The Cereal Fix

I know it's hard for people to accept that breakfast cereal is highly processed and difficult to digest and as a result can actually rob your body of vital vitamins and minerals. After all, they have such convincing commercials that they are a great health food! Here is a tip 99.9% of foods that are good for your body are not seen on commercials. Think about it. How many commercials do you see for blueberries, pasture-raised meats, and cabbage?

The way food companies make a profit is to take a substandard substance (like an already processed grain left over from some other food factory) and add lot's of fillers (chemicals, artificial flavors, and colors) to stretch their profit. Then when they market it as a you-can't-get-healthy-without-it product and the price for substandard food suddenly sky rockets. Thus they have money for all the commercials.

On the other hand when the blueberry farmer sells his blueberry you get a blueberry and you pay what a blueberry is worth. As a result there is no money for a multi-million dollar ad campaign for this food. And if we all used common sense there would be no need for one.

So here is a recipe for those of you who still need your cereal fix. This is a granola recipe that my mom and sister gave me and I make it in double batches to have on hand. It is not a soaked grain and I prefer to give my family grains that have been soaked and slightly fermented because it aids in digestion. Phytates present in grains can bind with vitamins and mineral and cause them to be excreted from the body instead of being absorbed. However this is a MUCH better alternative to processed breakfast cereals. Still we try to limit this breakfast item to a couple of times per week. This can be stored for a long time so it's more of a back up breakfast option.

Granola

2 cups oatmeal
1/4 cup flax meal (it's best if you grind it fresh)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dates, chopped
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Combine dry ingredients

Heat next 4 ingredients
1/2 cup almond butter (can use peanut butter if you must)
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons butter or coconut oil

Mix heated ingredients with dry ingredients and press on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Let it cool 20 minutes and then move it to an air tight storage container.

Serve as a breakfast cereal with milk or try it with plain greek yogurt. It's also great with keifer or another drinkable yogurt poured over it. Be sure to buy high quality dairy products from your local dairy or make them yourself with fresh raw milk!

Tips:
I always double the recipe to make the most of my time in the kitchen.

Keep unused flax meal in the freezer.

I soak and dry my nuts and seed at a low temperature before I add them. You can skip this step if you don't know how. Or better yet check our Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon to learn how. This process aids in digesting the nuts and you won't get that gassy bloated feeling that people often get from nuts and seeds.

Remember to always use high quality organic ingredients.