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Breakfast · Product label guide

Granola: compare ingredients, then choose.

Updated

Compare granola flavors, grains, oils, and sweeteners.

The short answer

Our picks for granola

Top of the shelfNature's Path Organic Smoothie Bowl Superfood Gluten-Free Granola, Nature's Path Organic Hemp Hearts Granola, and Nature's Path Organic Honey Almond Gluten-Free Granola each score 100/100. 7 products tie at 100; these 3 have the shortest labels. Use Compare by in the table to separate the rest.

Also strongTierra Farm Organic Just Granola (100), Lark Ellen Farm Vanilla Cinnamon Organic Sprouted Granola (100), and Lark Ellen Farm Berrylicious Organic Sprouted Granola (100).

Clear noGood & Gather S'mores Granola (lists seed oils and corn syrups), Great Value Maple Pecan Granola (lists seed oils and corn syrups), 365 by Whole Foods Market S'mores Granola (lists seed oils and corn syrups), plus 40 more with a listed group. We also can’t vouch for the 59 products without a verified current label; treat them as “not yet”.

Ranked from 71 of 130 products with current labels. Every product is in the table below; a score reflects labels and claims, not nutrition, allergies or safety.

Compare the recorded labels

Find the ingredients that matter to you.

130 of 130 products

“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Diet fit: Fits · Doesn’t fit · Unknown (rules; not medical advice). Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.

Compare product claims and recorded ingredients. Click a column heading to sort.
Buy
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →5
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicProduct details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
How the clean score works

No setup needed, and strict: a full 100 needs every additive group clear and a verified organic claim (animal foods also need a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim; wild seafood and salt, which have no USDA organic standard, are scored without the organic points, and plant-based milks, cheeses and proteins without the feeding claim). Points: the nine additive groups (seed oils, artificial dyes, MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, corn syrups, banned-abroad additives) share 60 points equally — not found earns a group’s full share, “may contain” earns half, listed earns 0; a verified organic claim is worth 25; a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim is worth 15 and counts only for animal foods. No claim, or an expired or unverified claim, earns nothing, so products without those claims cannot reach 100. Unverified or expired ingredient labels receive no score. Equal scores are equal. Ties are ordered by brand. Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” Producer claims and prices do not affect this score. This is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying links do not influence ingredient results. “Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Find where to buy” opens the maker’s page. Confirm the package, seller, stock, and current price before checkout. Price observations expire after 30 days.

The full guide · Breakfast

Choosing granola: what to check before you buy

Compare oat granola with similar oat recipes, and nut-and-seed granola with similar blends. Check the sweetener, cooking oil and additions such as chocolate, dried fruit or nuts that change the recipe.

Weigh up serving size as well as added sugar and fiber. A small topping portion and a full breakfast bowl are different amounts, so choose a serving that reflects how you plan to use the granola.

What the labels on this shelf show

We track 130 products from 31 brands on the granola shelf. 71 have a complete, current ingredient label on record (55%), which is what lets us score them. The other 59 stay unscored until the maker publishes a full label; a missing label is “not yet”, never a pass.

Of the 71 scored labels, 28 (39%) list none of the nine additive groups we check. The group that appears most is seed oils, listed on 42 labels, followed by corn syrups on 5. 15 scored products carry a verified organic claim, which adds points. Scores here run from 55 to 100, and the typical label lists 11 ingredients.

What to compare

Granola style
Compare oat recipes separately from nut-and-seed blends.
Portion and added sugars
Use the amount you plan to eat, not just the smallest labeled portion.
Oil and additions
Read the cooking oil, sweeteners, dried fruit and chocolate ingredients.
Fiber and protein
Compare equal serving weights on the Nutrition Facts panel.

The best picks, in detail

These are the highest-scoring granola products on current labels. 7 products tie at 100, so we put the shortest ingredient lists first; Always match the exact flavor and package before you buy.

  1. Nature's Path Organic Smoothie Bowl Superfood Gluten-Free Granola 100/100

    Why it ranks here: no tracked additive group on the label, a verified organic claim. Label: “Sweetened with low GI coconut sugar, Baked with coconut and avocado oil”

    Find where to buy ↗Maker’s label source
  2. Nature's Path Organic Hemp Hearts Granola 100/100

    Why it ranks here: no tracked additive group on the label, a verified organic claim. Label: “30g whole grains, 6g plant protein, and 5g fiber”

    Buy on Amazon ↗Maker’s label source
  3. Nature's Path Organic Honey Almond Gluten-Free Granola 100/100

    Why it ranks here: no tracked additive group on the label, a verified organic claim. Label: “15g whole grains, 2g fibre, 3g plant protein”

    Buy on Amazon ↗Maker’s label source
  4. Tierra Farm Organic Just Granola 100/100

    Why it ranks here: no tracked additive group on the label, a verified organic claim. Label: “Organic Whole Rolled Oats, Organic Maple Syrup, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Sesame Seeds, Sea Salt.”

    Find where to buy ↗Maker’s label source
  5. Lark Ellen Farm Vanilla Cinnamon Organic Sprouted Granola 100/100

    Why it ranks here: no tracked additive group on the label, a verified organic claim. Label: “Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds*, Sunflower Seeds*, Maple Syrup*, Coconut*, Sprouted Almonds*, Sprouted Cashews*, Coconut Sugar*, Vanilla Extract*, Coconut Oil*, Cinnamon*, Sea Salt.”

    Find where to buy ↗Maker’s label source
  6. Lark Ellen Farm Berrylicious Organic Sprouted Granola 100/100

    Why it ranks here: no tracked additive group on the label, a verified organic claim. Label: “Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds*, Sunflower Seeds*, Strawberry Puree*, Sprouted Almonds*, Coconut*, Maple Syrup*, Coconut Sugar*, Sprouted Cashews*, Freeze-Dried Strawberries*, Coconut Oil*, Cider Vinegar*, Sea Salt”

    Find where to buy ↗Maker’s label source

What to skip, and why

These scored products list at least one group on their current label. That is the clearest reason to pass if you are avoiding those ingredients.

The 59 products without a verified label are a separate “not yet”: we have no recorded ingredient list to check, so we cannot say they are clean or flagged.

Your preferences, explained

The clean score is strict and needs no setup: nine additive groups not found in a current ingredient statement, plus a verified organic claim (and a grass-fed or pasture-raised claim for animal foods), are needed for 100; a possible match earns half and a missing claim earns nothing. Missing or expired evidence stays unknown. It does not assess nutrition, allergies, contaminants, or safety.

References

  1. Added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  2. Added sugar in the diet Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  3. Nuts for the heart Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  4. Whole grains Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

An ingredient check is not a nutrition, contaminant, allergy or safety assessment. How we verify labels →