Maple Granola
I used to think I was doing better by feeding my children organic cereal for breakfast. Definitely better than the cereal I grew up on in the 80’s and 90’s. But its really not much different. Cold breakfast cereals are produced by a process called extrusion. Grains are mixed with water, processed into a slurry and placed in a machine called an extruder. The grains are forced out of a tiny hole at high temperature and pressure, which shapes them into little o’s or flakes or shreds. Individual grains passed through the extruder expand to produce puffed wheat, oats and rice. These products are then subjected to sprays that give a coating of oil and sugar to seal off the cereal from the ravages of milk and to give it crunch.
This extruding process and the pressure of the puffing alters the proteins in the grain and produces chemical changes that turn a nutritious grain into a poisonous neurotoxin.
When I heard Sally Fallon Morrel speak about how harmful processed breakfast cereals are at a Weston A Price conference, we came home and broke up with all cereal. She shared two studies done on rats. Here is one of them:
In 1960,researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor were given eighteen laboratory rats. These were divided into three groups: one group received cornflakes and water; a second group was given the cardboard box that the cornflakes came in and water; the control group received rat chow and water. The rats in the control group remained in good health throughout the experiment. The rats eating the box became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition. The rats receiving the cornflakes and water died before the rats that were eating the box! (The first box rat died the day the last cornflake rat died.) Furthermore, before death, the cornflakes-eating rats developed aberrant behavior, threw fits, bit each other and finally went into convulsions. Autopsy revealed dysfunction of the pancreas, liver and kidneys and degeneration of the nerves of the spine, all signs of insulin shock.2 The startling conclusion of this study was that there was more nourishment in the box than in the cornflakes.
We are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet are sold a highly processed box of grains, sugar, food dyes, synthetic vitamins, and hydrogenated seed oils.
I wonder what would happen to children’s temperament if cereal was replaced with homemade oatmeal, granola, eggs, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast for just two weeks?
Try this granola with milk or yogurt instead of processed cereal this week.
Maple Granola
10 cups organic rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup flax seed
2 cups sliced almonds
Other add ins can be walnuts, pumpkin seeds, pecans, or sunflower seeds.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Make the syrup
2 cups organic unrefined coconut oil
1.5 cups pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 Tablespoons vanilla
Melt together on the stove. Pour over the oat mixture.
Spread out onto cookie trays or dehydrator trays.
If using the oven bake at 200 until crunchy. Stiring every 30 minutes to prevent burning. If using a dehydrator set at 150 for 8 hours or until crunchy. I prefer the dehydrator.
Store in airtight glass jars.