Granola that’s healthy and inexpensive
Do you sometimes baulk at the price of healthy, activated cereals and granolas which are made from wholeseome ingredients like nuts, seeds, and buckwheat? I definitely do.
What about when your favourite, intolerance-friendly cereal isn’t on the shelf? Very annoying! Do you go to the other shop, wasting your precious time, just to get one thing?
Or do you buy something else, knowing it’s not as good for you or might make you just a little bit sick?
OR, do you find a recipe and make your own? (Once in a while, I do. Not always, but sometimes. And I feel pretty good when I do, knowing that just a short time in the kitchen, will mean healthy and cheaper breakfasts for my family.)
Why do I want to activate nuts and seeds?
Nuts and seeds contain phytates (or phytic acid), which is an anti-nutrient. Phytates bind to nutrients – helping the seed stay dormant until it’s ready to germinate – and this dormant state prevents us from absorbing the goodness.
By soaking nuts and seeds, the phytates are broken down and this allows us to absorb the nutrients in our digestive systems. Our bodies can then use all the beneficial fats, protein, minerals, antioxidants and other micronutrients.
Ingredients
gluten free dairy free grain free egg free
Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 20 mins
Activating time: 24 hours – optional
1 1/2 cups buckwheat grouts (from supermarket health food aisle or health food shop. Don’t buy them activated – it’s really expensive – do it yourself very easily)
1 1/2 cups nuts and seeds (chopped if large, or include coconut after the soaking step)
1/4 tsp salt (plus 1 tsp if soaking)
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup (pure, not “maple flavoured”) or 3 tbsp rice malt syrup (this amount makes a mildly sweet granola, so if you are used to more sugar, you may want to add up to 4 tbsp sweetener here)
for chocolatey version – add 1 tbsp raw cacao powder and 1 extra tbsp of honey, maple or rice malt syrup
Method
To activate* –
Measure out buckwheat, nuts and seeds into a bowl and cover with water and 1 tsp sea salt for at least 3 hours. Drain well and soak up excess moisture with paper towel. Go to Activated Cooking step.
*Skip this step if you want to make it right now and go to Non-activated Cooking
Activated Cooking –
Preheat oven to a low temperate around 75ºC or less, to preserve the nutrients of the nuts and seeds. Some ovens will stay this low, while other won’t, so experiment with yours and have it as low as it will go, or use a dehydrator.
Combine all ingredients, and lay flat on a baking tray.
Activate overnight at this low temperature to retain all the nutrients and make your buckwheat granola really easy to digest. You should still cook until crunchy.
Non-activated Cooking –
Preheat oven to 160ºC. Combine all ingredients, and lay flat on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until starting to go golden brown. If your oven cooks unevenly, mix the granola after 10 minutes and lay flat again.
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