Everything But The Kitchen Sink Super Omega-3 Gluten-Free Granola

Yield: 8 cups | Prep Time: 10 min | Bake Time: 1 hour

I’ve been on the hunt. The hunt for a good, non-crumbly, homemade granola recipe that I have complete control over the ingredient list. I’m such a control freak. Try living with me. Poor Darren.

My goal was simple: to dramatically reduce the amount of sugar that most granola recipes called for. I did this, and time and time again, the experimentation yielded crumbly, baked (and slightly sweetened) oats. Not exactly granola.

After my January Superwomen Slim Down Real Food Detox & Cleanse wrapped, my detoxers were so pumped from all of the clean eats and feeling truly amazing in their own skin, they were inspired to start making things on their own that they would have previously bought for their lovies in a package with a very long and unpronounceable ingredient list. Granola was one such thing. What kid (or adult) doesn’t like granola? Not many, I presume.

It’s funny. The word granola is typically synonymous with healthy right? Earthy, crunchy “granola heads”, right?

Image courtesy of Zoombaboomba

Ok, bad example. Mr. Garcia was known for his mad skills on the guitar, not his health. May his super talented soul rest in peace.

Yet, when you take a peek at the typical store-bought stuff, the ingredient list is not even close to being healthy. And I must note, Quaker was one of the “cleaner” versions out there.

Let’s break the ingredient list down, shall we?

1. Whole Grain Rolled Oats: Good start. Next!

2. Whole Grain Rolled Wheat: Pretty benign, moving along

3. Brown Sugar: Processed, refined, white sugar that has added molasses back into it to make it brown (tricky, tricky you food manufacturers!).

4. Raisins: Not organic, but I can live with that.

5. Canola Oil: Ahhh, good old canola oil. Healthy, right? No. Canola oil is not the “healthy” monounsaturated fat that the diet dictocrats have been trying to shove down our throats for years. It’s a man-made oil that is: 1. highly refined and processed; 2. easily oxidized; 3. genetically-modified – canola is one of the top 4 genetically modified crops being grown today. Read more on the scary truth about GMOs here.

6. Whey Inulin: I can honestly say that I have no idea what the hell this is. I know what whey is (a protein by-product derived from dairy, and unless it’s organic, it’s got hormones and antibiotics in it), and I know what inulin is (a plant fiber that has become increasingly popular in processed foods to replace sugar, fat, and flour), but not the two married. Your best bet is to pass on the whey inulin, mmmkay?

7. Almonds: Thumbs up.

8. Nonfat Dry Milk: Any kind of powdered milk contains oxidized cholesterol, which has been hailed as “the most dangerous type of cholesterol”.

9. Glycerin: This is a by-product of soap-making. Yes, soap. As in the stuff we use to wash our bodies and dishes. It’s also been used as a sweetener in foods marketed to diabetics and low-carb dieters because it tastes sweet but it is not metabolized as sugar in the body and doesn’t raise blood sugar and insulin (not to be confused with the above-mentioned “inulin”) levels. Glycerin also has a moisture-attracting property. The same way that adding glycerin to a lotion helps to keep your skin plump and moist, adding glycerin to foods helps them stay moist and therefore as been used in food manufacturing as a preservative. Eh, no thanks.

10. Whey Protein Concentrate: This additive, used to boost protein content (sneaky!), is protein powder with a 70-80% concentration of protein and 5% concentration of lactose. In such a concentrated form, this might be difficult for those with lactose intolerance to digest. Not to mention, the cheap, factory-farm, antibiotic and hormone-laden dairy that the whey derived from. Pass!

11. Honey: Highly processed and pasteurized honey – not as nature intended. Next!

12. Natural Flavors: This is the catch all. Don’t be fooled by the word “natural”, my friends. These “natural flavors” are a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and to the uninformed consumer, no reason for concern. But to YOU, my informed consumers, it’s what I like to call total BS. The reason food manufacturers are allowed to call these flavors “natural” is because whatever it is that they derived it from was natural to begin with. Maybe it was a plant or maybe it was the fluid from a beaver’s anal gland (yes, really – read this). If it started as natural, there is no need to mention how many horrible chemical processes that it went through before it made its way into your mouth…right?

13. Sunflower Oil: Seems safe, but it’s not that great. Sunflower oil is another cheap, highly processed oil that oxidizes easily. Why is this bad? Oxidization is the equivalent of rusting. In our bodies, when we consume oxidized oils and fats, our bodies create harmful free radicals, those pesky buggers that age and disease us.

14. Natural Mixed Tocopherols: These compounds preserve taste and prevent the oxidation of many foods that contain oils and fats. How ‘bout this for an idea? Don’t use oils and fats that easily oxidize, Mr. Quaker/any ordinary food manufacturer?

Now I ask you again, how healthy is your store-bought granola? Unless it’s the super high-end stuff that you need a second mortgage on your home to purchase regularly, the answer is probably a resounding “not very”. That’s why I’m here.

Making your own granola is so easy and inexpensive (comparatively speaking), it should be illegal. Kidding. I’m sure the Feds might like that idea, so let’s strike that from the record, shall we?

After inspiration from my Superwoman Slim Down alums, I got my arse back in the test kitchen and after much tinkering, finally cracked the code to crunchy, clumpy (in a good way), just sweet-enough, healthy, and clean homemade gluten-free granola, loaded with antioxidants and heart-healthy omega-3s. Because I have a hard time stopping myself with add-ins (you should see me at a made-to-order omelet station – not a pretty sight), I call this one the “kitchen sink”. You’ll call it amazing.

What store-bought goodies have you tried (successfully and unsuccessfully) to re-create and healthify in your kitchen? Please leave a comment below. I’d LOVE to hear!

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INGREDIENTS

Inspired by 100 Days of Real Food

* = good source of fiber

Use organic ingredients when possible.

3 ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats *
1 cup raw slivered, sliced, or chopped almonds *
1 cup raisins, dried cherries, or dried cranberries *
½ cup raw chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews, or Brazil nuts *
½ cup unsweetened coconut chips *
½ cup raw sunflower seeds *
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds *
2 tbsp. chia seeds *
2 tbsp. ground flax seeds *
2 tbsp. raw cacao nibs (optional) *
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. Celtic sea salt
6 tbsp. virgin coconut oil
½ cup raw honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract

PREP

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Heat the coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add vanilla. Set aside.

3. Mix the oats, nuts, dried fruit, coconut chips, seeds, cacao nibs (if using), and spices in a large bowl and pour honey and oil mixture in. Stir until evenly coated.

4. Spread mixture onto baking sheet in one even layer and bake for 60 minutes, or until brown.

5. Let cool, break into pieces, and store in air tight container for up to 3-4 weeks.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving Size: ½ cup