Send your tastebuds to breakfast heaven!

When I realised how awful conventional breakfast cereals were some years ago, I went cold turkey in the family pantry - maybe a bit too hard!

So the small collection of "cerealy" type things I have on offer in the kitchen are still not met with excitement but I think that's about to change.

I've played around with various nut based mixes which I love, but having too much can be problematic due to over-consumption of Omega 6 polyunsaturated fats. This is already an issue for the Standard Australian Diet (S.A.D. - heard that acronym before? We've stolen it from the Standard American Diet) which is heavily laced with refined carbohydrates, trans-fats and excess of Omega 6. Prior to the heavily processed food generation, the Omega 6: Omega 3 ratio was on par at 1:1. Those eating a S.A.D. diet would now regularly be eating a ratio of 20:1 - this is a very pro inflammatory situation we want to avoid. (Simopoulos, 2016).

Aim for a diet with generous amounts of Omega 3 fats, of which regular consumption has shown to effectively reduce cardiovascular disease, obesity, inflammatory conditions and cognitive disorders. (Oregan State University, LPI, 2014).

So the trick is to have this cereal 2-3 times a week if you like eating something in a bowl with a spoon, but mix it up if you can, create variety in your meals - our guts love diversity!

Look at it as a component of the meal - not the meal. ie have half a cup of granola with some milk and fruit or make a parfait in a glass layering the granola alternatively with greek yogurt and berries. This will ensure you get a good mix of fats, proteins and phytonutrients and fill you up without overloading on the nut stuff!

So. Onto tastebud heaven - this is quick and easy to whip up, can be eaten any time of the day and you can change it up depending on what's in the pantry. The recent little addition I've made is the orange zest - it's a whole new level of yum. By the way, it's also a great gift for wellness/foodie appreciators - reuse those leftover pasta sauce/honey jars to present them in.

Happy cooking and let me know your adventures with Anytime Zesty Orange Granola!

ZESTY ORANGE GRANOLA FOR ANYTIME

What you need:

1.5kg of various nuts such as almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, macadamias, hazlenuts – mix and match

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup rolled oats or buckwheat groats

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

2 Tablespoons rice malt syrup

Zest of 1 orange

To add after cooking (optional)

¼ cup chia seeds

¼ cup goji or inca berries

¼ cup ground fresh flaxseed meal

What you do:

1. Turn on oven to 160 C

2. Line a large baking tray (or 2 smaller ones) with baking paper

3. Melt coconut oil with rice malt syrup in the microwave or on stove

4. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl and pour over melted oil and syrup

5. Pour onto baking tray(s) and spread out evenly

6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, tossing nuts around once. When they are nicely browned and aromatic remove from oven to let cool and harden.

7. Once cool, add in optional extras

Store in a large container for 3-4 weeks

If you're wondering how you can get more Omega 3 fats into your diet, try eating fatty fish like wild caught salmon, sardines or herring 2-3 times a week, flaxseeds and walnuts. Check out my references for more in depth information. Please ensure to check in with your health carer before making dietary changes if you have any medical conditions.

Reference List

Linus Pauling Institute. (2014). Essential Fatty Acids.

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/other-nutrients/essential-fatty-acids

Simopoulos, A. P. (2016). An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity. Nutrients, 8(3), 128. http://doi.org/10.3390/nu8030128

#Healthymeals #Nutrition #Protein #Breakfast #Nuts #Omega3FattyAcids #Salmon #CardioVascular #Obesity #Inflammation