Cereals and grains

Granola, oats and Japanese mixed grains. Added sugar and fat change the picture completely.

What to look at

Granola is baked with oil and sweetener, so two products under the same name can be nutritionally very different. Oatmeal and muesli are less processed and closer to the raw grain.

Zakkoku — Japanese mixed grains such as millet and barley — add fibre and minerals simply by cooking them with rice, which makes them an easy option inside a Japanese diet.

What to check

Sugar and fat per serving
Oat cut: rolled, steel-cut or instant
Gluten-free labelling — oats are often processed alongside wheat
Whether dried fruit is sugar- or oil-coated