Supercharged Granola

Sometimes I go to sleep at night dreaming of breakfast.  The most important meal of the day should never be a lackluster event. Life is too short to have can't haves and if you’re bored with soggy cereal, tired of tasteless toast and over processed sugar, you’ll love this revolutionary breakfast recipe; bursting with nutrition, whilst offering a naturally sweet, oven-roasted flavour and crunchiness.

Have you noticed than when you have a dull, narrow range of breakfast options, that it's a sure-fire way to set yourself up for a habit of grab-and-go snacking throughout the day?.  Looking at it simply, if you haven’t filled yourself with the nutritional fuel needed to power through the morning, it’s inevitable that your body will hunger for the most readily available, convenient snack option that you can get our hands on. This will usually involve a sugar loaded treat, or a packaged, preservative filled nibbly;  both seemingly fulfilling options that will in truth send your blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster ride, as well as causing many other unfavorable effects on our health.

To really get our investigative brains working, and begin to open our eyes to the ingredient lists of many ‘healthy’ supermarket cereals and breads, it’s astonishing to find the amount of sneaky additives that are hidden in natural and seemingly healthy breakfast cereals. Additives that are weakening our immune systems, placing unneeded burdens on digestion, creating inflammation, and completely contradicting the real purpose of breakfast; to give us the physical and mental energy that we need to sustainably face the day.

Pre-paring a breakfast at home with whole foods is a more valuable option than buying from supermarket shelves and this little bowl of crunch can be stored and kept in a sealed container in your kitchen cupboard for weeks.

What could be better than a delicious, crunchy, wholesome breakfast selection; intentionally created to incorporate a whopping amount of vitamins and minerals, giving you a brilliant start to your day.

This gorgeous granola will keep your tummy satisfied, as it  is packed with plant based protein. The pseudo grain Quinoa is beneficial at breakfast time, as it contains a balanced set of amino acids, making it an unusually complete food. For more quinoa breakfast recipes you can feast on Quinoa Porridge with Cinnamon and Apple.

Buckwheat groats will give you the energy to help you power through your day, as they are considered one of the best known sources of high biological protein in the plant kingdom.  Buckwheat is rich in the bioflavonoid rutin, which is famous for assisting blood sugar control; making it a remarkable ingredient to prevent you from grabbing that can of soft drink during your lunch break or snacking on a sugar laden treat.

The reason I use cinnamon in this recipe is because of its impressive blood sugar stabilization skills. Studies show that cinnamon slows the rate at which the stomach is emptied after meals, therefore reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating foods high in carbohydrates.  Compounds in cinnamon have been found to inhibit an enzyme that inactivates insulin receptors,  significantly increasing the cells’ ability to use glucose. Adding this powerful little spice to your breakfast is a great way to maintain sustainable energy levels and add an exotic flavour at the same time.

I hope that I have convinced you not to settle for a factory-produced, nutrition-less breakfast with more grit and gravel than the bottom of a birdcage.  If I have then why not give this oven roasted, crunchy, Supercharged Granola a try and notice the immense difference that it makes in your energy levels? No longer will you be dragging your feet in the mornings, but now you will find that you'll bounce out the door!

Supercharged Granola

• 100 gms quinoa flakes
• 100 gms brown rice flakes
• 25 gms buckwheat groats
• 50 gms pepitas
• 25 gms sesame seeds
• 50 gms almond flakes
• 50 gms sunflower seeds
• 25 gms linseeds
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 60 mls caramelized ACV (recipe below*)
• 1 tsp alcohol free vanilla essence

Method:

• Set oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Measure ingredients and place in mixing bowl
• Add cinnamon and nutmeg and stir
• Add vanilla essence and caramelized ACV and stir to mix
• Place in a baking dish

• Bake in middle shelf of oven for 40 minutes
• Stir after 20 mins and correct flavours
• Remove and let cool then place in sealed container

Caramelized ACV (recipe *)

• 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp powdered stevia or 20 drops liquid stevia (plus extra depending upon sweetness required)
• Place on stove and boil down to half on a medium heat
• Remove and let cool

For more gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free recipes visit supercharged.wpengine.com