain Oats*, Date Powder*, Crisp Rice*, Dried Coconut*, Sunflower Oil*, Coconut Oil*, Cashews*, Rice Flour*, Natural Flavor*, Sea Salt, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness. * Organic.
Ingredients Whole Grain Wheat, Dates, Sunflower Seeds, Raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil), Whole Grain Rye, Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Triticale (Wheat), Almonds, Flaxseed and Walnuts.
Ingredients Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Wheat, Raisins (coated with expeller pressed sunflower oil), Almonds, Hazelnuts
Higher-Protein Granola
For protein at breakfast, try our own Open Nature Protein Vanilla Almond Granola. We also carry KIND Healthy Grains Peanut Butter 10g Protein Granola and Nature Valley Protein Oats N Honey Granola.
Ingredients Whole Rolled Oats, Cane Sugar, Pea Protein Crisps (Pea Protein Isolate, Pea Starch, Rice Flour), Wheat Gluten, Almonds, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Brown Rice Syrup, Pumpkin Seeds, Garbanzo Bean Flour, Rice Protein, Rice Flour, Navy Bean Flour, Whole Oat Flour, Natural Flavor, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E to Maintain Freshness).
Ingredients Oats, Cane Sugar, Peanut Butter (Peanuts, Sea Salt), Soy Protein Isolate, Brown Rice, Tapioca Syrup, Peanut Oil, Peanuts, Buckwheat, Millet, Amaranth, Peanut Flour, Quinoa, Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt, Vitamin E (Tocopherols to Maintain Freshness).
Ingredients Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Soy Protein Isolate, Canola and/or Sunflower Oil, Honey, Molasses, Rice Starch, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda, Salt, Natural Flavor, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.
Ingredients Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Canola Oil, Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, and Less than 2% of Almonds, Molasses, Natural Flavors, Salt, Sunflower Oil, and Mixed Tocopherols (to Preserve Freshness).
Ingredients Whole Grain Oats, Almonds, Brown Sugar, Brown Rice Syrup, Crisp Rice (Rice Flour, Cane Sugar, Salt), Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Whole Oat Flour, Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Vanilla Bean Extract, Rosemary Extract For Freshness.
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free and Keto Granola
When you need gluten-free clusters, look for Nature's Path Organic Gluten Free Honey Almond Granola and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Maple Sea Salt Homestyle Granola. For a grain-free keto option, we stock Purely Elizabeth Vanilla Almond Butter Grain Free Keto Granola.
Ingredients Gluten free whole grain rolled oats*, cane sugar*, sunflower* and/or soy* oil, roasted almonds*, clover honey*, honey flavor*, rice starch*, sea salt, chia seeds*, tocopherols (added to enhance freshness). *Organic.
Ingredients Whole Grain Oats, Maple Syrup, Coconut, Coconut Oil, Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (Antioxidant).
Ingredients Whole Grain Oats, Brown Sugar, Almonds, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Honey, Dried Cranberries (Cranberries, Cane Sugar, Vegetable Glycerin), Raisins (Raisins, Vegetable Glycerin), Brown Rice Syrup, Whole Oat Flour, Coconut, Pecans, Walnuts, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Sea Salt, Baking Soda, Rosemary Extract For Freshness.
Ingredients Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Cashews, Organic Coconut Sugar, Almonds, Organic Coconut Flakes, Almond Butter, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Cinnamon, Sea Salt, Vanilla Extract.
Ingredients Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Coconut, Erythritol, Almonds, Pecans, Butter (Pasteurized Cream, Natural Flavor), Natural Flavors, Salt, Monkfruit Extract.
What Granola Is Made Of
To make granola, rolled oats are mixed with sweeteners, dried fruit, nuts and oil, spread onto a pan, baked and broken into chunks. While the differences among steel-cut, rolled and instant oats come from how much the oat groat is cut, steamed or flattened, rolled oats give granola its flat base. When oats and nuts are tossed with liquid sweeteners and oil, every flake gets coated. As the pan bakes and cools, the sugars concentrate and harden into a glaze that binds the oats, seeds and nuts into crunchy clusters.
The ingredient list on our Open Nature Nut Honey Granola starts with whole rolled oats, cane sugar, whole rolled wheat and expeller pressed canola oil. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so seeing cane sugar and canola oil in the first four spots tells you the glaze is a big part of the recipe.
Our O Organics Oats & Honey Granola starts with organic whole rolled oats, organic cane sugar and organic crisp brown rice, and later lists canola oil, molasses and honey. The puffed rice adds lightness to the clusters, while the sugars and honey form the coating. A ⅔-cup serving has 290 calories, 5 g fiber, 12 g total sugars and 11 g added sugars, meaning only 1 gram of sugar occurs naturally in the oats and brown rice.
