I know I incorporate a lot of recipes that are grain free. I am not against grains. I do believe they have their purpose and can be very nutritious. However, with all of the processing that goes into many grains they can truly be detrimental to your health! Not only that, we all know processed carbs are really easy to over indulge. I don’t know one person who has not ever eaten too many pieces of that amazing bread at your favorite Italian Restaurant. I know I sure have!
Processed or refined carbohydrates send your body into a FAT STORING MODE! Something we all want to steer clear of! When you eat too many processed carbohydrates in one meal, your pancreas releases insulin to absorb the excess glucose (carbs are turned into glucose in the body)and then store them as fat. So for a long time, Carbs have had a bad rap. The good news… not all “carbs” are created equal! There are “CLEAN” carbs! These include, but are not limited to…
- Fruit (all kinds)
- Brown Rice
- wild rice
- Oats
- yams/sweet potatoes
- Sprouted Grain Bread (flour free)
- millet
- corn
- peas
- legumes and lentils
- Potatoes (with skin)
- Whole grain pasta
- Vegetables (yes those are Carbohydrates too!)
Oats are very nutritious, as long as you don’t get the quick cook kind or the ones in packets mixed with sugars, fake sugars (aka Chemicals), and other unnatural ingredients. Many granola’s sold at the store are also very deceiving. They are usually full of sugar! If you do buy granola make sure to read the ingredients to ensure it is natural. A little added natural sugar is okay 🙂
I love this recipe! It is fully of wholesome ingredients with just a touch of sweetness, I know you will enjoy!
Homemade Apple Coconut Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups of Rolled oats (There are gluten-free oats available as well!)
- 1 cups sliced raw almonds (or 1/2 almonds and 1/2 chopped pecans)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tbs melted coconut (plus 1 for greasing)
- 2 Tbs pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbs Flax seed (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins
Enjoy with homemade Raw Almond Milk or non-dairy milk of choice! It is also great on top of yogurt! I usually pair a 1/2 cup and almond milk with a protein like eggs or greek yogurt.
Just wondering why non-Dairy?
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Hi! I know I know you have a cow! As I’m sure you know, milk is full of hormones, antibiotics, ect. And Many people are lactose intolerant! I believe you would be drinking raw milk!? There are a lot of studies that talk about the dangers of high dairy consumption. I hope I didn’t offend you!
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Offend? No way! Just curious :o) I guess you don’t hear the downside of dairy when you hang out with raw milk peeps :o) It is all about learning and sharing after all. {grin}
Before switching to raw milk, we would get the organic, grass-fed, cream-top milk from Trader Joes. So it was pasturized, but not homogonized. And full fat. (The processing of non-fat dairy is scary, and the resulting non-fat milk is almost like drinking sugar water).
One of my favorite real foodie raw milk drinking goat farming bloggers breaks down the {bleh} of low-fat dairy :o)
http://www.weedemandreap.com/2012/11/is-low-fat-dairy-making-you-gain-weight.html
Love your blog by the way and have made a few of your recipies already!
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I would love to try some of your raw milk… and milk that cow of yours! If I had access, I am sure we would all drink it too! Great article! Thanks for sharing!
I am glad you are enjoying my blog and the recipes 🙂 Lets plan a farm day soon! I will message you next week to set a date. We are headed to Sonoma for the weekend! Wine tasting here we come!
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p.s. isn’t raw milk illegal now? Crazy laws…
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I was just at Trader Joe’s today and picked up a bunch of stuff to make granola! I was planning to look up a recipe online so thanks for saving me the time! The only thing I don’t have is shredded coconut so I’ll just have to make it without, Thanks for posting!!! 🙂
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What perfect timing! Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
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Perfect timing! My husband and I just got into a habit of eating granola with yogurt, and it would be nice to make something instead of buying at the store (even though we buy organic one).
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That is awesome! I love when that happens! Perfect timing! 🙂
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Clean carbs taste so much better than refined junk anyway. This is a great use for them!
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I agree… SO much better! Thanks!
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