Lunch: Almond Maple Granola

Recipe by jlscharp This granola is good and crunchy with lots of sweet flavor, thanks to the pure maple syrup and dark brown sugar. It uses a lot less oil than some granola recipes. Can be made 1 week ahead.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Wheat Germ, Sunflower Seeds

Health benefits of Almond Maple Granola

Wheatgerm is a natural source of Inositol, which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS due to its ability to effectively reduce insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity. Sunflower seeds are an excellent food for PCOS as they are packed with vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Just one cup of sunflower seeds provides 30% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin B6. Sunflower seeds are also loaded with two other important of PCOS busting minerals: zinc and magnesium.

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 (14 ounce) package flaked coconut
1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (optional)
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet with sides, or a large cake pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds, wheat germ, coconut, and sunflower seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, water and salt. Pour the liquid over the oat and nut mixture, and stir until evenly coated. Spread out on the prepared cookie sheet. If you want some chunky bits, squeeze some small handfuls into little clumps.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally until evenly toasted. Mix in raisins. Cool, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.