Starting your day with smart carbohydrates like those in this homemade granola not only feeds your brain, but also balances the metabolism hormones that send the signal to your brain that you’re full and satisfied. You’ll be less likely to crave unhealthy snacks later.
Makes 12 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
- Coconut oil (as oil or nonstick cooking spray)
- 1⁄2 cup sliced almonds
- 1⁄2 cup chopped cashews
- 1⁄2 cup walnut halves
- 1⁄2 cup pecan halves
- 1⁄2 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- 1⁄2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1⁄4 cup chopped goji berries or dates
- 1 egg white
- 2 tsp. water
- 1 tbs. maple syrup
Optional Ingredients
- 1⁄2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg
- 1⁄2 tsp. salt
- Almond, coconut, or hemp milk
- Yogurt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Grease or spray a large baking sheet with coconut oil.
- Add nuts, seeds, coconut, and goji berries or dates to a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture is coarsely chopped to the consistency of granola (be careful not to overprocess). Depending on the size of your processor, you may have to do this in two batches. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg white, water, and maple syrup. Add vanilla and spices as desired. Mix well. Slowly drizzle the egg mixture over the nut-and-seed blend. Mix well with clean hands, covering granola mixture with a light coat of the liquid.
- Spread mixture evenly over a large baking sheet and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until mixture is dry and forms small clusters. Remove from heat and allow to cool prior to serving.
- Serve with almond, coconut, or hemp milk, or yogurt of your choice.
- Place remaining granola in an airtight container. Freeze leftover granola within several days.
Tip: To improve the digestibility of the nuts, you can soak them for up to 24 hours and then dehydrate in the oven (150 degrees F) for 12 to 24 hours before making the granola.
From The Brain Warrior’s Way Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Ignite Your Energy and Focus, Attack Illness and Aging, Transform Pain into Purpose by Daniel G. Amen, MD, and Tana Amen, published on November 22, 2016, by New American Library, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2016 by Tana Amen and Daniel G. Amen, MD.
Why No Numbers? Readers sometimes ask us why we don’t publish nutrition information with our recipes. We believe that (barring specific medical advice to the contrary) if you’re eating primarily whole, healthy foods — an array of sustainably raised vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, meats, fish, eggs, whole-kernel grains, and healthy fats and oils — you probably don’t need to stress about the numbers. We prefer to focus on food quality and trust our bodies to tell us what we need. — The Editors