granola – Move Well with Amy Rizzotto

February 10, 2017February 9, 2017

Something for Sundays: Papaya Coconut Granola

Work weeks are hectic and weekends are no longer for rest – at least that’s the way I’m feeling these days. In an effort to fit it all in we have less and less time for essentials like sleep, feeding ourselves and down time. What would happen if we all set aside just a few hours, once a weekend, to stay in, read a book, make some food and just plain relax?

Big batch recipes are a great use of our limited down time – good bang for your (time) buck! With that in mind, I’m launching a new series on my blog “Something for Sundays” to provide big batch recipe ideas that will help you maximize your relaxation time. You may have to hang around the house – dare I suggest, read a book, watch a movie, or listen to a podcast – but you won’t have to be too hands on with these recipes. First up…

April 7, 2015

Peanut Butter Cashew Coconut Granola

Oh boy, it’s here! Another gluten-free granola recipe for you. All of my others have had very fall-like flavor profiles (pumpkin and sweet potato) but it’s time for spring y’all. Not that peanut butter and cashews exactly scream spring like asparagus and artichokes do, but they’re tasty year-round so just enjoy.

This yummy, crunchy, savory-sweet granola is great fuel before a workout. Grab a small handful about 30-45 minutes prior to heading out the door. After a sweat session, top 3/4 cup low-fat plain greek yogurt with 1/4 cup granola and half an apple chopped for a well-balanced recovery meal. Add an extra dash of cinnamon for a more heart-healthy edge!

Peanut Butter Cashew Coconut Granola

What You’ll Need:

5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup raw cashew pieces
1 cup unsweetened shaved coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid or melted)
3/4 cup all-natural peanut butter
3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 Tbs vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped
Optional: 1 cup chopped dried Turkish apricots

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 300°F
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, cashews, and coconut.
In a blender, blend together the coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
Pour blender mixture over your dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated.
Spread the mixture on a lipped baking sheet, pressing it down to evenly cover all the way to the edges.
Bake for 1 hour, gently turning the granola with a spatula every 15 minutes. Flip in sections so that you keep some clumps. Move some of the granola from the edges to the middle and from the middle to the edges about halfway through so that it cooks evenly.
After an hour, turn the oven down to 275°F and cook another 10 -20 minutes. You’ll know it is done when it is dry to the touch and piece left to cool on the counter turns crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
If you’re adding dried apricots, stir them in while the mix is still cooling.

Note: store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

October 15, 2014

Autumn Spice Granola

There is pretty much nothing I like more than a breakfast of greek yogurt, fresh fruit (apple season, hooray!), cinnamon and granola. The problem is whenever I go to the grocery store to try and pick up a bag I can never bring myself to buy one–not because they’re too expensive (though they often are) but because they’re almost all loaded with sugar and/or something the label calls “other carbohydrates,” whatever that means. Call me crazy but I like to know exactly what’s in my food.

Whenever I can, I like to pick up Greenheart Granola or Ahimsa Foods raw granola from my local farmers’ market, but I’ve found it’s most cost-effective to make a big batch of my own.

Last fall, I made a Pumpkin Spice Granola that was super yummy. This time around, I thought I’d give sweet potato a try. I mean, I love it just about every other way–made into a burger, spread on a pizza crust instead of tomato sauce, as a creamy soup, and the list goes on and on!

Sweet potatoes, like all orange veggies, contain alpha carotene, which protects against cancer, and beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A and helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. Almost all orange whole fruits and veggies may also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which is great news for all my runners and high-intesity athletes out there whose fitness takes a toll on their joints.

Give it a go! This recipe is pretty easy to make–you just need to hang around since you leave the oven cooking for a while–and economical.

Autumn Spice Granola

What You’ll Need:
-5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
-1 cup raw sunflower seeds
-1/2 cup coconut oil or butter (or combo), melted
-3/4 cup (or half a 15 ounce can) sweet potato puree
-3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
-1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped
-2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/4 tsp ground cloves
-Optional: 1 cup dried fruit, 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut and/or 1/2 cup cacao nibs

How to Make It:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, raw sunflower seeds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. In a blender, blend together the coconut oil/butter, sweet potato puree, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour blender mixture over your dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated
5. Spread the mixture on a lipped baking sheet, pressing it down to evenly cover all the way to the edges.
6. Bake for 1 hour, gently turning the granola with a spatula halfway through. Flip in sections so that you’re sure to keep some tasty clumps. Also make sure you move some of the granola from the edges to the middle and from the middle to the edges about halfway through cooking so that it cooks evenly.
7. After an hour, turn the oven down to 300°F and cook another 15 -25 minutes. You’ll know it is done when it is dry to the touch and piece left to cool on the counter turns crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
If you’re adding dried fruit, coconut or cacao nibs, stir them in while the mix is still cooling.

Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

November 11, 2013

Pumpkin Spice Granola

I really thought my pumpkin obsession had subsided after eating one too many pumpkin-shaped Reese’s peanut butter cups on Halloween. I was truly convinced I’d moved on following my back-to-back pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin smoothie recipes. I was cured of my fixation–was until I caved and had an almond milk PSL (that’s a pumpkin spice latte for those of you haven’t been to a coffee shop in the last 6 weeks) this weekend. The flame was reignited and the inspiration instantly came to me–I would create my very own PSG (that’s Pumpkin Spice Granola), which it turns out was even better than that PSL.

You’ve heard me rave about the nutritional powerhouse that is pumpkin, so I won’t inundate you with all those fun facts again. Okay well maybe just one sentence to reenforce this gorgeous gourd’s health profile. Pumpkin is packed with fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and a few grams of plant protein, and at only 50 calories per serving is a perfect balance to all that Halloween candy you’ve been eating (guilty as charged).

Without further ado, it’s PSG time!

Pumpkin Spice Granola

What You’ll Need:

5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid or melted)
3/4 cup (or half a 15 ounce can) pumpkin puree
3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 Tbs vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1 inch ground fresh ginger
Optional: 1 cup dried blueberries, chopped dates or tart cherries

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 325°F
In a large bowl, mix together the oats and raw pumpkin seeds.
In a blender, blend together the coconut oil, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until smooth.
Pour blender mixture over your dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated
Spread the mixture on a lipped baking sheet, pressing it down to evenly cover all the way to the edges.
Bake for 1 hour, gently turning the granola with a spatula every 15 minutes. Flip in sections so that you’re sure to keep some tasty clumps. Also make sure you move some of the granola from the edges to the middle and from the middle to the edges about halfway through cooking so that it cooks evenly.
After an hour, turn the oven down to 300°F and cook another 15 -25 minutes. You’ll know it is done when it is dry to the touch and piece left to cool on the counter turns crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
If you’re adding dried blueberries or cherries, stir them in while the mix is still cooling.
Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

June 28, 2013

MOARfit Clinic: Nutrition for Athletes

Last week, I put on my first MOARfit Nutrition for Athletes clinic at Earth Treks Climbing Center in Columbia, MD in partnership with Relay Foods (more on this awesome company later in the post). With my attentive audience of 35 rock climbers, I discussed healthy, non-processed options for optimal energy fueling pre-, during- and post- workout. I also covered topics ranging from proper nutrition for specific goals for weight loss, muscle gain, and healthy tendons/ligaments to information on a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Keep reading and you’ll get a nice snapshot of my most important takeaways for proper sports nutrition. Finally, the best part, I demoed two of my MOARfit recipes (below): one for pre-workout fuel and one for post-workout recovery.

Rules to Live By for Pre-, During- and Post-Workout Fueling:

PRE-WORKOUT	DURING WORKOUT	POST-WORKOUT
Lots of water (and avoid diuretics) High carb, low fat and low protein Solid meals 3-4 hours ahead of event Liquid or light meals 1-3 hours before Consume complex, nutrient-dense carbs (e.g. oatmeal and dried fruit) but avoid too much fiber (GI upset) Eat foods you can easily digest Stomach should be relatively empty prior to physical activity For early starts, eat your heaviest meal the night before Don’t skip meals for late-day events	Fluid replacement for athletic events lasting longer than 30 min Carb replacement for athletic events lasting longer than 1 hour (to replenish glycogen) Additional sodium (an important electrolyte) may be necessary for physical activities lasting more than 4 hours (tournaments, ultramarathons, etc)	10-20 g of protein within 1 hour after physical activity to improve muscle repair Carb-rich meal within 2 hours following event Fluid and electrolyte replacement (sodium, potassium, calcium) Ideal recovery meal is 3:1 carb to protein (e.g. Ezekiel bread w/ raw honey and almond butter, a banana, and 8 oz unsweetened soy milk)

My Key Takeaways:

Ideal caloric intake breakdown for athletes: 25-35% fat: 15-20% protein: 55-60% carbs
Post-workout you only need 10g protein for muscle repair and no more than 20g (unless you are in a weight training program); most American diets already surpass the RDA
Turmeric, basil and cinnamon have powerful anti-inflammatory properties to help muscles and joints. Ginger has been shown to relieve muscle pain and calm an upset stomach.
Our body needs fats for peak physical performance because they help us absorb vitamins A, D, K and E which are important for bone density, repairing muscle cells and promoting blood clotting. Some good fats are avocados, olive oil, walnuts, and raw almond butter.
You do not need supplements but if you take them, do your research: supplementwatch.org
Eat whole, healthy, real foods. Avoid hype and health claims, and ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, number more than 5, or that contain high-fructose corn syrup.

