JOIN USToday, we live our lives on the go. This means many meals are consumed as we travel to a meeting or to run an errand. Keeping food that is handy as well as healthy makes sense, and what better than a granola. No worries about spillage or stains.
Granola has a variety of benefits like aiding digestion, reducing cholesterol and regulating weight loss. This is mainly because it contains vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients, including, but not limited to, dietary fibre, sodium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E, vitamin C and iron.
Here are some tips to keep in mind while making your own granola:
* You need fat to bind the granola, so look for healthier options like coconut oil or olive oil.
* Use honey or jaggery for sweeteners instead of sugars.
* Use good quality oats to improve the shelf-life of the granola.
* Add dried fruits after the granola is baked to retain its crunch.
Honey instead of sugar, and baked instead of fried.
"Granola is very easy to make and you just have to be careful that you don't burn it while trying to get it evenly baked and golden. Granola makes for a wonderful breakfast when paired with milk or yoghurt and fruits. It is also a great snack during the day or before a workout or a run to give you the energy boost you need," says granola expert Richa Talwar.
Phorum Dalal
Rustic Granola Yogurt Cups
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of granola
4 cups of plain yoghurt
1/2 cup wildflower honey
Blueberries for topping
METHOD
* Mix the granola and honey in a bowl.
* Transfer a few tablespoons to each tart pan and press it down and up towards the sides.
* Bake for 20 minutes at 180 ºC.
* Cool the tarts on a wire rack for about an hour or until its completely cool to touch.
* Fill the granola tarts with the yoghurt.
* Arrange blueberries on top and drizzle it with honey.
Toppings: You can add sliced seasonal fruits, drizzle of honey or handful of granola on top.
Granola Yogurt Parfait
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of granola
1 cup of yoghurt
Sliced fresh fruits as per choice
2 tbsp maple syrup
METHOD
* Stir in a tbsp of maple syrup with yoghurt.
* Take a clean jar or bowl and layer it with yoghurt and sprinkled it with 1/4 cup of granola.
* Add another layer of yoghurt and top it with the remaining granola. Top it with fruits and drizzle the remaining maple syrup. Eat it immediately or store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
(Recipes by Richa Talwar)