Skip to content
Wellness Blog
Simple Tips to Making Healthy Granola at Home + Recipe Included!
Granola Secrets to Power Your Brain, Body and Tastebuds! Did you know that granola was invented by a doctor more than 150 years ago? It’s true. In 1863, Dr. James Caleb Jackson, of a prominent health spa in upstate New York, made a cereal from baked graham flour and named it “granula.” Over a decade later, a similar cereal was developed by another doctor, John Harvey Kellogg. When Kellogg also called his cereal recipe granula, Jackson sued. So Kellogg switched the “u” to an “o,” and there you have it! Granola’s origins will forever be linked to health. Granola resurfaced in the 1960s with its more modern iteration of baked oats, nuts, and dried fruit. However, as big manufacturers began formulating granola, they started adding high amounts of sugar, as well as additives, seriously compromising granola’s natural, healthful qualities. Today, the secret to enjoying granola that tastes delicious and powers your brain and body health is to make it yourself. How to Make Healthy Granola A healthy granola starts with the right ingredients. That means using whole, nutrient-dense grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, healthy oils and spices, and unrefined sweeteners. Basic granola ingredients include: One or more whole grains Nuts and seeds Dried fruit Fat/oil Natural sweetener Spices Let’s take a look at the most nutritious and tasty ingredient options. Whole Grains There are loads of whole grain options to use for your granola, but rolled oats reign supreme for a host of reasons. First, they have a wonderful texture when baked. Second, they are a gluten-free treasure trove of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Oats are loaded with complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, making them ideal for breakfast or a quick snack. A mineral-rich marvel, oats are a great source of manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, and folate. Oats also have an array of B vitamins and antioxidants. Consuming oats helps to promote healthy blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. No wonder they’re the go-to granola grain! Other whole grains, such as spelt, rye wheat, barley or quinoa, or a combination of these with oats, are also good for your brain and body. Nuts and Seeds The nuts and seeds you add to your granola really turn on the brain health factor as they’re loaded with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Be sure to choose nuts and seeds that are organic and unsalted. Walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts all make great additions to granola. Walnuts are exceptional when it comes to supporting brain health. They have a significantly high concentration of DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid. Some research suggests that DHA may boost your brain’s cognitive performance and help prevent age-related cognitive decline. Seeds add more complexity to your granola, while offering another nutrition-packed punch. Seeds are chock-full of many of the same nutrients you find in nuts…healthy fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds are fantastic additions to any granola recipe. Dried Fruits Dried fruits add a delicious sweetness to granola that makes it complete. Raisins, coconut flakes, date pieces, dried apricots, and dried apple are very popular. They’re also loaded with vitamins and minerals. Unsweetened dried berries are full of brain-protective antioxidants. A sour or tangy type of dried fruit adds a nice pop of flavor to counter the sweet. Consider dried cranberries or dried cherries. Whatever dried fruit you decide to use, remember to choose organic, if possible, and with no sugar added. In the case of cranberries, you can find them sweetened with apple juice concentrate. Sweetener Most granola recipes call for a sweetener. Avoid refined white sugar or brown sugar as they have few nutrients and spike blood sugar levels. Unrefined sugars are generally lower on the glycemic index scale – which means they won’t spike your blood sugar like table sugar does. Instead, try using maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey, unsulphured molasses, brown rice syrup, or date sugar. These unrefined sweeteners have nutritive value, antioxidants, and minerals. If you have blood sugar issues or follow a low-sugar diet such as the keto diet, maple-flavored monk fruit is a wonderful option. Fat/Oil Coconut oil is a plant-based saturated fat that’s believed to have many healthy and potentially brain-boosting properties. It also maintains its integrity at high temperatures making it great for baking granola. Other healthy oils that work well in granola include olive oil, walnut oil, or avocado oil. Spice Vanilla, cinnamon, all spice, and cocoa have beneficial properties for health. For example, cinnamon has been linked to improved memory and healthy blood sugar levels in the body. Cocoa flavanols may boost brain cognition. They also make granola incredibly delicious. Though not a spice, dark chocolate (made with low sugar or an unrefined sweetener) can make a granola especially delicious while boosting brain health. Get Ready to Create Now that you have the basic healthy ingredients, you’re ready to make your own granola. Try the recipe below and feel free to swap out ingredients as desired. Most homemade granolas, if stored in an airtight container, will last two weeks. If you wish to make