A Healthy Snowball

If you’ve read my other breakfast posts, you know that mornings are early and slightly chaotic around here. If you haven’t read my other breakfast posts, you should 😉 I’ll even make it easy for you and leave you links here and here for some easy and healthy breakfast prep! But, seriously, it is tough to get in a healthy breakfast when you are trying to rush out the door in the morning. However, it is so important for your blood sugar and your metabolism…there’s a reason why they (whoever “they” is) say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

A healthy breakfast is good for your body, but I’ve found, also important for my mind. If I eat a donut for breakfast (and let’s be real, who eats just ONE donut?!), it is so much easier for me to make unhealthy choices the rest of the day. I will have low energy from my donuts so I won’t want to work out, but I will still be hungry because my nutritional needs weren’t met, so I may binge eat for lunch, and so on. But if I start my day out with a satiating, nutritional breakfast, that sets me on a healthy track for the rest of the day. After my healthy breakfast (and of course coffee), I will have the energy for a morning jog, then eat a healthy snack and drink some water when I get home, and it just snowballs in a healthy way.

So here I have refined sugar free Fruit and Nut Granola which you can prep ahead of time and grab and go! I hope you can make a batch to enjoy throughout your week and start your days with a healthy snowball!

Fruit and Nut Granola

Delicious with milk, plain Greek yogurt, or by itself! Makes about three cups.

Ingredients:

• One cup of old fashioned oats (GF if needed)
• 1/2 cup of almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, coarsely chopped
• One tbsp of chia seeds
• One cup of dried fruit, chopped (I did half a cup of apricots, half a cup of dates)
• 1/2 to one tsp of cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• One generous tbsp of raw honey, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F
• Prepare large baking sheet with baking spray
• Combine dry ingredients except sugar on baking sheet
• In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, and honey
• Pour over mixture on the baking sheet
• Stir until everything is evenly coated
• Spread out in a single layer on baking sheet
• Bake for five minutes, stir, then bake for another 3-5 minutes until desired toastiness
• While still warm, drizzle with additional honey and let cool and harden

I mean no ill will against donuts, but if I start my day with donuts I know my sugar monster will stalk me all day. Who wants a monster stalking them all day?! I hope making this granola gets your monster off your trail and sets your healthy intention for the day. Eat a healthy breakfast…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!