Food Friday: Grain-free Granola

IMG_2047.jpg

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