PHOTOS BY Sara Jensen

Quinoa Granola


 2016-03-28

Think that granola is all sugar and oats? Think again. With this great recipe our very own Sam Talbot and his friend Henry Jensen came up with, you are in for a real treat.

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 (Cinnamon is not a cure! And don’t get me started on the okra cure!), and ginger is used to treat dozens of ailments. I mean, seriously, this granola? Amazing. If you don’t believe me, ask Henry. Henry likes to eat his with unsweetened almond milk, his sister likes yogurt and his mom maybe eats it on vanilla ice cream sometimes.

  • 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
  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

WRITTEN BY Sam Talbot + Henry Jensen, POSTED 03/28/16, UPDATED 06/26/23

Sam (age 37) + Henry (age 8) are best friends and both T1 diabetics. They chat via facetime a couple times a month and talk about recipes, T1 problems and general dude stuff.