• Cereal
• Cheese
• Mix
• Mix 1
• Mix in
• Nuts
• The mix

Granola

Besides being a snack food, granola is often eaten when hiking or camping because it is lightweight, high in energy, and easy to store. Compare to trail mix.

A fairly recent invention, granola was first introduced to the public at the original Woodstock Music and Art Festival.

More recently, granola bars have become popular as a snack. The first granola bars were identical to normal granola except for shape. Instead of a loose, breakfast cereal consistency, granola bars are pressed into a bar shape and baked into that shape. The result is a more convenient snack. These granola bars often contain dried fruit, as normal granola, but sometime contain chocolate chips and other ingredients not normally found in granola.

Another variety is the chewy granola bar. In this variety, the oats are not baked as long (or at all) and do not become crispy. It is questionable whether such a snack should be called granola at all; in fact, some manufacturers prefer cereal bar or snack bar. This variety is more likely to contain chocolate chips (or other candy), marshmallows, peanut butter, and other ingredients not found in granola (and of questionable nutritional value). However, the chewy variety is at this time the most popular in the United States. This is perhaps due to the perception of granola bars being healthier than more traditional snacks, such as cookies and donuts, whether or not this is accurate.

Companies that make granola or granola bars:

• Quaker Oats