Brain Healthy Granola

A healthy granola starts with the right ingredients. You want to use whole, nutrient dense grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, healthy oils, unrefined sweeteners and spices.

Basic granola ingredients include:

• Whole grains

• Nuts and seeds

• Dried fruit

• Fat/oil

• Natural sweetener

• Spices

Although there are many whole grain options to choose from I tend to go with rolled oats for a number of reasons. Firstly, they have a wonderful texture when baked. They are also gluten-free, a rich source of fibre and full of nutrients like B-vitamins, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc.

The nuts and seeds you add to your granola really turn on the brain health factor as they are loaded with healthy fats, protein, fibre and antioxidants. Walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts all make good additions, just be sure to choose nuts that are unsalted.

Seeds offer more complexity to the granola and are nutrient powerhouses. Pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are all fantastic additions to any granola recipe.

Dried fruits like raisins, coconut flakes, dried apricots, dates and dried apple are great natural sweeteners commonly found in granola. I like to add unsweetened dried cranberries or cherries to my mixture as these are full of brain-protective antioxidants and a tangy contrast to the sweetness of other dried fruits.

Avoid adding refined sugars to your granola as they have few nutrients and spike blood sugar levels. Better alternatives are maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey or brown rice syrup. These unrefined sweeteners have nutritional value and contain antioxidants and minerals.

Coconut oil is great for baking granola as it maintains its integrity at high temperatures. Other healthy oils that work well include olive oil, walnut oil and avocado oil.

Don’t forget to add some spice - vanilla extract, cinnamon and cocoa all have beneficial properties for brain health. For example, cinnamon helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels in the body and has been linked with improved memory. Though not a spice, dark chocolate can make granola especially delicious while also boosting brain health.

Try the recipe below but feel free to experiment and swop out ingredients as desired:

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats

• 1 1/2 cups mixed chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds)

• 1/2 cup seeds (sunflower and chia)

• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with greaseproof parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl, mix the oats, nuts, seeds, salt, coconut, cinnamon, vanilla extract and maple syrup together.

Put in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Then take out of the oven and let it sit for 30 minutes until cold.

Add the dried fruit and store in an airtight container. This homemade granola will last for about 2 weeks.