Granola Meaning: Teen slang deciphered (2024)

Life Online July 12, 2023 (Last updated May 31, 2024)

By Jackie Baucom

What is a granola person? What does it mean to be granola? Read on to learn about this popular term used by kids today.

What is a granola person? Granola describes someone who loves the outdoors, is environmentally-conscious and low maintenance. A granola may enjoy participating in outside activities such as camping, hiking, and skiing. They often support local small businesses, eat fresh organic foods, and try to reduce their carbon footprint.

A little background

Granola has been around since the 1800s, but it didn’t become the delicious snack we know and love until a health movement in the 1960s. The hippie subculture started at the same time, where people embraced all things natural and healthy. This made granola a fitting snack for hippies, which is why today any person who displays hippie features is called a granola.

Same meaning, different words

Using granola slang in everyday conversations may not fit into a parent’s vocabulary. There are other words with the same meaning that can be used instead.

• Free thinker
• Flower child
• Bohemian
• Free spirit

Overheard on social media

Kids today use the word granola in a variety of ways. Some strive to live up to granola meaning, and others may poke fun at anyone who embodies granola attributes. Here are some examples of how kids have used it on social media.

“Forget about hot girl summer. I want a granola grandma summer.”

“I want to move to a coastal town in Oregon and become a granola.”

“He must have gone granola with that new Subaru.”

What’s in a name

Now that you’re hip to what it means to be a granola, you can use it to talk about topics that are likely important to your child, like conservation and protecting animals.

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