Food

Whipped cottage cheese is exactly what it sounds like—a light, fluffy, smooth version of the curd-studded dairy. It’s a delicious base for crunchy peanut granola. Serving with berries makes the bowl of nutrition an even better way to start your day. Protein power: Cottage cheese has protein numbers on par with Greek yogurt but at a lower price point. Since peanuts are technically a legume, they supply higher amounts of protein than tree nuts such as almonds and are significantly less expensive. Low and slow Cooking granola at lower oven temperatures with frequent stirring helps keep oats and any nuts or seeds from burning. This gives you a toasty flavour instead of something that tastes like ash.

Making a big batch of hearty granola is a great way to satisfy breakfast and snacking needs and proves endlessly versatile while on the road. Throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips to turn into a trail mix, perfect for keeping hunger at bay while you’re out and about. This granola is also ideal for turning fresh fruit you discover on your travels into a delicious dessert. We’ve used cherries here, but grilled peaches, apricots, blueberries, or any fresh, seasonal bounty would work amazingly well. Trail mix To turn your Go-Everywhere Granola into your Go-Everywhere Trail Mix, simply add 1/4 cup (60 mL) mini dairy-free chocolate chips, and hit the trails. Cherry-oh To make the most of a fruitful bounty, and to add an extra dimension of flavour, use a mixture of sour and sweet cherries—and don’t forget to pack a cherry pitter!

Juicy berries and rhubarb pair with toasty oats and almonds for a beauty-giving beginning to your day, with skin-loving vitamins C and E, as well as detoxifying fibre. A one-dish solution to busy mornings, it’s fruit and granola in a single delicious bake. To serve, a scoop of your favourite yogurt or splash of kefir would take this to the next level. Beauty fruit focus: Strawberry and rhubarb Seasonal swaps The strawberry-rhubarb fruit combination can be switched up, depending on the time of year. Try blueberries and peaches in summer, apples and figs in fall, and pears and cranberries in winter.

These breakfast pops are the perfect way to start a summer day. The surprise addition of homemade granola embedded in the pop takes this from a snack-time treat to a filling breakfast to fuel the day ahead. Incorporating fermented foods, such as yogurt, into our diet helps to enhance the body’s absorption of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Customize these breakfast pops with whatever combination of fruit you have on hand.

Here’s a dessert with every flavour on the spectrum, including umami, enclosed in a single bite: tart yogurt; a wee bit of sweet, zippy zest; a pinch of salt; and a bit of Chinese spice. Garnished with a poof of cleansing mint, it’s a riot of fused flavours that doesn’t have to be reserved just for dessert. Try it for breakfast with granola! Substitute coconut or soy yogurt for the dairy yogurt and add lime zest on top with pomegranate seeds for a Persian twist. The options are unlimited.

Who says granola needs to be served in a bowl with a spoon in hand? This adorable dessert plays by the nutritional rules and requires no apology for going from hand to mouth. The seedy granola cups can also serve as a make-ahead breakfast. Sweet news Most vanilla-flavoured yogurt on store shelves is loaded with added sugars. A smart nutrition hack is to simply buy plain versions of yogurt and stir in your own vanilla extract flavouring.

Mixed with dairy-free yogurt and berries, this homemade, maple-infused granola makes for a knockout breakfast.

This unique grain-free granola is paleo, vegan, and free of refined sugars. For a quick and simple breakfast, try serving this sprinkled over yogurt and garnished with fresh seasonal strawberries.

Filled with layers of crunchy chocolatey granola, creamy yogurt, and sweet-tart berries, this parfait will leave Mom feeling like she’s spooning up a special dessert for brunch. Once the granola is made, the meal practically makes itself. The granola can be prepared up to three days in advance, but the parfait is best assembled shortly before eating so the granola remains crunchy. Up-and-coming date syrup lends the granola a caramel-like sweetness, but you can swap in maple syrup if needed.

Grab a spoon (yes, a spoon!) and dig into this vibrant and refreshing smoothie bowl. It’s your answer to the 10-minute breakfast and getting in a veggie serving before noon. You can blend in either a raw or cooked beet, with the latter being a better option if you’re using a blender without much horsepower. Granola or muesli is another topping option.

Tangy and deliciously thick with a finishing crunch, this make-ahead breakfast is a great way to break out of a cereal rut. It’s also a tasty way to recover after a hard workout. The raspberries and chia seeds team up to deliver a payload of fibre to keep you satiated all morning long. If desired, raspberries can be replaced with strawberries, muesli can stand in for granola, and the pistachios can be swapped out for almonds. Ice picks When berries are out of season locally, consider reaching for bags of frozen red fruit including raspberries, strawberries, and cherries. They are frozen quickly after harvest to lock in flavour and nutrition, and are often much less expensive by weight than their fresh imported counterparts.

This skillet granola comes together in a flash and is the perfect breakfast to start your day. But why stop there? Try it as a topping on your salad, sprinkle it over ice cream, or just snack on it out of hand. Tip Make this granola recipe your own by switching out any of the nuts or seeds for what you have on hand. You can even make it paleo by replacing oats with 1 cup (250 mL) sliced almonds and 1 cup (250 mL) coconut flakes.

If your mornings are harried, this make-ahead berry good pudding is your ticket to enjoying a lightning-fast meal without sacrificing sound nutrition. When soaked in liquid, the chia forms a gel and provides a pudding-like texture. Tip Granola is a delicious, crunchy breakfast option. But some contain alarming amounts of added sugar. Generally, you’re looking for one that delivers no more than 10 g of sugar per 1/2 cup (125 mL) serving, ideally mostly from dried fruits, and has at least 3 g of dietary fibre.

