An In-Depth Guide on the Granola Girl: Meaning, Signs, & How to Be One

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Discover the hobbies, aesthetic, & lifestyle of the granola girl

Co-authored by Hannah Young and Bailey Cho

Last Updated: September 1, 2023 Fact Checked

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What is a “granola girl?”

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Signs That You’re a Granola Girl

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How to Be a Granola Girl

You may have heard the term “granola girl” on TikTok, but what exactly does it mean? This popular term refers to someone who loves the planet and the great outdoors, and you’ll probably catch her hiking in a national park—while wearing Patagonia or Carhartt, of course. In this article, we’ll break down the appearance, hobbies, and lifestyle of the viral “granola girl,” including tips for how to become one!

Things You Should Know

A granola girl is someone who loves the planet and the great outdoors. Personality-wise, she’s free-spirited, down-to-earth, and environmentally-conscious.
Signs of a granola girl include enjoying outdoor activities, wearing earth-tone clothing, listening to indie music, and buying “all-natural” products.
To become a granola girl, spend more time outside and visit a national park. Or, make a conscious effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your daily life.

Section 1 of 3:

What is a “granola girl?”

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She’s the type of girl who loves the planet and the great outdoors. In other words, she’s a modern-day hippie. Her dream is to roam the country in a campervan or go backpacking across the world, but in the meantime, you’ll probably catch her hiking at a national park, listening to indie music, and learning more about crystals. Personality-wise, the granola girl is free-spirited and down-to-earth, and she just wants to attract all the positive vibes.^{[1]
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- Granola girls are often described as “crunchy,” or politically liberal and eco-conscious. They embrace alternative medicine, oneness with nature, free love, veganism, and anything else that’s “all-natural.”^{[2]
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Section 2 of 3:

Signs That You’re a Granola Girl

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You enjoy outdoor activities. Whether it’s hiking, cycling, or canoeing, a granola girl lives for the great outdoors. She believes nature is the ultimate healer, and being outside is the best way to recharge her mind, body, and soul. Some of her favorite activities include camping with friends, exploring national parks, or just walking around her neighborhood.^{[3]
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- In fact, the granola girl loves being outside in general. She loves to sit and stargaze, and she even prefers sleeping in a hammock over her actual bed!
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You usually wear casual, earth-tone clothing. The granola aesthetic is a modern hippie look with lots of prints and accessories. It includes beanies, baseball caps, dainty jewelry, flannels, fleece jackets, cargo pants, national park tees, baggy sweatshirts, leather sandals, rugged boots, and any kind of hiking gear. The granola girl gravitates toward fabrics like linen, corduroy, denim, and fleece, and she always looks prepared for a scenic walk in the forest.^{[4]
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- Popular granola girl brands: Patagonia, The North Face, Carharrt, Land’s End, L.L. Bean, REI, Madewell, Teva, Birkenstock, Chacos, and Blunderstone^{[5]
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You constantly listen to indie music. The granola girl tends to listen to “less mainstream” artists, so don’t expect her to know the latest Drake or Taylor Swift song. Instead, her playlist consists of Fleetwood Mac, The Lumineers, Vance Joy, and Bon Iver, and if she’s at home, you’ll probably catch her listening to music on a record player.^{[6]
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- She always knows when the next music festival is in town, and she probably has tickets to it.
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You only buy “all-natural” products. From deodorant and shampoo to moisturizer and cleaning supplies, the granola girl sticks to clean, chemical-free products. She strives to choose what’s “real” over what’s synthetically modified because she’s watched tons of documentaries about the toxic ingredients in our household items.
- She tries to avoid using products with parabens, sulfates, formaldehydes, synthetic fragrances, and other potentially harmful chemicals.
The granola girl embraces her natural appearance, and she’s even known to show up to formal events without any makeup on. Her beauty routine consists of washing her face with a natural cleanser and applying a bit of moisturizer—and that’s about it. She might tie her hair up in a messy bun or braids, or throw a hat on if she hasn’t washed her hair in days.
Most granola girls want to live off the grid or disappear completely. They despise school and the traditional 9 to 5, so they’re probably saving money to travel the world. They dream of exploring new places and meeting like-minded people who appreciate the beauty in everything.
You carry a reusable water bottle everywhere you go. Do you always have a Nalgene, Yeti, or HydroFlask by your side? If so, you might be a granola girl. Granolas are all about recycling, so you’ll never catch them drinking out of a plastic water bottle. Their reusable bottle is almost like an accessory because of how often you’ll see them with it.^{[7]
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If a granola girl isn’t drinking plain water, she’s probably sipping on one of these 3 beverages. She’s the type of person who gets excited to add different plant-based milks in her coffee, and even if she doesn’t personally enjoy the taste of kombucha or yerba mate, she’ll still drink it because it’s great for gut health.^{[8]
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Some common granola girl goals include protecting the environment and maintaining a “clean” diet, so most granolas have tried to become a vegan at least once in their life. Even if they don’t end up removing all animal-based products from their diet, they still opt for plant-based foods and meat substitutes as much as possible.
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Your social media is filled with nature photos. If your Instagram consists of landscape pics or other photos from previous adventures, you’re probably a granola girl. The typical granola girl profile features mountains, waterfalls, rivers, woods, and beaches, and most girls carry around Polaroid cameras to snap all this stunning scenery.^{[9]
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- Occasionally, the granola girl might post photos of crystals, plants, and inspirational quotes.

Section 3 of 3:

How to Be a Granola Girl

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Step outside and experience nature. Whether it's walking around your neighborhood or swimming at the beach, spend more time in nature to embrace the granola girl lifestyle. Being outside provides a host of health benefits including lowering stress, increasing your self-esteem, and improving your overall mood.^{[10]
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American Psychological Association
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- If you’re feeling super adventurous, plan a weekend getaway in the mountains or go hiking in a national park! You can find a park on the National Park Service website and use their planning guide for a safe trip.
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Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Granola girls are always trying to live a greener life, so engage in eco-friendly habits to adopt a “crunchy” lifestyle. Buy products with less packaging, use canvas bags to hold your groceries (instead of plastic bags), shop for clothes at thrift stores, reduce your shower time, compost, recycle, stop paper billing…There are tons of opportunities to reduce waste on a day to day basis!^{[11]
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- If possible, use alternative transportation to get to work. Walk, bike, or take public transit, or invest in a fuel-efficient electric or hybrid vehicle. Organize carpools with your neighbors or roommates, and try to choose a residence as close as possible to your office.
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Shop less and borrow clothes from friends. A true granola girl knows that making the earth a better place means limiting your consumption. Instead of buying new clothes every season, find different ways to style the pieces you already own, or ask a friend if you can borrow something from their closet. Do your research before buying something new, and look at the brand’s website to learn more about its manufacturing process.^{[12]
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- Type in your favorite brands on the Good on You search engine to see how sustainable they are.
- Before buying something new, think about how often you will wear it, and try to choose pieces that you will treasure forever (instead of buying microtrends).
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Switch to clean, natural products. To achieve the lifestyle of a granola girl, trade out your existing products for eco-friendly ones. Instead of using chemical cleaning products, make your own at home or use “all-natural” alternatives. Be mindful of the products you consume and apply on your body, and read the labels and warnings for your most-used products to see if there are any harmful ingredients.^{[13]
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- Use EWG’s Skin Deep database to get a quick rundown on the safety of your personal care and beauty products.