Food Friday: Grain-free Granola

Fall is in the air! That calls for fall flavours in my morning meal of course :) To set your day off right, whether it is for better energy, weight loss and concentration, it is important to get protein for breakfast. Common breakfast choices like cereal, toast, pancakes and even oatmeal do not have any protein in them unless they are “tweaked” a little, leading to blood sugar spikes then energy crashes. Being a Naturopath with a busy day seeing patients, it is important for me for my mind to be clear and my energy to not crash so finding better breakfast options is always key. This recipe is an easy one for busy mornings or when you are craving something a little sweater. The spices can be adjusted depending on what you prefer and you can even mix up the seeds or add some nuts like almonds or cashews. So many options!

Some other protein packed breakfast options I enjoy are a smoothie with protein powder or almond butter, “paleo pancakes” with eggs and plantain and a breakfast hash. Yum!

Do you have a go-to granola recipe?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw sunflower seeds

• 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds

• 3 tbsp chia seeds

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp cardamom

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

• 3/4 cup dried currents

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a food processor and pulse until you have a chunky, coarse meal.

3. Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

4. Spread mixture out on the baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, stirring once half way through.

5. Remove from the oven and mix in dried currents, then let cool. Once cooled store in an airtight container.

6. Mix with yogurt, almond milk or vanilla hemp milk :)

In health & happiness,
Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Morning Granola

Deliciouslyella.com

Baked goods and granola are definitely a weakness of mine so when I became gluten free (yes - I do know what that means Jimmy :)) and focused on less processed sugar, I started making my own granola. Have you ever read the label of store-bought granola? It tends to have the highest amount of sugar in comparison to other (healthy) cereals, up there with fruit-loops and captain crunch. I suggest reading labels and aiming for foods, such as cereal and yogurt, to have under 5 grams of sugar. 

Pros of homemade granola:

• All natural sugars instead of processed sugars, eg. honey and maple syrup, and you can control the amount
• Good source of protein with nuts and seeds - helps to balance blood sugar in the morning, helps produce neurotransmitters, eg. dopamine, serotonin, important for mood
• Eaten as a healthy breakfast with coconut milk or yogurt or as a snack on the go
• Can mix and match depending on what you like - I love adding things like ginger, quinoa, coconut

I have my go to granola recipes that taste great but I am starting to crave something different, so I was thrilled when Ella from deliciouslyella.com just put up a new recipe! I can't wait to try it this weekend. Made with buckwheat and ginger, it is gluten and nut free. Great for those of us with nut allergies and the buckwheat adds an extra crunch. There are a couple more steps involved in this recipes, compared to the usual dump stir and bake, but I'm sure it is worth it. 

There are great photos on her post so just click HERE for the recipe. Tell me what you think? 

If you are looking for a nuttier combo check out her cinnamon and pecan granola. I add a 1/4 cup raw quinoa and some shredded coconut for an extra punch. Want a little more spice, check out this spiced brain boosting granola from my fellow ND and friend Dr. Emily Munn. 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen