Crunchy Orange Granola, spiced with ginger and honey, smells so good while it’s baking and tastes so good while you’re eating! Protein, fiber and healthy fats from this homemade granola keep you energized.
Beat breakfast boredom
A cold berry smoothie is how I begin most weekend mornings. Blended banana, berries, oatmeal, milk, and yogurt make me happy because it means it’s Saturday! Some upbeat music helps me plan my day and keeps me out of breakfast boredom.
But breakfasts that make you smile shouldn’t be limited to one day a week.
What’s a Healthy Breakfast?
Based on the wisdom of mothers throughout the ages, breakfast is important. B’fast eaters have better overall diets with more nutrients, vitamins and minerals, because when you skip it, it’s difficult to make up those lost nutrients. Skipping breakfast is a no-brainer, literally. With no fuel, your brain is operating on empty.
In my book, Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest, Simple Solutions for Fresh Food and Well-Being, I remind readers that breakfast is one tool to help you live better. University of Minnesota researchers agree that daily breakfast is strongly associated with reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Climb out of the breakfast rut and use breakfast as your energy reboot. To meet the breakfast gold standard, include food from each group.
Powerful Protein
Protein takes time to digest so helps us stay focused longer by keeping blood sugar steady and hunger at bay. Yogurt, egg, milk and cheese, nut butters, tuna, nuts, beans, meat and poultry are the foods to choose.
Whole Grains
Whole grains energize bodies and brains. With more fiber and nutrients than refined grains, they digest more slowly for longer-lasting energy preventing blood sugar “spikes” followed by “lows.”
Aim for at least three to four grams of fiber per serving. Some options are steel-cut oats, bran and wheat germ cereals, and whole grain cereals with actual bits of grain and no added sugars.
Fruits and Vegetables
These are the high-octane carbs to lean on for get-up-and-go. They give our brains a boost and their fiber helps close the gap.
Women need 25 grams of fiber per day while men need 38 grams. Choose fresh, unsweetened frozen, dried fruit or canned in juice or water. Eat the whole fruit or vegetable more often than juice.
Healthy breakfast ideas
Kick off your day with these quick and easy delish and nutrish breakfasts:
- Stuff a whole-wheat pita with a tuna, shredded carrots and Sriracha® sauce.
- Spread ricotta cheese on a whole-grain toasted bagel. Top with avocado and tomato.
- Add lean roast beef and Swiss cheese to a toasted whole-grain English muffin.
- Pour a latte, hard-cooked egg, cup of yogurt, and fruit.
- Spray a coffee cup lightly with cooking spray. Add an egg and splash of milk; beat well. Microwave 30-45 seconds, until egg is almost set. Serve with toast and jam.
- Skewer cheese cubes with grapes and pineapple chunks. Add a handful of walnuts.
- Build a taco with beans, an egg or tofu and salsa.
MORE healthy breakfast recipes
- yogurt cranberry tart
- berry cardamom baked oatmeal
- meatloaf egg muffin
- oatmeal with chai walnuts
- gyros breakfast burrito
- mushroom spinach strata
- make-ahead egg and cheese sandwich
- overnight oats
Homemade granola is so easy to make
Granola is always in my kitchen and frequently on the table. We eat this homemade granola (or Pumpkin Spice Seedy Slow Cooker Granola) several times a week with yogurt and fruit.
Granola is flexible so use the recipe as a guide.
Nuts: Walnuts and almonds are my go-to additions, but pecans, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds have all been part of the mix.
Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, I like the spice to shine through so use those generously.
Fruit: Dried apricots, pears, pineapple, cherries, cranberries, dates, raisins, figs, crystallized ginger, toasted coconut… anything goes in the fruit department. The moisture from dried fruit softens the cereal, so to keep the crunch, I add fruit when I’m ready to eat.
The ingredients for Orange Ginger Granola
- 6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup almond
- 1 cup walnuts
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- zest and juice of one orange
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Combine oatmeal, almond and walnuts in a 9″ x 13″ roasting pan.
- Heat the oil, butter, honey, brown sugar, and spices, so they are smooth and can be poured over the oats and nuts. Pour over oats. Stir to coat.
- Bake for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Stirring is necessary to toast the oats and nuts.
allow to cool before storing. - Store in a sealed container for 3-4 weeks.
Make ahead big batch granola
When I make granola, I maximize the oven heat and space by making a full baking pan. Stirring every 30 minutes gives everything time to toast. Allow it to cool, then store in airtight containers where it will keep several weeks.
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High Five Fiber Challenge
I created a free, 5-day challenge you can join by clicking this link. You’ll get tips and tools, resources and recipes to create your own roadmap to meet your fiber goals toward high fiber meals. Don’t ya? Won’t ya? Seriously, it’s only 5 days 😉 Find it right here.
Homemade Ginger Orange Granola
Ginger Orange Granola smells so good while it’s baking and tastes so good while you’re eating! Protein, fiber and healthy fats keep you energized.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 14 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- zest and juice of one orange
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Combine oatmeal, almond and walnuts in a 9″ x 13″ roasting pan.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine butter, oil, honey, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, orange zest and juice, salt and pepper. Stir until combined and smooth.
- Pour over oats. Stir to coat.
- Bake for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Stirring is necessary to toast the oats and nuts.
- allow to cool before storing.
- Store in a sealed container for 2-3 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 265
Comments
I bet this smells heavenly when it’s cooking. I love making homemade granola but it’s been a while – need to try this for sure 🙂
You’re right, Deanna, this does smell good…almost as good as it tastes!