Loving the BITE: Homemade Granola with Hemp Hearts

Our super awesome nutrition expert is still chilling out after giving birth to her baby girl last week, so I’m back again in this week’s Loving the BITE.  One of the new favorite things for us to make here at home is granola.  I used to eat it all the time when I was younger, but hadn’t had it for a long time.

But the difference between this granola and what I ate in the past is that this stuff is so much better and healthier than anything you’ll find in a store.

Homemade Granola with Hemp Hearts

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Oats
• 3  cups Rice Krispies
• 1/2 cup Agave Nectar (honey can be used if you can’t get this)
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Hemp hearts (3/4 to 1 1/2 cups…add to your liking)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan mix together brown sugar, oil, and Agave. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and cinnamon.
2. In a large bowl combine oats and sugar/oil mixture.
3. Stir until oats are well coated and everything is combined.
4. Spread into 2 9×13 pans.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
6. Stir, turn off your oven, and put the granola back into the oven for 3-4 hours. The heat left in the oven will finish cooking this.
7. Remove from oven after 3-4 hours. Let cool and store in an air tight container.

Comments:

Hemp Hearts – I’ve been preaching about hemp hearts (also known as hemp seeds) for a while now.  In my opinion it is the best super food out there today and something that everyone should add to their diet. They are actually easier to come by in Canada then the US, but available at Whole Foods and other health type stores.  I recommend buying them from Amazon because they carry many of the Canadian brands and the cost is very nice as well.  I could go on and on about how great this stuff is, but for now I’ll just include this list of benefits:

• Contains more required amino acids (proteins) than milk, meat or eggs.
• Is a complete protein rich source,  much more balanced and digestible than Soy products.
• Contains about 47% oil, 78% of which is omega 3 and 6 , the essential fats.
• Has all the essential or omega fats required for human health.
• Contains several times more omega 3 essential fat than any fish.
• Provides more energy than energy bars, without their sugar and with much less saturated fat.
• They are suitable for those unable to eat gluten, sugar, nuts, and meat.
• Excellent for those troubled with constipation.
• Perfect for those avoiding carbohydrates.
• A 42 g serving (4 tbsp) contains 240 calorie energy from 15 g protein,15 g polyunsaturated fats (11.4 g omega 6 and 3.6 g omega 3), 2.7 g mono-unsaturated fats, 2.1 g saturated fats, 2.5 g fiber, 4.5 g carbohydrates,
  2 mg iron, 31 mg calcium, 3.8 mg sodium, 3.8 mg vitamin E, 956 IU vitamin D, .42 mg vitamin C, .05 mg B6, .58 mg vitamin B1, 1.6 IU vitamin A.

Allergy Free – A lot of people have nut allergies so another benefit to this recipe is that it’s 100% nut free.  A lot of granola you’ll find in the stores either has nuts or “may contain nuts” so this is a nice way to keep it safe for anyone in your family with nut allergies.

Tags: cycling nutrition, Homemade Granola recipe