If only the foods we had weaknesses for were healthy for us, it would solve all problems.

Well, funny enough…if you read what’s written on many of these pre-packaged foods, you’d think they actually figured a way to make chocolate cookies as nutrient dense as eating kale and spinach.  Or that drinking a fancy bottle of sugar laden exotic fruit drink was just as healthy, if not healthier, than drinking a glass of fresh green juice.

It’s amazing how easily we can convince ourselves, when we want to.  Trust me, even though I’m a health nut and I should know better…I’ll be the first one to pick up that so called home-made granola that’s nicely packaged in what looks like a brown paper bag your mom used to pack your lunch in grade school.  As soon as I see the words “organic”, “natural”, “small batches” “locally made”...I’m sold.

Yes…as you probably guessed, granola happens to be one of my weaknesses.

The problem with them (and other “healthy” snacks”) is that the ingredients are mixed with some healthy and some not-so-healthy stuff.  And 9 out of 10 times, I’m always left wondering…if only they had left out this or that ingredient, it would actually be pretty healthy.

Well, since I haven’t found anything that actually fits my needs, I decided to make my own.  Heck it’s granola…how hard can it be?

So here’s the thing about my granola - it’s oat-free.  Gasp!  I know what you’re thinking…it’s not granola without oats.  Well that may be the case, but for me oats is a deal breaker, even if it’s gluten-free oats.  Mainly because I’m not a huge fan of grains, and I keep my carb intake fairly low and so having oats in my granola is a no go. You may be a little skeptical, but if you’re like myself and want to keep carbs and grains to a minimum, you’ll definitely want to give this a try.

For me, the goal was to make granola that was free of oats, low in sugar/carbs, high in fiber and fat…yet still tasty and crunchy.  Keep in mind, you can add and subtract any of the ingredients I’ve listed to make it to your liking. So here’s my recipe.

Note: I make a large batch, so if you want to make a smaller batch you can cut the ingredients in half.

Ingredients:

• 8 -10 cups of coconut flakes

• 2 cups of sliced almonds

• 1 cup of sunflower seeds

• 1 cup of pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup of almond meal

• 0 - 4 tbsp of coconut sugar

• 2 cups of egg whites (liquid egg whites)

Process:

• Put all ingredients in a big bowl, mix it up really well and spread it in two large baking pan.

• Spray two large baking pans with the oil of your choice (I use coconut oil spray) to try and prevent the granola from getting baked to the pan.

• Heat oven to 275 degrees and bake for 60 75 minutes.

• Take it out after 30 minutes (or so) and mix the granola up so that it gets baked evenly.

• Take the pan out after 60 minutes or when the granola looks nice and golden brown.

If you have a weakness for granola and you’re following my Lean Body Diet or something similar (low carb/primal diet) give this recipe a try.

Hope you enjoy it!