An open letter to the MSU Bakers responsible for the new granola being tested in numerous MSU cafeterias lately, most notably in Wilson and Case halls:
I’ll begin by thanking you for your efforts in putting forth something new to our cafeterias. I can’t understate my excitement when I see original content coming to MSU. And the cafeterias, being one of our most used facilities, are of special importance to me. Throughout the course of the last nine months, I have begun to take stock of what I put into my body, and have, as such, lost nearly 80 pounds of fat and gained an immense appreciation for food that is both delicious and nutrient-dense. Of the many things I’ve learned through this ongoing process are common misconceptions people (formerly including myself) have regarding foods that common sense would dictate are healthy by default. It certainly may be of no news to you that granola is one of those widely misunderstood foods. While granola is by no means an unhealthy food by default, and while there are vast multitudes of more unhealthy snacks available (of which we would all do well to cease our consumption), I fear that the world already has enough high-sugar, low-fiber granola. I sampled your granola twice throughout the day and I believe I have come up with several suggestions that I hope you’ll evaluate in order to make your product stand out as a superior, delicious and certainly more nutritious food.
For your consideration (in no particular order):
1) Your current formula for granola unfortunately utilizes what I believe to be sugar-coated dried fruits and berries. This, I believe, needs to change. Fruits and berries are by far sweet enough not to warrant further sugar-coating, and in choosing unsugared berries you will have added a depth of flavor not found in most other granolas. I suggest naturally dried and unsugared banana slices, cranberries, raisins, cherries and/or any combination of those or other bits of nature’s candy.
2) More (unsalted) almonds, either sliced or, better yet, chopped with their nutrient-rich skins still intact. You’ll get more protein, fiber, monounsaturated (read: good for your heart) fats and vitamin E (the list goes on), while adding variety, flavor and crunch.
3) More oats, less sugar. I understand that without globs of sugar-based-glue, granola is reduced to little more than a loose, grainy, but extremely healthy and still delicious snack. I appreciate and admire that you made the effort to use brown sugar rather than a cheaper and more artificial sweetener (i.e.: high fructose corn syrup), but too much of a not-so-bad thing is plain old bad. We already have access to granola that tastes like sugar — see the cafeterias’ cereal selection and look for the Kellogg’s Low-Fat Granola with Raisins (and if you want a real shock, turn to the side and check the nutritional info: 17 grams of sugar and only one lonesome gram of soluble fiber in each serving). Oats are the powerhouse of the food, and I will resist the urge to delve into the massive benefits of the fiber they provide, it suffices to say that the oats should be the shining star of the granola, rather than the sugar.
4) Do not fear improvement. Nobody is going to complain about an original MSU creation that packs more nutrient-dense foods into each serving than almost all alternative snacks, and if they do, feel free to direct them back to the cereal line, where exists an abundance of sugary treats devoid of fiber, protein, vitamins and all things nutritious that is sure to keep them coming back for more, and more and more. The idea of reducing the sugar content of your formula sounds like it will be inherently unpopular — I challenge you to do it regardless and see if people with respect for their bodies and what they put in them don’t thank you dearly for it.
In my mind, granola is, and likely will remain, a treat (I’d even go so far as to call it a dessert for most of the time), but one with at least the potential to trump all other treats by bringing more to the table than empty calories. Please consider the countless means to improve the nutrition and wholesomeness of your granola by adjusting your recipe to fill the void left by widely available, artificial and generally unimpressive commercial alternatives. You have the opportunity to break new ground and raise awareness for healthy eating by introducing the tens of thousands of MSU students to a granola like they’ve never had before and I beseech you to use your potential to its fullest, for the sake of all of us.
I thank you for your consideration, and your tasty confection, on behalf of myself and any other health-conscious foodies out there. I greatly look forward to seeing and tasting more from you soon.
Alex Hoekstra
microbiology and molecular genetics junior
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