Granola Clusters for Breakfast

Q. In a previous Halacha Yomis, it was noted that one should not eat a kezayis of toasted grains at one time, because there is a doubt as to which beracha acharona should be said. Is there any suggestion for someone who wants to eat a bowl of granola clusters for breakfast?

A. The beracha on granola (toasted rolled oats) is Ha’odama. Shulchan Aruch writes that it is unclear whether one recites “Borei nifashos”, or “Al ha’odama v’al pri ha’odama” after eating granola. To avoid this uncertainty, Shulchan Aruch recommends that granola should only be eaten as part of a meal, so that Birchas Hamazon will be recited afterwards. This is not always practical, especially if someone wants to only eat a bowl of cereal. The Olas Tamid (208:3) and Kaf Hachaim (208:30) propose another solution. They suggest eating two other foods with the granola, one that would require Al hamichya and one that would require Borei Nifashos, such as some crackers and a drink of juice. In that way, no matter what beracha acharona is appropriate, it is covered. The Ketzos Hashulchan (48:33) questions this approach, because he is uncertain whether Al Hamichya will exempt food that requires “Al Ha’odama.” However, Sefer Piskei Teshuvos (208:9) explains that the Olas Tamid and Kaf Hachaim believe that Al Hamichya is a general beracha that will exempt the grains even if the proper beracha is “Al Ha’odama” just as “Al Ha’eitz” exempts all fruit even when the beracha is “Borei nifoshos”. Additionally, the main halacha is that if one ate a kezayis of grain, Borei nifashos is recited , so following this suggestion is acceptable.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.