a big batch, you can also freeze the granola for later use. Enjoy! [wc_box color="secondary" text_align="left" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" class=""] Homemade Healthy Granola Recipe [wc_row] [wc_column size="one-half" position="first"] Ingredients 3 cups old-fashioned oats 1 ½ cups (walnuts, pecans, almonds) ½ cup seeds (sunflower and chia) ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon ⅓ cup maple syrup ⅓ cup coconut oil melted ⅓ cup dried cranberries (apple juice sweetened) or dried cherries (unsweetened) [/wc_column] [wc_column size="one-half" position="last"] Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, mix oats, nuts, seeds, salt, coconut, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and maple syrup together. Spread out evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for about 30 minutes until cool. Add dried fruit and break apart pieces into clusters. Eat and/or store. [/wc_column] [/wc_row] [/wc_box] At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
Learn more
Go walNUTS For Your Brain’s Health
The incredible health benefits of walnuts have been making us nuts…in a good way. We owe our thanks to Mother Nature for giving us one of the best foods for our brains and longevity. It is no coincidence that brain shaped foods can provide optimal brain benefits. In fact, walnuts have almost twice as many antioxidants as other commonly consumed nuts such as almonds, peanuts, and pistachios. They are packed with a high concentration of DHA (a type of Omega-3 fatty acid) and polyphenols. Polyphenols play an important role in fighting free radicals and cancer cells, and protecting your cardiovascular system. Omega-3’s are known to be one of the fundamental building blocks of the brain, critical for brain health in both infants and adults and have been studied to boost mood and improve cognition. In fact, in a recent study done by the University of New Mexico, they found that supplementation with walnuts seemed to have the ability to improve mood in healthy, non-depressed males. Women, you are not left out on the benefits of these little gems. A study in 2009 was done by Harvard where they studied 140,000 women over a ten-year period. They reported that the women who ate walnuts regularly trimmed their risk for developing type 2 diabetes up to 24% compared to those who ate them only on rare occasion. More Amazing Benefits Not only are walnuts inexpensive, convenient and packed with brain-benefits, they are also full of high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and can fall into a dairy-free, gluten-free, or a Mediterranean diet. If you are worried about the fat content of nuts or that they will cause weight gain, fear no more. Nuts contain healthful polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats, rather than saturated fats found in foods like butter. Plus, being protein and fiber packed, walnuts keep you full for longer periods of time, so you won’t be swayed to snack on unhealthy snacks that often cause unwanted or unintentional weight gain. You Don’t Need to Go Crazy The best part about all of these amazing characteristics of walnuts: you only need around 7 a day to reap all the health benefits they can offer! That’s right, you don’t need to go crazy, spending a fortune on your groceries and incorporating walnuts in bulk into every single meal. Just a handful each day will get you the benefits you want! Here are a few of Tana’s delicious recipes to include some walnuts into any meal, even dessert! Of course, we always love throwing a few on top of our salads for a quick and easy way to get our walnut fix. Tana’s Apple Cinnamon Crisp Sunrise Grainless Granola Happy Brain Halibut with Pesto Cream Sauce Find more great recipes from Tana for your brain-healthy life in The Brain Warrior’s Way Cookbook.
Learn more
Cozy Yam Almond Mash
(RECIPE) Meatless Monday Enjoy our savory Meatless Monday recipe, developed by Tana Amen, BSN, RD, author of The Brain Warrior’s Way Cookbook. She’s created a heart-warming indulgent dish chock-full of vitamins C and A, and other nutrients good for your brain, and your heart. In our Cozy Yam Almond Mash vegetarian recipe, the almonds used are very high in brain-healthy fats and proteins, vitamin E, manganese and magnesium, says Amen. Both of these “m” minerals (manganese and magnesium) are needed by the body to break down and absorb calcium and healthy fats that can boost brain power. They may also bolster bone health and energy metabolism, she says. Remember: Amen uses fiber-rich yams as the feature ingredient in meatless soups and side dishes to help fill you up and satisfy carbohydrate cravings on chilly nights in front of the fire, watching our PBS Specials. Ingredients 4 Servings 1.33 cup yams peeled, chopped 1/3 cup almond milk 1/6 teaspoon erythritol (or another sugar substitute) 1/6 teaspoon nutmeg Directions Medium dice the yams and place in a large pot of water. Boil until tender (20 minutes or so), then drain. Place in a food processor or electric mixer, and then blend yams with almond milk, erythritol and nutmeg. Blend until smooth and enjoy warm or cold. Nutritional Info Per Serving 85 calories 0.5g fat 0.4g sugar 1.5g protein 3g fiber 19.5g carbs 28mg sodium 0.05g saturated fat 0mg cholesterol This recipe was created by Tana Amen BSN, RN, fitness expert and book author. Shop for your favorite books and supplements, and stay tuned for our healthy recipes every Monday.
Learn more