Healthier at home? You bet...
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There's no way around it. More home cooking (or at least increased preparation at home) is needed if you want to get off the fast-food bandwagon which is largely responsible for diabesity - the combination of diabetes and obesity that is affecting more and more people around the world.
Not everyone wants to eat breakfast and that's fine, but if you do; Why not start 'eating healthy' with your wake-up call and the first meal of the day... breakfast. This first recipe is 'low-carb', not 'no-carb' but you will read about how to reduce the carbs further if desired. Some people also add a few berries when in season or a very small quantity of dried fruit but it's important to watch the total carbs. One thing is clear. Whatever version you choose to make, it will be free of the emulsifiers, preservatives, colorings and other additives found in most commercial brands of granola. |
Homemade crunchy Granola with Greek yogurt
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Crunchy Breakfast Muesli; lchf, GF
The basic idea is to mix your preferred low-carb selection of nuts and seeds before then, toasting them in a thin layer on a tray lined with baking paper at 140 degrees C in the oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring them twice after 15 and 25 minutes. Wait till you can see just the right warm golden colours before letting it cool down with the oven door open. Don't cook for too long or the more delicate coconut flakes will burn. Ingredients: Flaked or chopped almonds; Chopped hazelnuts; Sunflower and pumpkin seeds; Flax seeds (also known as linseed) if you want more Omega 3; Coconut oil; Quinoa flakes or a few organic oats (for texture and to stretch the ingredients list at a lower price - adds a few carbs if you're low-carbing and not no-carbing); Maple syrup or honey; Pinch of salt ... This recipe is gluten free. Store in an airtight container for several weeks (if it lasts that long). |
Do your low-carb maths homework
There is no definitive recipe when you make this; vary it according to your taste and then, check your particular blend for carbs and fat. You can simply reduce the amount of quinoa flakes (or organic oats) if you want fewer carbs but I suggest keeping - or even increasing - the weight of coconut flakes for the taste if you drop the maple syrup.
The most important thing is to see how many fewer carbs you are eating compared to store-bought mueslis and granolas. |
PORTION SIZE
Being more nutrient rich, a smaller 30g portion of your homemade granola is tasty, satisfying and filling, compared to the conventional approach when eating cereal - that being more to do with filling a bowl and then adding milk or yogurt.
With this low-carb, high-fat alternative, you just sprinkle the crunchy granola on top of your chosen yogurt (see photo). A generous 30 gm portion gives you a maximum of 4 net grams of carbs and less if you lowere the proportion of maple syrup or oats/quinoa.
"Personally, when I eat this for breakfast, I eat around 25g of Granola with 150g of my home-made Greek yogurt."
Sammy@fatisourfriend
Being more nutrient rich, a smaller 30g portion of your homemade granola is tasty, satisfying and filling, compared to the conventional approach when eating cereal - that being more to do with filling a bowl and then adding milk or yogurt.
With this low-carb, high-fat alternative, you just sprinkle the crunchy granola on top of your chosen yogurt (see photo). A generous 30 gm portion gives you a maximum of 4 net grams of carbs and less if you lowere the proportion of maple syrup or oats/quinoa.
"Personally, when I eat this for breakfast, I eat around 25g of Granola with 150g of my home-made Greek yogurt."
Sammy@fatisourfriend
Benchmarking some commercial equivalents
Stay well away from all boxed supermarket cereals - they are full of refined carbs even if the descriptive words and photos appear to be "Oh so healthy".
Low-fat Granola Ingredients:
Whole grain rolled oats, whole grain wheat, sugar, rice, corn syrup, almonds, contains 2% or less of molasses, modified corn starch, palm oil, salt, cinnamon, nonfat milk, malt flavoring, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, natural and artificial flavor, guar gum, BHT for freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Niacinamide, zinc oxide, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin C (sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid), vitamin A palmitate, reduced iron, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), folic acid, vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride), vitamin D, vitamin B12.
Carbs per 100 gm: 80g (70 net grams); Protein per 100g : 4 grams ; Fat per 100g: 3 grams
Their current recommended portion size of 49 gms gives you 40 gm of carbs. Source: www.kelloggs.com
Low-fat Granola Ingredients:
Whole grain rolled oats, whole grain wheat, sugar, rice, corn syrup, almonds, contains 2% or less of molasses, modified corn starch, palm oil, salt, cinnamon, nonfat milk, malt flavoring, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, natural and artificial flavor, guar gum, BHT for freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Niacinamide, zinc oxide, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin C (sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid), vitamin A palmitate, reduced iron, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), folic acid, vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride), vitamin D, vitamin B12.