The Recipes: Pre- and Post-Workout Fuel

(1) MOAR’S PRE-WORKOUT HIPPIE FUEL (AKA GRANOLA):

(makes six ½-cup servings)

What You’ll Need:

1 Tbs coconut oil
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup walnuts pieces
2 Tbs whole chia seeds
¼ cup dried cherries, unsweetened
¼ cup dark chocolate bits (dairy-free)
2 Tbs raw honey
¼ cup raw almond butter, unsalted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cayenne (or more to taste)

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 325F. Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oats, coconut and walnuts to pan, cooking for 5-8 min until toasty but not burnt. Remove from heat. Add chia seeds, cherries, chocolate, honey and almond butter to the warm dry ingredients. Give everything a good stir until it all comes together. Spread mixture in an even layer across a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 min until crunchy (stirring once halfway through). Dust with cinnamon and cayenne, toss and let cool.

Nutrition Facts: 330 kcal; 20 g fat; 37 g carbs (7.6 g dietary fiber); 7 g protein

(2) MOAR’S POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY GREENIE:

(makes two 16-oz servings)

What You’ll Need:

10-oz rice milk
½ small avocado
1 medium banana (ripe)
2 Tbs basil (~10 leaves)
½ lime, juiced
1” fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs whole chia seeds
5 Tbs hemp protein powder
2 ½ cups kale, chopped (2 handfuls)
1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
½ cup ice (1 cup of fresh pineapple)

How to Make It:

Add all ingredients in the order listed to your blender. Blend at high speed until smooth.

Nutrition Facts: 338 kcal; 15.3 g fat; 42.8 g carbs (20.5 g dietary fiber); 19 g protein

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SHOUT OUTS:

The workshop was a success, in no small part thanks to my amazing partner Relay Foods. Relay is a super convenient online grocery store where you’ll find all the stuff you need from the best local stores, restaurants, and farms in and around your own neighborhood. I got almost all of my recipe ingredients from these guys and was very much pleased/impressed by the quality. If you’re going to try out my recipes, I’d encourage you to also try out Relay Foods. I’ve saved my shopping list called “Nutrition for Athletes” to make it even easier for you to get things going.

I also want to add that this event could not have happened were it not for the great staff at Earth Treks Columbia who share my belief that athletic performance and nutrition go hand-in-hand. Big thanks to everyone out there in Maryland!

If you’re interested in having me do a Nutrition for Athletes clinic at your gym, yoga studio, school or other venue, please contact me directly via email: [email protected].

June 13, 2013

Hippie Fuel: MOAR Homemade Granola, please!

Granola is undeniably delicious, but cruncher beware. Like trail mix, granola can be deceptively high in calories and low in nutritional goodness. That’s not to say that there aren’t good varieties out there, but read the labels and look out for ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and ingredients you can’t pronounce. The best way to avoid an unhealthy choice is to make your own hippie fuel from scratch–and it’s pretty darn easy!

Hippie Fuel: MOAR’s Homemade Granola

What You’ll Need:

2 tbs coconut oil
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup unsweetened reduced fat coconut
1/4 cup walnuts pieces
1/3 cup dried cherries, unsweetened unsulphured
1/4 cup dark chocolate bits (dairy-free)
2 tbs raw honey
1/4 cup almond butter

How to Make Them:

Preheat your oven to 350 ºF.
Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oats, flaxseed, coconut and walnuts to pan, cooking for 3-5 min until toasty but not burnt.
Remove from heat. Add cherries, chocolate bits, raw honey and almond butter to the now-warm dry ingredients. Give everything a good stir until it all comes together.
Spread the mixture in an even layer across a 1/4 or 1/2 baking sheet. Bake at 350 ºF for 20 min.
Let cool at least 30 min then enjoy!

Makes 6 servings at 300 calories a pop. You can stretch this by adding just a few tablespoons to your oatmeal or yogurt to spice up your breakfast routine. If you’re bringing along the whole bag, make sure it’s to fuel you for a hike, run, bike or another physical activity of choice.