Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Take that, Bear Naked?

I'll admit it, I'm a fan of granola. Nowadays, if I buy it, it's the vastly overpriced but pretty good Bear Naked Granola. They have a lower fat one, and a higher protein one. But, as of lately, I wanted to try my own shot at granola. Between reading Smitten Kitchen's granola recipe, and then Sassy Radish's take on it, I decided to attempt to create a higher protein, lower carb yummy granola.

My final creation has a bit more fat and calories, and equivalent protein and carbs, as the Bear Naked Power Protein Granola, but hell, it's homemade, so I figure it's not a bad shot for the first time around!

Higher Protein, Reduced Carb Cinnamon Granola
2.5 oz sliced blanched almonds
2.5 oz pepitas (or pumpkin seeds) (I used roasted, salted pepitas, but unsalted, unroasted ones are best)
1.5 oz walnuts, rough chop
4 oz flax seeds
2-2.25 oz wheat germ
2 cups rolled oats
1.5 scoops Cinnamon Bun Lean Dessert Protein Powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
pinch of salt

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add agave nectar and oil and mix together. Spread out on a pan sprayed with vegetable oil and bake at 350-375 for 20-35 minutes. I recommend mixing every five minutes, and watch it - some ovens only take 20 minutes, others take 35 minutes. Once cooled, store in an air-tight bag or container in the freezer.

My recipe made about 23.75 oz of granola, and the nutritional stats for one ounce are:

Calories: 169.8
Fat: 9.5g
Saturated Fat: 1.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.8g
Monounsaturated Fat: 2.9g
Carbohydrate: 15.7g
Dietary Fiber: 3.8g
Protein: 5.8g

The granola is a bit flax-heavy, but it's yummy. The protein powder is totally undetectable except for the cinnamony flavor it gave it. I feel like next time around, I could easily up it to 2-2.5 scoops. Also, because the pepitas were salted, the granola itself isn't overly sweet. Next time around, I may add a bit more agave nectar. Although it adds on the carbs, it's a lower glycemic index sweetener, so I figure there are worse choices out there.

Also, does anyone have suggestions for replacing the walnuts with a higher protein, lower fat nut? I like the flavor of walnuts and pecans, but I'd rather have better nutritional stats than a few walnuts.

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