Post-Holiday Breakfast Make-Over
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The holiday season is officially over. Unfortunately, if you are like many of us, the sluggish feeling from eating all of the amazingly rich holiday food still lingers. Most of us at Women’s Running magazine are detoxing from the indulgent eating we did over the past month by renewing our commitment to healthy eating.
Eating well starts with the first meal of the day. Check out this recipe* for a hearty granola that can be eaten by itself or sprinkled on your favorite yogurt for a delicious breakfast. Bonus: Making homemade granola will fill your kitchen with an amazing aroma!
Ingredients:
1/3 c. vegetable oil
½ c. brown sugar
½ c. light agave nectar
1 T. vanilla extract
¾ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. fine salt
3 c. rolled oats
2 c. chopped pecans (or any other nut)
1 c. sweetened shredded coconut
1 c. dried cranberries
1 c. dried blueberries
Non-stick cooking spray or parchment paper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks placed in upper and lower thirds.
- Lightly coat two rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray (we used parchment paper for easier clean up).
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except oats, pecans, and dried berries.
- Next, add oats and pecans and stir until combined.
- Divide mixture between baking sheets.
- Bake 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add ½ c. of sweetened shredded coconut to each sheet; bake until mixture is golden brown (15 minutes).
- Let cool completely before removing granola from baking sheets.
- Add 1 c. of dried blueberries and 1 c. of dried cranberries to cooled granola and stir with hands.
- Store granola in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.