One absolutely essential thing I learned as I became serious about my health is that food matters!
Like gas for your car, the higher octane (quality), the better it runs. Same for your body, higher quality, wholesome food will help it fire on all cylinders by performing better physically and mentally.
Over the years I became fed up when searching for food without added non-food ingredients I can’t pronounce. So I started making my own as much as possible. Like, for instance, granola.
I used to be a cereal fanatic years ago. You usually find some form of sugar as the second ingredient along with processed grains made to resemble “O’s” or little leprechauns. Tasty, yes, but not worth putting in my body.
As my health views changed, I switched from the sugary kind and found low to no sugar varieties as much as possible. But even then it’s still processed into shapes and conveniently packed into a perfectly shaped box. I finally decided there were better alternatives than pouring crunchy clusters into a bowl for a “healthy meal”.
Looking to fill the gap to get my cereal fix, I created a quick and easy recipe for granola. Most granola has a lot of sugar and processed vegetable oil added; I wanted to avoid both.
With the help of stevia and tasty fruit like ripe bananas, applesauce, or pumpkin puree (yes, it’s a fruit), avoiding fat and sugar is easy. Omitting low quality oil and using fruit puree as a substitute allows your recipes to have sweetness with way less calories from fat.
Here’s something that is healthy and fairly simple to make.
Sugar and Oil Free Peanut Butter Protein Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups Organic Rolled Oats
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 3/4 cup vanilla or unflavored protein powder; I use Legion Whey+, a non-gmo whey protein from grass-fed cows sweetened with stevia
- 1/2 cup peanut flour; or 2 more scoops protein powder
- 1 T natural peanut butter; I suggest NuttZo
- 1 T Organic Coconut Oil; Melted
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree, applesauce, or mashed ripe banana
- 2 packets of stevia powder or 20 drops of liquid stevia (If using unflavored protein powder, add another stevia packet or 5 to 10 more liquid drops)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 T Milk of choice or water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl using a wire whisk.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add all wet ingredients and mix well.
- Add the wet to the dry and stir until well combined.
- On a parchment lined cookie sheet spread the mixture out evenly and bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Every 10-15 minutes stir the granola for even baking.
I used to make this all the time for Kelley and myself, but had to put an end to it for a while. If you’re wondering why, it’s because we became dangerously addicted to its delicious crunch. We’d both sit at work and mindlessly chomp away until it was gone! You can have too much of healthy food too.
Although it’s wonderful alone, my favorite way to enjoy this granola is with plain Greek yogurt, NuttZo, and frozen blueberries in a cup.
Refills usually always happen.
Make this for yourself and family to help fuel the day or as a healthy snack anytime of day.
Are you a cereal addict?
In milk, yogurt, or both?
What’s your favorite form of cereal; flakes, o’s, clusters, or tiny sprouted crunchy grains like Ezekiel (The only boxed cereal we use now)?
