Crunch Time: Quinoa Granola Minus the Sugar Bomb

Think granola is all sugar and oats? Think again.

This recipe will reimagine how you think about the popular snack. Before we dive in, here’s what you should know about the stars of this quinoa-based recipe, and how they will benefit you:

-Goji berries are super high in Vitamin C and they also raise your blood sugar slowly so you don’t crash hard later (no one likes that).

-A quarter cup of pepitas gives you almost half the amount of the daily recommended dose of magnesium.

-The hipster grain quinoa is not only high in fiber, but it’s a great gluten free alternative for people who suffer from celiac and gluten intolerance it also packs a protein punch.

-Cashews have the lowest fat content of most nuts, a handful of pecans a day can help lower your cholesterol.

-Cinnamon can help people with diabetes stabilize their blood sugar.

-Ginger is used to treat dozens of ailments.

Seriously—this granola? Next level. Try it with unsweetened almond milk, a scoop of yogurt, or go wild and sprinkle it over vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

• 1 cup red quinoa
• 2 cups pepitas
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup hemp hearts
• 1 cup whole oats
• 2 cups raw cashews, chopped
• 2 cups pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried Goji berries, blueberries or other dried fruit
• 8 tablespoons coconut nectar (Henry used 4 tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon sea salt (Henry used pink Himalayan salt)
• 1/2 cup fresh fruit juice (Henry used navel oranges,
  he was out of blood oranges)
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Chop the nuts, put in bowl and add all of the seeds, oats and quinoa. Then add in the coconut nectar, fresh juice, olive oil and salt.
3. Lay out thin layers of granola on a silpat on a baking sheet or parchment paper, toast each batch for about 15 minutes but keep an eye on it, when it just starts to brown remove it. Add in the dried berries and store in jars.

Yields: 12 cups

Serving size: 1/4 cup

Per serving: 20 g of carbohydrates