I Just Really Love This Grain-Free Granola (And It’s Keto and Paleo-Approved)
Value: 17/20
Functionality: 15/20
Quality: 20/20
Variety: 18/20
Taste: 20/20
TOTAL: 90/100
I was craving cereal. But not in the way one has a bowl of Special K and moves on with their life—I was craving it the way I used to eat it, bowl after bowl, in my parents’ kitchen after a long day of school and extra-curriculars. But my variation of keto—basically just some rendition of lower-carb—and bowls upon bowls of cereal don’t really go together…which is why I was thrilled to find Purely Elizabeth Grain-Free Granola flavors—coconut cashew and vanilla almond butter—in my local grocery store.
Most granolas have grain and lots of sugar. But Purely Elizabeth is non-GMO, certified gluten-free, contains no artificial additives or soy with some products that are also organic and vegan.. But it tastes anything but lacking—instead of the usual fillers you’d find in granolas (even grain-free ones) you’ll see more ancient grains (like chia and hemp seeds), coconut sugar, sea salt and whole ingredients, like seeds and nuts as the base for its texture-rich grain-free granola. The overall effect is sweet and salty crunchy goodness that I add to my Greek yogurt or slurp up with a quarter cup of macadamia milk (hello, cereal).
The granola also comes in a bajillion flavors—classic, chocolate sea salt, blueberry hemp, cranberry pecan, pumpkin cinnamon, maple almond better, chocolate peanut butter, maple walnut, vanilla almond butter, chocolate hazelnut, coconut cashew, banana nut butter and cinnamon peanut butter. I have personally tried (and loved) coconut cashew and vanilla almond butter—I prefer things less sweet and it turns out these two flavors are both keto- and paleo-approved.
Buyer beware, however. Not every flavor is keto, paleo or grain-free. But fear not: the packaging clearly labels what’s what. For example, the flavors I tried had clear “grain-free” written on the packaging, while the “classic” flavor is dubbed “ancient grain granola” and includes organic, gluten-free oats. You can even shop by keto, paleo or grain-free on Purely Elizabeth’s website so you don’t accidentally purchase a flavor that doesn’t fit your diet. Still, because of this possible confusion, I dinked a few points off of the functionality category.
As for the price, this granola isn’t cheap—a 12 oz. bag goes for $6.99—but it’s not made with cheap ingredients. Every ingredient listed is non-GMO and packed with nutrients. For a hot second there I considered, “Could I make this myself at a lower price point?” But when I really thought about it, and all the whole nuts, seeds and expensive raw ingredients I would need…and the answer was, “Not really.” So, if you’re looking for a decadent granola that fits your restricted diet, look no further. This stuff is delicious.
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