Healthy Home Made Runners Granola Clean Recipe

Take a look around the grocery aisle for healthy snack options and you might fight- GRANOLA!

As a Runner  you might wonder how Granola might fit into your Nutritional Plan. Will it work for you if you plan to Eat well and Still lose weight? I say Absolutely (I can see you smiling! :)
Granola is a great source of Carbohydrates which is the prime fueling choice for Running. Not all Carbohydrates are built the same so this makes Granola a perfect option because it has a Low Glycemic Index!  This would mean  the sugar in this snack will not spike your blood sugar giving you an ultimate quick sugar crash. Your blood sugar will rise and stay there as your body breaks down the oats and honey and various fruits in your Granola. This Sugar is going to give you pro-longed energy. What a great option for snacking just before you go out for a 30-60min run! Low in Sodium,  Saturated Fat & Cholesterol keeping you heart healthy ♥ High Manganese (great for warding off the dreaded muscle cramping)

It looks good ............till you look at the Price Tag ( $6.99-$9.99 per lb) or perhaps the less than desirable ingredient list; you know the one that takes oats and and uses unhealthy oils or rolls it in straight sugar- yeah that is not very desirable when we want to be Healthy Runners & Athletes!


I adventured to make my own and so can you. I want you think about all your most favorite snack foods and then purchase them in small quantity in bulk and made it a part of your ingredient list!


What you will Need

• 4 cups Rolled Oats
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 2 tblsp Vanilla
• 1/4 cup Flaxseed Meal
• 2 tblsp ground cinnamon

It can include but not limited to the following Granola ingredient options:

• 1 cup finely chopped & pureed nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews etc)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup raisins, dates, prunes
• 1/4 cup dried fruit such as cranberry, blueberry
• 1 cup pumpkin puree & tsp Nutmeg
• Unsweetened Coconut
• **Evaporated Cane Juice** 1/4 cup for sweetness 

Mix your ingredients till your basic ingredients are wet from the honey and hold a sticky texture.

Spread Your Mixture onto a Cookie Sheet and Bake at 350 degrees till it the oats start to brown. Remove from oven and stir around and place back in over and cook for another few minutes (just be mindful you don't burn your oats and you will be fine)

Remove from oven and let the Granola Air Dry- Once it's dry you can place in a Ziplock Treat Snack bags for future use. I like the mini snack bags where you can throw in a small portion to take with you as a before/after work-out snack :) Approx: 200 calories for 50gram serving, 4 protein (remember it will vary on how you prepare your granola)

I made a portion with all my favorites and baked it! Then I took the other half of my Granola mix and added the Pumpkin Puree & Nutmeg to make a Pumpkin Granola Treat! This did not bake as 'hard' as the other granola but I was very happy and satisfied with the taste and texture! What a delicious Autumn Treat!

How to Eat Granola: 

• Snack Packs
•  Sprinkle over Greek Yogurt *create your own Parfait*
•  As cereal
• top over a baked apple
• sprinkle over a salad
• sprinkle over pancakes/waffles

In this Granola (mixed nuts, coconut,sesame seeds)

 

Took the recipe that I used in the first granola picture and then added the pumpkin filling and nutmeg and Bake & BAM- That's it!