My routine breakfast bowl

Weekday mornings are often a time for routine.

Better to wake-up, engage in the habits that serve us without too much thought or pontification, and roll into the day with a fresh and healthy start. (Weekends are a different story!)

As we wrap up our granola-loving series I wanted to share one final favorite…

It’s the recipe that gives me get-up-and-go each morning. And believe me, routine doesn’t have to be a bore. I look forward to my morning bowl every day!

You might know that I’m a bit rough and tumble when it comes to food prep. I admit I rarely follow a recipe or even use a measuring cup.

A handful here, a pinch there, a dab here…you get the idea.

And we sometimes joke here on the FxNA Nutrition Team that we come up with some unusual food combinations to meet our unique and divergent dietary parameters and taste buds.

Many of my daily concoctions might not make the cut for a food blog or win a photography contest, but they do the trick for satisfying my palate, nourishment needs and fueling my busy days.

Today’s granola is in this category.

Truth be told, it’s not really a recipe but more of a pinch here, a handful there, and a whole lot of following your intuition and taste buds. It may even be a stretch to call it “granola”, but I’m willing to bend the rules if you are.

It’s quick to make, packed with nutrition (think ‘fat/fiber/protein’), keeps me going all day long, and makes my tastebuds twitter with delight.

To our communal and continued granola goodness!
Another reason I’m sharing this recipe with you today is that it may very well be my most asked for recipe! Each year I mention it during class in my training course for practitioners—Full Body Systems (when I’m breaking down how digestion works)—and those clinicians always ask what’s in my bowl.
Did you miss the other granola recipes in the series? No worries! You can find all of the previously posted granola goodness from the FxNA Nutrition Team right on the blog including gluten-free, AIP, paleo, and buckwheat-based creations.

Raw “Granola” (mix and make)

Now remember—this is less about following a recipe and more about following your kitchen (or granola!) intuition. This is roughly my morning mixture but you can create what works for you. Don’t be shy. Mix and match to your heart’s delight. You really can’t go wrong. It’s granola after all!
Ingredients

handful each of:

• almonds

• walnuts

• pumpkin seeds

• goji berries or mulberries

• coconut flakes

• sesame seeds

*Or any other combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit that work for your dietary parameters and taste buds.

Pulse the almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, goji berries and coconut flakes in a mini food processor until coarse. Place in a glass bowl and stir in the handful of raw sesame seeds.

Store this mixture in the freezer for future “granola”-making. When you’re ready to make your morning granola, you’ll need:

• 1 TBSP of the ground nut/fruit mixture (from above)

• 1 apple, diced

• 1 tsp coconut oil

• 1 TBSP raw nut or seed butter of choice (almond, cashew, pumpkin, sunflower, etc.)

• a few pinches of cinnamon

• pinch of sea salt (I love using vanilla sea salt)

• 1 tspn maca powder (optional)

• 1 TBSP ground flax seeds

• non-dairy milk of choice (optional)

Preparation

Place approximately 1 TBSP of your previously ground nut/fruit mixture (from the first step) in a bowl with the diced apple.

Add a few liberal shakes of cinnamon, a generous pinch of sea salt and maca, if using. Stir to combine.

Add the raw nut butter and mash it around until it’s well distributed in the nut/apple mixture. If your coconut oil is solid, gently melt (over a LOW flame) and drizzle it into your granola bowl. Mix to form small granola-like clumps.

Stir in the ground flax seed until it’s incorporated into your granola. You should be left with a clumpy and yummy bowl of raw granola.

Pour on some non-dairy milk of your choice, if desired, and enjoy!
NOTES: You can make a large batch of the nut/fruit mixture and store it in the fridge or freezer, but do not heat the granola once you have added the ground flax seeds. You can mix and match whatever ingredients you like—add or substitute other dried fruits, or different nuts and seeds, add superfood powders, sprinkle with bee pollen, and have some fun. This is what makes morning routines exciting.

By: Andrea Nakayama, FxNA Founder & Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.