**This post was developed and written by Nancy Gammack, RD when she was a dietetic intern and volunteer for Ignite.
As a registered dietitian, I am excited to share with you a homemade granola recipe. Made for a special someone found within your gut! Let me explain…
What are good bacteria?
Did you know that there is such a thing as good bacteria? Not all bacteria needs to be cleaned away, and killed through sanitization.
We as humans contain trillions of good bacteria within our gastrointestinal system. Most of which have vital tasks to maintain our overall health. Our good bacteria help us in a variety of ways. Including producing a physical barrier in our gut to protect against bad bacteria. They also help us digest nutrients, and even help support an efficient immune system.1
In fact, research is beginning to show. Those bacteria may also play a role in our mood, development of disease, how we age, and more.
Of course, all living organisms require fuel – and it’s our job to keep them healthy and happy.
How can we feed good gut bacteria?
The primary fuel source for our good bacteria is called ‘prebiotics’. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria to ensure they continue growing and producing beneficial by-products, like short chain fatty acids.
I know what you may be thinking… I have never tried prebiotics. Do I need to go out to the store and buy a bottle of prebiotic supplements? Lucky for you, prebiotics can be found in many of the foods we already eat.
What foods contain prebiotics?
Prebiotics can be naturally found in a variety of foods. Including onions, garlic, cruciferous and brightly coloured vegetables, bananas, whole grains, beans, lentils, and more.3 Now you know the valuable role these prebiotics play! So, don’t be afraid to add them more often to your food choices.
Ok, now here is where this granola recipe comes in! You may have guessed it, but that special someone I made it for is in fact your good gut bacteria! This granola is filled with prebiotics and gut friendly ingredients!
When you serve this granola with a scoop of plain yogurt, you’ve got a perfect gut friendly snack! Looking for some other oat based meals? Try our peanut butter overnight oats recipe.
Gut Friendly Recipes: How to Make Healthy Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups large whole grain oats
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup chia seeds
- ½ cup ground flax seed
- ¾ cup currants
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅛ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup crushed up banana chips/dehydrated bananas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl add whole grain oats, whole-wheat flour, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, currants and cinnamon. Stir well and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil, brown sugar and honey together on medium-low until it is a thick liquid. It is ok if it does not mix together.
- Slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients in small amounts stirring in between each addition.
- Add water to the granola and stir until it has been mixed evenly. You may notice that your granola forms small clumps, don’t worry about breaking them up, as they add some volume and taste delicious!
- Press the granola mixture onto a large baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- After 30 minutes, remove from the oven and stir well so that the under layer is exposed well and place back in oven for 15 minutes.
- Let cool, and serve with plain greek yogurt and your favourite fruit.
Notes
- Granola has endless possibilities! Feel free to change up which grains, seeds, and fruit you use!
Categorized: Dairy-Free, Healthy Eating, Snacks, Vegan
