For every step forward that science and medicine take us in relation to understanding what it takes to be fit and healthy the world of clever marketing will take us two steps backwards.
I can shout it from the rooftops that deprivation diets don’t work, that pills and shakes are not good for people and that the only way to really be healthy is to eat a balanced diet but as long as
I’m up against big advertising campaigns that are designed to make people believe whatever product they are selling is a health food I may as well stay in bed. Never before has the word “healthy” been used so inaccurately.
As a regular snapchatter who posts most of my daily intake for all to see I get sent a lot of snaps from people showing me their healthy meals and snacks. For the most part these snaps are indeed of truly healthy food but every so often I’ll get a snap that makes me cringe.
Some of the food that people think is healthy because an advertisement has told them so (or more often than not a “celebrity”) is in fact absolute rubbish and has very little nutritional value for their body. Like protein bars, energy drinks, and premade smoothies to name just a few.
One of the most common images I get sent is that of someone eating really healthy natural yogurt that is covering a huge bowl of shop-bought granola. I get why they think that it’s healthy. Oats? Check! Fruit? Check! Nuts and seeds? Check and check!
The truth however is that a lot of shop-bought granolas can be very high in sugar and fat and people tend to eat a much bigger portion than is recommended.
The good news is that home-made granola in the right amount is a great energy-boosting snack and is genuinely healthy. Today I’m sharing with you my straight-forward recipe that takes very little time to prepare.
Yes the ingredients can be expensive to buy but a batch of this stuff will last for ages if you divide it up into portions and freeze it (which I recommend that you do IMMEDIATELY before the temptation to keep picking at it overtakes you as it has done to me many times!).
You can also increase the amount of one type of nut or seed as a substitute for another. Once you get the total amount of grams right it will turn out fine.
We all need to cut corners now and again and shop-bought granola isn’t the end of the world but it is better to be aware of what it contains and not be scoffing bowls of it on a daily basis thinking that you’re being the epitome of healthy.
GRANOLA
Servings: approx. 6
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
INGREDIENTS
50g porridge oats
25g pumpkin seeds
25g sunflower seeds
25g flax seeds
25g chopped walnuts
25g slivered almonds
25g desiccated coconut
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coconut oil melted
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat fan oven to 180 deg C.
- Mix all nuts, seeds, coconut and spices in a large bowl
- Melt coconut oil slowly
- Add honey and combine
- Pour into dry ingredients and stir well
- Spread evenly on a lined baking sheet
- Bake for approx. 10 minutes turning and checking regularly (should be brown but not burnt)
- Serve with natural yogurt and mixed berries or divide into freezer bags and freeze until required (3 heaped tbsp per portion)
