So, we all know that not all calories are created equal and if health was simply a matter of consuming the magic number’s worth of calories, there would be no need for healthy food information, right? It’s about nutrition, people. It’s not about your 100 calorie pack of Oreos (that I hope none of you are eating) and more about the one ingredient foods filled with antioxidants, fiber, omega 3’s, healthy fats and lean proteins.
If you take a look at a few snack options such as empty calorie snacks such as processed bags of chips or chocolate- you’re getting the caloric content in the form of hydrogenated oils in the chips and in the form of refined sugar with the chocolate but there is ZERO nutritional value. What’s worst is that these highly refined, highly processed foods actually end up depleting your body of vital nutrients.
The result?
Well, that’s an excess of calories and a deficiency in nutrition, which leads to food cravings.
Empty calorie foods like chips and candy lack the vital nutrients that our bodies need to run optimally. High sugar foods end up slowing down our metabolism and even though so many point system diets may value an orange and a candy bar as the same because they have the same number of calories, the quality is different. The orange is packed with nutrients and the candy bar is void of any nutritional value. The orange will help your immune system, your cells, your mitochondria and much more.
Make sense?
So, today I thought a healthy granola recipe would be the perfect way to show off a fun and healthy snack that you can enjoy without the empty calories and chemicals. Sound good to you?
I hope so.
Get your oven ready – you’re gunna love this recipe!
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why: The Benefits of Eating Organic.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup pecans
- 3 Tbsp. flax seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut flakes
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil melted
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or any other dried fruit you have such as raisins
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
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Combine all ingredients (except cranberries) in a large mixing bowl; toss to combine to ensure everything is coated with maple syrup and vanilla extract.
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Transfer mixture to the prepared baking sheet.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes or until desired crispiness. Remove from the oven; set aside to cool for 10 minutes before serving; add dried cranberries and toss to combine.
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Recipe will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a week.
I completely agree! It’s all about the contents and the nutritional value. My mom would LOVE your homemade granola 🙂
You and my daughter in law have been slowly changing the way I eat. I have enjoyed seeing the ways you both have integrated healthy, whole foods into your day and I have taken bigger and bolder steps toward healthy eating. However, some of the foods prepared use these very expensive blenders/juicers and so far I haven’t been able to try the vegetables in the green smoothies! I’m happy for the chance to try for a blender like this! Thanks, Ami! Good luck with the event coming in NYC!
what an interesting take on granola!
I love all the tips and recipes!!! This one sounds delish!
Good looking granola! Can’t wait to try this one.
Thanks for sharing such great recipes — you make eating healthy easy and fun!
Hooray for healthy eating and Blendtecs!!
The granola would be great on top of frozen desserts made from a new blender!! 😉 blendtec is an amazing quality blender and making a dessert and topping it with this granola would be fabulous!! MMMM!!!
This sounds delicious! Love homemade granola…and your website :). A blendtec would be fantastic!
Absolutely love how you are using cashew butter as a major binding ingredient for your granola! I always shy away from granola because there seems to be so much oil, which I guess is necessary to keep everything moist in the oven BUT, a total health buster if it’s not a healthy fat and even if it is, if there is just too much of it! Cashew butter totally solves this issue seeing as you then only needed a minimal amount of coconut butter–which is totally nutritious to boot! Love a granola that is mainly made of high nutrition value ingredients as opposed to JUST oats…BORING! So, I definitely plan to make this very, very soon!
This recipe looks delicious, as do all of your recipes. Gotta love the Cashew butter in this!! Yum 😀 I’d Love a Blendtec too!
This recipe is awesome! Looks easy and delicious. Perfect with some yogurt 🙂
I need to make this today
This looks delicious! I love anything with coconut!
The recipe looks fabulous! I will be making it for my family! Thank you!
That granola looks amazing! And I could definitely use a new blender, I’ve been craving to make some homemade nut butters!
I’m not sure if this is the place to comment, but I would sure love to win the blender! It looks like a very good one.
This recipe looks awesome. I have tried making several different granola recipes in the past, but I haven’t really loved them. I like that you use nut butter in it. I will have to try it! Thanks for the wonderful recipe and blog! You do amazing work!
I need a good blender so am here to try to win it. Then I just learned about dried cranberries!
Granola looks yummy— but commenting for the blender 🙂 Let’s go green smoothies!!
I NEED the Blendtec! I LOVE your recipes, tips & giveaways! You ROCK!