Have you ever thought about the word “granola,” what it means, and where it came from? Some time back I decided it was time for me to find out exactly what “granola” really meant, and here’s what I learned. The word “granola” was appropriated in approximately 1870 by Dr. John Kellogg, of Battle Creek, Michigan. Dr. Kellogg ran a famous sanitarium to which patrons came to learn and practice healthy living. Among his recommendations was that people eat food that was prepared the old-fashioned way, with whole grains. Whole-grain bread was baked in large ovens located right on the grounds of the sanitarium. Dr. Kellogg recognized that large amounts of waste were being generated in the form of the crumbs that fell to the bottom of the ovens. He realized that he could collect these crumbs and place them in bowls to be served for breakfast. At first, he called his invention “gra-NU-la.”

Dr. Kellogg soon learned that “granula” had already been trademarked after he was sued by James Caleb Jackson, another sanatarium owner, so he simply changed the name to “granola.” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, these two words are most likely related to words like grains and granules, as well as granular, granulated, and so on.

“Granola” slipped out of use for much of the 20th century. But then, around 1970, processed food manufacturers began to use the term for a variety of “breakfast cereals” and snack bars containing rolled oats, nuts, and dried fruit. Its powerful association with whole grains, good nutrition, and good health made it a particularly attractive word to the processed foods industry. 

Today there are hundreds if not thousands of products with the word “granola” in their title. Most of them contain long lists of hard-to-pronounce ingredients that would be virtually impossible to reproduce in our own kitchens. These are all clues that such products are not the same as food. They’re entertainment. 

If you love granola, find a recipe on line, and make it at home. It will cost a lot less than the high-quality brands at the supermarket, be a lot more nutritious than the low-quality brands at the supermarket, and make your home smell a lot more fragrant than the supermarket. It’s also a really fun project for kids who are out of school for what may seem like forever.