Tony the who? Frosted Flakes may taste good and sweet (or grrreat, as Tony would proclaim), but they’ll make you feel anything but. The amount of sugar in those suckers is astronomical: over 2 teaspoons per 3/4 cup (and who stops at 3/4 of a cup, if we’re being honest?). Holy s*gar!

White sugar is very different from, say, maple syrup, in that it has been refined and processed to the nth degree, while a good quality maple syrup is, well, extracted from the tree and concentrated. This leaves the vitamins and minerals intact, giving us more nutrients than we’d get from white sugar. Having said that, maple syrup still acts like sugar in our body, and so should be kept to a minimum. But, it’s a great natural sweetener that works amazingly well in a granola recipe.

Speaking of granola, let’s talk breakfast. This is taken right from the Kellogg’s website: “Get a sweet, crunchy start to your morning with oven-toasted flakes as part of a nutritious breakfast.” I’m sorry, did someone say ‘nutritious’? And they were talking about a breakfast cereal that is made from corn (which is likely genetically modified), that states that its corn contains traces of soybeans (another almost definite GMO), contains BHT (an unhealthy preservative), and has over 2 teaspoons of white sugar per 3/4 cup? Okay, just making sure.

That person needs a reality check.

If you’re feeling like cereal, why not make some granola, pour your fave milk on top, and call it a day? Or at least a morning? Your fave milk might be almond, coconut, or rice… or might even be from the good ol’ goat.

Or, you can sprinkle granola on top of plain yogurt or kefir, and add fresh berries, flax oil, and maple syrup or stevia. Yum! Of course, you could always just enjoy it on its own whenever you get a cravin’.

Without further ado, I give you my version of Grrreat Granola. Feel free to leave your comments below; I want to hear how grrreat it makes YOU feel!

Grrreat Granola

3 cups whole oats
½ cup almonds, chopped
½ cup walnuts, chopped
¼ cup pumpkinseeds
½ cup coconut oil, melted (or, my fave, St. Francis Coconut Oil & Butter Ghee)
½ cup maple syrup
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and spread out on parchment paper-lined baking sheet (or one that is oiled with butter or coconut oil). Bake for 23 minutes, or until top side is slightly browned. Flip granola over with a spatula and bake for about another 8 minutes, or until the other side is also slightly browned. Let cool completely. Store granola in a container at room temperature.