Carbs per 100 gm: 80g (70 net grams); Protein per 100g : 4 grams ; Fat per 100g: 3 grams
Their current recommended portion size of 49 gms gives you 40 gm of carbs. Source: www.kelloggs.com
Swedish Crackers - gluten free recipe
Mix all the ingredients lightly together and divide into two parts. Spread ½ ingredients onto one oven tray covered with baking paper; roll it thin by placing an additional sheet of baking paper on top. Roast/toast at 180 degrees C for around 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. When just out of the oven, sprinkle with salt. Cool, keep dry and eat with smoked salmon, cheese or what you fancy! |
As above with granola; there is no definitive recipe; You can reduce or remove the amount of quinoa flakes if you want fewer carbs but the almond flour is needed for a crisp base to the crackers.
Carbs/100g: 21g (10g if you omit the quinoa) Protein/100 g: 15 g Fat/100g: 32 g A Ryvita-sized portion gives you 2g or 1g net carbs. 
This shows the full carb load. For net carbs without fibre, you can halve these figures.
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Benchmarking the commercial equivalent
Ingredients: Wholegrain Rye Flour (97%), Rye Flour, Salt.
Rye (gluten). May contain Oats, Wheat (Gluten), Sesame Seeds and Soya.
Per 100g; Carbs: 70g (includes 16.5g of fibre); Protein: 8.5g ; Fat: 1.7g
Per cracker; Carbs: 6.7g (includes 1.7g of fibre); Protein: 0.9g; Fat: 0.2g
Rye (gluten). May contain Oats, Wheat (Gluten), Sesame Seeds and Soya.
Per 100g; Carbs: 70g (includes 16.5g of fibre); Protein: 8.5g ; Fat: 1.7g
Per cracker; Carbs: 6.7g (includes 1.7g of fibre); Protein: 0.9g; Fat: 0.2g
Einkorn bread - the only 'wheat' bread that I bake
For best results with the sticky dough, use a tin for your first loaves
You really want some carbs? OK; Einkorn is the earliest form of wheat and dates back thousands of years. It is the bread of the bible and although it contains gluten, it is tolerated by a wide variety of people. Einkorn grains are about half the size of the wheat you find these days and contain just two sets of chromosomes compared with forty-two in modern hybrid wheat.
The very best way to prepare and bake using Einkorn is by using Sally Fallon's methods (see book below), but here is a less time-consuming alternative.
Einkorn creates a stickier dough and needs less kneading simply because it contains less gluten. Because of that, it's best to start with a lightly oiled bread tin for baking that first loaf. As you get to know the dough you'll get the knack of working with it to make bread rolls etc.
It tastes not unlike other wholemeal type breads but its digestibility is far, far superior.
The very best way to prepare and bake using Einkorn is by using Sally Fallon's methods (see book below), but here is a less time-consuming alternative.
Einkorn creates a stickier dough and needs less kneading simply because it contains less gluten. Because of that, it's best to start with a lightly oiled bread tin for baking that first loaf. As you get to know the dough you'll get the knack of working with it to make bread rolls etc.
It tastes not unlike other wholemeal type breads but its digestibility is far, far superior.
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Ingredients
Recipe
First... dissolve yeast in the lukewarm water. Then mix all the ingredients slowly in a mixer. Einkorn, being less glutinous is very sticky and difficult to work with your hands. After leaving the mixture to rise slowly for 2 hours, I suggest spooning the sticky mixture into a pre-sprayed loaf tin before leaving to rise for a further hour in a warm place. Heat your oven to the highest temperature before placing the bread in the oven - then reduce to 200C and cook for 35-40 minutes. As usual, put a glass of water into the oven tray at the base of your oven to create steam which helps the upper crust of the bread. Empty upside down onto a wire rack to cool and crisp up the base. Eat in moderation
Although this Einkorn bread still packs a carb punch at around 10-15 carbs per slice, you know just what you are getting. Compare that to what is put in regular Hovis sliced bread: |
For some of the very best and healthy eating recipes, Sally Fallon of the Weston A Price Foundation is now celebrating 18 years of her ground-breaking book being in print:
Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig 
After the baking tin, try a rustic loaf like this
Much more about einkorn at: www.einkorn.com
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For reference; Hovis Ingredients:
Wholemeal Flour, Water, Malt Flour, Yeast, Sugar, Wheat Protein, Salt, Malted Wheat Flake, Toasted Wheat Flake, Vinegar, Vegetable Fat, Soya Flour, Emulsifier E472(e), Flour Treatment Agent: E300.
(source: Hovis website).
... and produced using the infamous Chorleywood Process
Wholemeal Flour, Water, Malt Flour, Yeast, Sugar, Wheat Protein, Salt, Malted Wheat Flake, Toasted Wheat Flake, Vinegar, Vegetable Fat, Soya Flour, Emulsifier E472(e), Flour Treatment Agent: E300.
(source: Hovis website).
... and produced using the infamous Chorleywood Process