Granola. A near perfect combination of textures and flavours. A heavenly mixture of oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Crunchy and chewy, savoury, yet sweet, and completely customizable.
It’s been difficult to find a ready-made granola free from added sugar, artificial sweeteners, oil, and honey; so, we decided to scour the web to see what we could find. We stumbled upon Pick Up Lime’s Healthiest Ever Granola, which is a slightly adapted version of Jenny Mustard’s Super Healthy Granola, and decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed!
Made wiith wholesome ingredients including dates, nuts, and tahini, this granola truly is one of the healthiest (but we also nominate it for tastiest as well!) This recipe is great because you can substitute or add your favourite mix ins. We especially like to add walnuts.
Although we can be pretty boring and eat oatmeal almost every morning (oatmeal recipes coming soon!), it’s nice to have this baby stored and ready to go when we feel like switching it up or need a quick but nourishing breakfast.
Not only do we love this granola with almond milk as a healthy alternative to boxed cereal or sprinkled onto refreshing smoothie bowls, it’s delicious all on its own.
Featured Ingredient: Tahini
One of the key components of this recipe is tahini. Tahini is a thin, nut butter-like paste made of one simple ingredient: sesame seeds. Earthy, nutty, rich, and creamy, tahini not only adds a whole lot of deliciousness to this granola, it also packs a nutritional punch.
In addition to being a source of various vitamins and minerals including thiamin, vitamin E, calcium, and zinc, tahini is a great source of iron, containing nearly 2mg of iron per 1 Tbsp. With nearly 15% of North American women being iron deficient and 8% of the same group diagnosed with iron deficient anemia it is important to get that iron!
Not only is iron fundamental in transporting oxygen throughout the body, it is also aids in releasing energy from the carbohydrates, protein, and lipids we consume, and plays a role in the synthesis of enzymes which allow for important chemical reactions to occur within our bodies.
So, that being said, give tahini a try! Spread it on some toast, mix it as part of a salad dressing, and of course use it in this granola!
References:
Hammond, G. (2017). Blood Health [PDF document]. Retrieved from University of British Columbia Canvas site.
Search online for foods in the Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File, 2015 version.
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