What Muesli Is and How to Eat It
Muesli is an unbaked, loose mixture of grains, dried fruit, nuts and seeds with no sugar glaze holding it in clusters. Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli blends whole grain wheat, rolled oats, raisins, almonds and walnuts with dates, sunflower seeds, whole grain rye, barley, whole grain triticale and flaxseed, without sugar, honey, syrup or oil. Its sweetness comes from raisins and dates, and its fats come from the seeds, nuts and grains. We also carry Bob's Red Mill Fruit & Seed Muesli and Alpen Swiss Style Muesli No Sugar Added.
Ingredients Whole Grain Wheat, Dates, Sunflower Seeds, Raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil), Whole Grain Rye, Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Triticale (Wheat), Almonds, Flaxseed and Walnuts.
Ingredients Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Rye, Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Triticale, Sliced Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil), Sorghum, Pumpkin Seeds, Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Blueberries, Red Tart Cherries (Cherries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Coconut Flakes, Hemp Seed, Flaxseed Meal.
Ingredients Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Wheat, Raisins (coated with expeller pressed sunflower oil), Almonds, Hazelnuts
Muesli is safe to eat raw because commercial rolled oats are steamed before they are flattened. Steaming inactivates the natural enzymes in whole oats that would otherwise break down fats and turn the oat oils rancid.
Pour cold milk over muesli and eat it immediately for chewy grains and crisp nuts, or mix ¼ cup muesli with ½ cup yogurt, milk or fruit juice for 5 to 10 minutes to soften. You can also soak it overnight with yogurt and grated apple so dense grains like rye, barley and triticale hydrate into a creamy bowl.
Keep soaked muesli refrigerated overnight, as North Carolina Cooperative Extension notes that room-temperature liquid lets Bacillus cereus bacteria on grains multiply and make toxins that cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains. For a hot bowl, cook muesli like oatmeal with water on the stove or water or milk in the microwave.
Flake Cereals, From Corn Flakes to Bran Flakes
Flake cereals are made from cooked grain pressed thin between rollers and toasted. Because thin toasted flakes trap plenty of air in a cup, a serving fills much more of your bowl.
Our own Signature SELECT Corn Flakes lists milled corn, sugar, salt and molasses as its first four ingredients and gives you a 1½-cup serving. We also carry our Signature SELECT Bran Flakes and Nature's Path Organic Heritage Flakes, which blends wheat, oats, spelt, barley, millet and quinoa into a sturdy flake that stays crisp in milk.
Ingredients Milled Corn, Sugar, Salt, Molasses. Vitamins and Minerals: Reduced Iron, Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Zinc Oxide, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12.
Ingredients Milled Corn, Sugar, Malt Flavor, Contains 2% Or Less Of Salt. Vitamins And Minerals: Iron (Ferric Phosphate), Niacinamide, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Hydrochloride), Folic Acid, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12.
Ingredients Whole Grain Wheat, Wheat Bran, Sugar, Brown Sugar Syrup, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Salt, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Barley Malt Extract, Iron (Ferric Orthophosphate), Vitamin E (Acetate), Pantothenic Acid, Niacinamide, Zinc (Zinc Oxide), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Mononitrate), Vitamin A (Palmitate), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin), Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol).
Ingredients Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Unique Sorghum Blend: (Hi-Tannin Sorghum Bran, Whole Grain Onyx Sorghum), Wheat Bran, Salt, Malt Extract, Vitamin & Minerals: Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid), Calcium (Calcium Carbonate), Iron & Zinc (Mineral Nutrients), Vitamin A (Palmitate), Vitamin E (Acetate), Niacinamide, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Mononitrate), Folic Acid, Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin).
Ingredients Khorasan wheat flour*, wheat bran*, whole wheat meal*, cane sugar*, whole oat flour*, spelt flour*, barley flour*, whole millet*, barley malt extract*, quinoa*, sea salt, honey*. *Organic.
Ingredients Whole Grain Wheat, Rice, Sugar, Freeze-Dried Strawberries, Wheat Bran, Contains 2% Or Less Of Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Malt Flavor. Vitamins And Minerals: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Reduced Iron, Vitamin E Acetate, Niacinamide, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Folic Acid, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12.
If you want flakes and granola in one bowl, try our Signature SELECT Raisin Bran with Crunchy Granola or our Signature SELECT Oats & More with Almonds.
Ingredients Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Rice, Raisins, Wheat Bran, Corn Syrup, Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Glycerin, Salt, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Barley Malt Extract, Rice Syrup, Molasses, Honey, Cinnamon, Vitamins and Minerals: Reduced Iron, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Zinc Oxide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid.
Ingredients Degermed Yellow Corn, Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Almonds, Rice, Canola and/or Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup, Salt, Molasses, Barley Malt Extract, Cinnamon, Honey, Caramel Color, Natural Flavor. Vitamins and Minerals: Ferric Orthophosphate (Source of Iron), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Zinc Oxide, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid.
