Crispy, crunchy, lightly sweetened with maple syrup, and warmed with cinnamon and cardamom, this granola is a family favorite. Around the holidays I sometimes double the recipe to make enough for teachers, bus drivers, and other special people in my life. A gift for me is the amazing smell in my house while it's baking!
This is more of a toasted muesli than a granola formed into clusters. That type is usually made with lots of added sugar (although I've seen recipes that achieve the same effect with an egg white). I use (real) maple syrup because I like the flavor, and the consistency of maple syrup makes it a snap to mix together. Honey or agave would also work, and you can adjust the sweetness to suit your taste.
Oatmeal, whether cooked as porridge, in granola, or in some other form, is one of those foods that isn't without controversy in the nutrition community. Whether or not it has a place in a healthy diet is unique for each person. Read on to learn more.
Is Oatmeal a 'Heart Healthy' Breakfast?
Oatmeal got its reputation as a heart healthy breakfast because it contains a form of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. Like all forms of soluble fiber, beta-glucan impacts cholesterol by binding to it in your digestive tract where it is packaged for excretion. Oats are not the only food that contains, or even the best source of, soluble fiber. Legumes are a particularly rich source, as are barley and fruits and vegetables like pears, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes and almonds.
Beta-glucan seems to be the most studied of all types of soluble fiber for its impact on cholesterol. Two meta-analyses of all the relevant research show a reduction in LDL-cholesterol of approximately 5%, with the ideal 'dose' being about one and a half cups of oatmeal or one cup of barley per day.
Based on these data, governmental agencies in several different countries have allowed manufacturers to use the 'heart healthy' claim that you may have seen on packages of Quaker Oatmeal and Cheerios.
But the devil is in the details. Oatmeal is rarely eaten by itself – it's combined with other foods to make a meal – and I doubt many people eat a cup and a half each and every day. The effect of oatmeal on cholesterol, other markers of nutrition, hormones, and hunger in an overall dietary pattern needs to be considered.
Is Oatmeal a Low Glycemic Index Food?
A measure called Glycemic Index (GI) is an attempt to quantify the impact that oatmeal, and other carbohydrate-containing foods, has on blood sugar, hormones, and hunger.
As a reference, pure glucose (sugar) is set to a GI of 100. The GI for different foods is then measured by comparing how much they raise blood sugar compared to glucose. Measuring all foods according to this standard creates a way to compare different foods. For example, legumes have a very low GI value, while white bread and sugar-sweetened drinks have a GI that is close or equal to pure glucose.
Glycemic Index is a useful concept, which can help you figure out 'on paper' how different foods may affect your blood sugar, appetite, and energy. There is even a diet called the "Low Glycemic Index Diet,' based on this concept. The idea is that eating foods with a low GI will keep your blood sugar balanced and your hunger under control so that you lose weight.
In standard reference tables, oatmeal has a Glycemic Index of 55, which puts it just at the top of foods that are considered 'low glycemic.'
In my own personal experience, however, oatmeal never seems to fill me up and I end up eating more for breakfast than I would if I started my day with eggs. How can that be?
There are a couple of factors that affect the GI of foods in practical application:
The quantity of food eaten matters. For example, a large quantity of a low GI food might have a bigger impact on your blood sugar than a small quantity of a high GI food. A concept called Glycemic Load (GL) was created to take the amount of the food that you eat into account.
The other foods eaten with a carbohydrate-containing food affects how fast it hits your bloodstream. Fat, protein, and fiber all slow things down, leading to a more gentle blood sugar rise and less chance of triggering the 'hangries.'
Individual factors such as genetics, hormones, and the composition of your microbiome also make GI a very individualized concept.
Is Oatmeal Right for You?
So which is it? Is oatmeal a superfood based on the cholesterol lowering benefits of beta-glucan or a food to be avoided based on the impact on your blood sugar?
As with all the recommendations I make for my clients, the science can be a good basis for a starting point, but the ultimate answer is – how does a food affect you? Does a breakfast of oatmeal keep you full until lunch? If not, play around with the type of oatmeal you're eating. Instant oatmeal has been processed so that it's not only quick cooking, but quick digesting. Hearty Irish oatmeal takes much longer time for your system to break down.
Are you eating your oatmeal with fast-digesting carbohydrates like sugar and bananas, or knocking down the glycemic impact with almond butter or walnuts, which contain added protein and fat?
If you've tried different forms of oatmeals and all sorts of different combinations, then oatmeal might not be the breakfast for you.
For more help creating an individualized food plan that supports your health goals, I invite you to schedule a call to see how we can work together. (If your cholesterol is high, we'll talk about that too.)
Recipe Tips
The ingredients for this recipe come together quickly, with most of the prep time for baking. The baking time and temperature depends on your oven. It needs to be hot enough to crisp and brown the oats, but not so hot that they burn. Stirring the granola periodically, and the final step of letting it sit in the oven after the oven has been turned off, helps to get every bit of it brown and crunchy.
This recipe makes a LOT, and sometimes I even double it because my family seems to go through it faster than I can keep it in the pantry. I usually store about half of it in an airtight container such as a canister or jar and the rest goes in the freezer in a zip-loc bag for when the jars are empty.
A Note about Gluten
This is technically a gluten-free recipe as there are no gluten-containing ingredients, but there are two caveats about oats.
Although oats don't contain gluten, the factories in which they are processed often also process wheat, so there can be some cross-contamination. If gluten is an issue for you, I recommend oats labeled 'gluten free' like Bob's Red Mill brand. I also like to use organic oats because conventionally grown oats are frequently contaminated with glyphosate.
Even gluten free oats might not be OK for some people. There is a protein in oats called avenin which is structurally similar to gluten and some people react to it in the same way. If you have celiac disease, I imagine you already know that. If you just know gluten makes you feel icky and can't figure out why oats do too, that could be the reason.
Cranberry Almond Granola
Makes approximately 12 cups
Ingredients
6 cups gluten free rolled oats
8 ounces raw sliced almonds
8 ounces raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 cups coconut chips
2 cups fruit-juice sweetened dried cranberries
2 cups real maple syrup
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix the oats, almonds, pumpkins seeds and coconut chips (all the dry ingredients except the cranberries) together in a large bowl.
Blend the maple syrup, olive oil, cinnamon, cardamom and salt together in a medium bowl or 4-cup measuring cup.
Slowly pour the liquid ingredients into the oat mixture, stirring thoroughly so that all the grains are evenly coated.
Spread the granola evenly in several large baking pans. I use two 18x13 half-sheet pans.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring the granola and rotating the pans every 15 minutes. If granola starts to get too brown, turn the oven down to 300.
Add additional time, if necessary, until the granola is uniformly brown. Turn the oven off, but leave the pans in the oven until it cools. When you take them out, your granola will be toasty brown and crunchy.
Stir in the dried cranberries.
Store a 2-week supply in an airtight container. Freeze the remainder in ziploc bags.