I don’t follow any special or trendy diets currently, unless you call attempting to eat healthily and trying to avoid processed food as much as possible a fad. That said, that hasn’t always been the case. For example, there was my year-long foray into vegetarianism during my sophomore year of college that was prompted by watching an episode of Julia Childs’ cooking show featuring an entirely vegetarian menu (no lie!). I wasn’t worried so much about saving the animals as I thought this would be a healthier way of eating. I was running about 30 miles a week at the time, and it seemed like a good idea (much to my mother’s dismay). Despite eating what I thought was a well-rounded vegetarian diet, I wound up severely anemic. Well, so much for being and feeling healthy! I felt like crap. My doctor promptly put me on prescription-strength iron pills. That and adding meat back into my diet, and what do you know? I began to feel amazing again.
There was also the time my best friend and I decided to go vegan for a week after she watched an Oprah episode about the topic. Having been vegetarian years ago, I knew I could go without meat. What’s a few more items off the menu? Well, we survived the week, but I can tell you being a vegan is not for me. I can live without meat, but I can’t live without cheese! There is no vegan substitute that comes even close (at least not that I’ve tasted) to replacing real dairy cheese.
Recently, I toyed with the idea of a Paleo or grain-free diet, thinking I may be suffering from wheat belly (that’s too much late night Googling for you!). I did go gluten-free for a few weeks, and I don’t believe it’s a bad way to eat. I just didn’t see any significant difference in my so-called wheat belly. I did try out some new recipes during that time, and this Paleo Granola is a keeper, even if the Paleo diet wasn’t. I found it on Sheridan French’s former blog, the Southern Eclectic and adapted it a little to fit my taste. If you’ve never had Paleo Granola, well, it rocks. Seriously. You won’t miss the grains, especially if you love nuts. It’s great by the handful atop some yogurt. Throw some fresh berries in there and have a parfait. Or, eat it by the bowl with some milk. You won’t be disappointed.
Paleo Granola
Print recipe
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 40 minutes |
| Allergy | Peanuts, Tree Nuts |
| Dietary | Gluten Free |
| Meal type | Breakfast, Snack |
| Website | The Southern Eclectic |
Ingredients
- 5 cups nuts and seeds (like walnuts, pecans, almonds, flax, chia, sunflower, cashews, pepitas, etc.)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup dried fruit (chopped or whole if small like cranberries, cherries, mango, blueberries, etc.)
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put honey, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring to mix ingredients completely (I like to use a small whisk). Once boiling, turn off heat and let cool slightly. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Spread nuts and coconut on a baking sheet and pour honey mixture over it all. Use a spoon and mix it to distribute all the liquid. Spread granola out evenly to bake. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Bake for 30 minutes. Watch carefully near end so it does not burn. Let cool and mix in dried fruit. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Store in sealed container at room temperature. | |
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