MAKING YOUR OWN CHEAP & HEALTHY SUPERFOOD GRANOLA (HELLO FAB MORNINGS!)

Granola has long been perceived as a healthier alternative to sugary cereals and buttery toast, but did you know the majority of shop-bought granolas are saturated with sugar, fat and preservatives that our bodies really could do without? Making your own granola is super quick, super easy and super cheap - plus you can control exactly what you add to it, meaning you can make it even more beneficial. I love a bit of granola over my dairy free yogurt, or alone with a touch of almond milk and a chopped up banana. You can sprinkle a little over porridge for a crunchy top layer, or mix it up with some golden syrup and coconut oil for a flapjack-esque treat. I discovered this recipe by mistake, having attempted to make oaty cakes that didn't quite stick together; the result was a delicious and nutritious alternative to the granolas I'd been buying from Whole Foods, with the added goodness of the superfoods I've become so utterly obsessed by. If you want to give it a go at home, here is my incredibly easy recipe that will give your mornings a little boost...


All you need to create this concoction is a bag of oats (make sure they're completely free from any ingredient other than oats!) that you can pick up for a couple of pounds in your local supermarket, lots of nuts, seeds, superfoods and a sprinkling of dried fruit. Essentially you just wack it all in a bowl together, adding a couple of tablespoons of melted coconut oil and honey (pop it in the microwave for sixty seconds) to sweeten and help everything stick together a little bit. Here's what I used, but feel free to substitute and add in anything you've got lingering in the back of your cupboards... 

1 cup of raw whole rolled oats (aka old fashion oats)
½ cup of nuts, chopped if possible (I used whole almonds for this as I didn't have chopped nuts)
½ cup of seeds (I used pumpkin and chia which are hugely nutricious)
½ cup unsweetened dried fruit (dates, goji berries, raisins and apricots are perfect)
2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut (for a little texture and sweetness) 
1 tablespoon of bee pollen (a great anti-oxident and proven to fight off infection)
1 tablespoon of red berry superfood powder (or any other superfood powder)
2 tablespoons of melted manuka honey
2 tablespoons of melted virgin coconut oil

Once you've mixed it all together in a bowl, transfer into a shallow cooking pot or tray and bake for 20 mins at 170 degrees, or until the mixture turns a golden brown; I personally find that the cooking time changes every time I make this, so it's probably best to set a timer for every ten minutes and keep checking. This time around I added dates and a deep red berry powder, which turns the mixture a little darker, but usually it comes out a delicious golden brown colour. I'm a firm believer that cooking should be fun, quick and easy - and that recipes are there to be adapted, rather than followed to the absolute letter. I've never been a very good cook, but I've adopted the 'chuck it in a bowl' and see what happens approach to much success. As long as you add in lots of good-for-you nuts, seeds, superfoods and fruit, you can't really go wrong! Store the granola in an air tight glass jar and it will last for months too... Healthy, tasty and cheap as chips.