Read the Serving Size Before Comparing Labels
The six labels in our table use servings from ¼ cup to 1½ cups, so check the serving line before comparing calories, fiber or sugars. Seeing 140 calories on one box and 150 calories on another looks similar until you notice the 140-calorie muesli is ¼ cup and the 150-calorie corn flakes fill 1½ cups, a six-fold difference in volume. Serving sizes are set by weight, so a cup of dense granola holds far more food than a cup of light flakes.
Product | Serving | Calories | Fiber | Total sugars | Added sugars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Open Nature Granola Nut Honey | ½ cup | 240 | 4 g | 12 g | 11 g |
O Organics Granola Oats & Honey Flavored | ⅔ cup | 290 | 5 g | 12 g | 11 g |
Open Nature Maple Pecan Granola | ⅔ cup | 270 | 4 g | 15 g | 15 g |
Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli | ¼ cup | 140 | 4 g | 5 g | 0 g |
Nature's Path Heritage Flakes | 1 cup | 160 | 7 g | 5 g | 5 g |
Signature SELECT Corn Flakes | 1½ cups | 150 | 1 g | 3 g | 3 g |
Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli is the only cereal in our table with 0 g added sugars, though its ¼-cup serving is also the smallest by volume. By contrast, our Open Nature Maple Pecan Granola lists 15 g total sugars and 15 g added sugars for ⅔ cup. Total sugars include natural fruit sugars from raisins and dates, while the indented added sugars line counts sweeteners put in during processing, such as cane sugar, honey, molasses and syrups. The FDA Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams based on a 2,000-calorie diet, so 15 grams of added sugars in our Maple Pecan Granola equal 30 percent of the Daily Value, while the muesli has 0 percent.
Measuring out a full 1-cup bowl of each cereal shows how these numbers shift. Pouring 1 cup of Bob's Red Mill muesli quadruples its ¼-cup serving to 560 calories, 16 g fiber, 20 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars. Pouring 1 cup of our Open Nature Nut Honey Granola doubles its ½-cup serving to 480 calories, 8 g fiber, 24 g total sugars and 22 g added sugars, or 44 percent of the Daily Value. Meanwhile, 1 cup of Nature's Path Heritage Flakes matches its label at 160 calories, 7 g fiber, 5 g total sugars and 5 g added sugars, or 10 percent of the Daily Value, and 1 cup of our Signature SELECT Corn Flakes drops from its 1½-cup label to 100 calories and 2 g added sugars, or 4 percent of the Daily Value.
Common Questions About Granola and Muesli
What is the difference between granola and muesli?
Granola is made by coating rolled oats, nuts and fruit with oil and sweeteners and baking them into crunchy clusters. Muesli is an unbaked, loose mix of rolled grains, dried fruit, nuts and seeds with no glaze.
Can you eat muesli without cooking it?
Yes, commercial rolled oats are steamed and flattened during processing, which inactivates enzymes and makes muesli safe to eat raw. Eat it cold with milk, soak ¼ cup muesli in ½ cup milk, yogurt or juice for 5 to 10 minutes, or refrigerate it overnight with yogurt and grated apple.
Is granola a cereal?
Yes, granola is a ready-to-eat cereal. It sits in our cereal aisle, in the granola and muesli section.
How much granola is a serving?
Check the Nutrition Facts panel on the package, as the granolas we compare here list either ½ cup or ⅔ cup per serving. Because baked clusters with nuts and fruit are heavy, a serving fills less of a cup than airy flakes.
What is the difference between granola and oatmeal?
Both can start with rolled oats, but granola is baked with oil and sweeteners into crisp clusters. Oatmeal is made by cooking rolled, steel-cut or instant oats in water or milk on the stove or in the microwave for a warm, soft bowl.
How should opened granola and muesli be stored?
The USDA FoodKeeper lists opened ready-to-eat cereal at about 2 to 3 months in the pantry for best quality. Clemson University Cooperative Extension recommends storing opened cereal in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry to keep out moisture, dust and insects and protect the oils in the oats and nuts.
Why do flake cereals have bigger cup servings?
Nutrition Facts serving sizes are set by weight rather than volume. Because airy flakes weigh much less per cup than dense granola or muesli, the same weight fills much more of a cup.
What food group is granola?
Granola is mostly rolled oats, so it counts in the grains group on USDA MyPlate. Its nuts and seeds belong to the protein foods group.
Can muesli upset your stomach?
Muesli is high in fiber, and going from a low-fiber breakfast to a full bowl at once can cause gas or bloating, so start with a smaller serving and drink water. Soaked muesli left out of the fridge can grow Bacillus cereus bacteria that cause vomiting and diarrhea, so keep it refrigerated.
Is muesli healthier than granola?
Compare labels: the Bob's Red Mill muesli in our table has 0 g added sugars and is unbaked with no oil coating, while the granolas have 11 to 15 g added sugars per serving. Both are dense, so portion matters.
Where are granola bars covered?
See our granola, cereal, breakfast and protein bars guide to compare boxed bars.