What Bracha Achrona Does One Recite on a Granola Bar?

Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 208:4) writes that if one were to eat raw or toasted kernels of the five grains there is a question as to what beracha acharona should be recited. Tosfos (Berachos 37as.v. Ha’koseis) cites an opinion that a special beracha acharona, “al ha’odama v’al pri ha’adoma,” should be recited. However, the consensus of the poskim is that we do not recite this blessing, but rather borei nefashos is said instead. Nevertheless, Shulchan Aruch says that lichatchila (to be meritorious) one should avoid eating a kezayis of raw or toasted oats in the time span of k’dei achilas pras (according to Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim 4:41, this would be 4 ½ minutes). On a practical level, if one eats only 1½ Nature Valley granola bars (there are 2 bars to a package), he will have eaten more than a kezayis of granola and other ingredients in total, but less than a kezayis of oats. Accordingly, he would recite a borei nefashos according to all opinions. If one wants to eat more than 1½ granola bars, he or she may eat 1½ bars, pause, continue eating, and then recite a borei nefashos, provided that no more than 1½ bars are consumed in any given 4 ½ minutes time-frame. Bidieved (after the fact), if one ate more than 1½ bars in a span of 4 ½ minutes, a borei nefoshos would be recited in any event.

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.