(pictured with Sidestripe Shrimp Salad and Pickled Apple ) There are endless possibilities for this granola, other than just as a salad topper. Try it sprinkled over your morning eggs, stirred into yogurt, showered over roasted vegetables, or for garnishing a creamy root vegetable soup.

Who says granola has to be served in a bowl with spoon in hand? This whimsical make-ahead riff on a breakfast classic removes the woulda-coulda-shoulda about starting the day on a solid nutritional note. And it provides a nourishing mixture of quality carbs, protein, and healthy fats. Kids in action Let the little ones have fun mixing together all of the ingredients in a bowl and then pouring the nutritional goodness into a cake pan. Tip The size of granola pie slices can be adjusted based on appetites and reheated in the microwave or oven.

These packable, poppable little treats contain all the hearty goodness of oatmeal, quinoa, nuts, and seeds; the added health heft of hempseeds; and a few more delicious, yet nutritious, surprises to boot. Tip For added decadence, grate dark chocolate overtop of mixture immediately after removing from oven.

Crunchy, creamy, and sweet-tart, this flavourful bowlful of top-notch nutrition is a perfect way to kick-start a day of spirited outdoor fun. A definite upgrade from soggy oatmeal, the skillet granola can also be served with milk and a couple of handfuls of berries. Make ahead To save a step, you can prep the granola at home and then store in a container to transport to your camp.

Packed with protein, a range of minerals, and a little chocolate, these nut-free granola bars deserve a place in your lunch bag tomorrow. With four different varieties of seeds and a base of puffed quinoa (technically a seed itself), this snack gives new meaning to “bird food.” Tip For easy transport, after chilling and slicing, wrap each bar in parchment paper secured with a rubber band.

Dairy-free yogurt is fun to make, and it acts as a versatile base for a variety of recipes. Even if you’re not dairy intolerant or vegan, this creamy, mild, and sweet recipe is one to try! Coconut Yogurt nibbles Top with berries, hempseeds, cacao nibs, and chopped Medjool dates. Mix with frozen berries or banana to make instant “ice cream.” Layer in a glass jar with fruit, walnuts, and granola for a parfait. Use as a soup garnish along with fresh herbs or chives.

Roasted or sprouted Canadian pulses easily complement or replace seeds and nuts in granola bars or muesli. They’re nutty, earthy, and full of fibre and protein. This recipe can be made into bars or crumbled to use as a topping for yogurt.

PB&J may ride high on nostalgia, but it’s hardly a well-balanced meal. Here, the Thai-inspired peanut dressing stands in for peanut butter, raspberries add sweetness in the spirit of jam, and granola is a crunchy garnish in lieu of toast. Thigh highs The best thing about using chicken thighs to lend this salad plenty of satiating protein is that you can relax a bit when you’re grilling them. Even if you overcook the meat a bit, it won’t dry out to the same extent that breast meat would.

Who doesn’t love receiving from-scratch granola? Dried cherries, hazelnuts, and cacao nibs give this version a luxurious appeal and show recipients you truly care about helping them start the day in a healthy way. 3 cups (750 mL) rolled oats 1/2 cup (125 mL) walnuts, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup (80 mL) hemp hearts 1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cardamom 1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup, preferably dark grade 1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut oil, melted 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract 3/4 cup (180 mL) unsweetened coconut flakes 1/2 cup (125 mL) hazelnuts, halved 3/4 cup (180 mL) dried cherries or dried cranberries 1/4 cup (60 mL) cacao nibs Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C). In large bowl, toss together oats, walnuts, hemp hearts, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. In separate bowl, stir together maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add maple syrup mixture to oats and stir until everything is moist. Turn mixture out onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spread out into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes; remove pan from oven and stir in coconut flakes and hazelnuts. Return to oven and bake until granola is fragrant and golden, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Be careful that the oats don’t burn. Stir in dried cherries and cacao nibs. Let cool completely and then divide among wide-mouth jars. Makes enough for 3 to 4 gifts. Each 1/2 cup (125 mL) serving contains: 384 calories; 6 g protein; 17 g total fat (13 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 35 g total carbohydrates (13 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 103 mg sodium source: " Love Bites ", alive #386, December 2014

This delicious granola is perfect for breakfast, in a dessert parfait, or sprinkled over fruit crumbles. It’s also a lovely gift idea. 3 cups (750 mL) large flake gluten-free oats 2 cups (500 mL) barley flakes 1 cup (250 mL) rye flakes 1 cup (250 mL) sliced almonds 1/2 cup (125 mL) raw pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup (125 mL) raw sunflower seeds 1/2 cup (125 mL) hemp hearts 1/2 cup (125 mL) ribbon coconut 1 Tbsp (15 mL) ground cinnamon 1 tsp (5 mL) ground nutmeg 2/3 cup (160 mL) pure maple syrup or agave syrup 1/3 cup (80 mL) warm water 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive or coconut oil 1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt 1/2 cup (125 mL) golden raisins 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Combine oats, barley, rye, almonds, seeds, coconut, and spices in large bowl. Stir to blend. Combine syrup, warm water, and oil in small bowl and stir to blend. Pour over dry mixture and stir to evenly coat. Spread on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake in centre of preheated oven for about 45 to 50 minutes or until granola is dried, toasted, and slightly golden. Stir frequently to even out baking and prevent edges from burning. Remove from oven and immediately stir in remaining ingredients. Cool thoroughly before packing in airtight containers; refrigerate for up to a few weeks or freeze for longer storage. Serve stirred into plain yogurt, with milk of choice, or as crumble topping for pies and homemade muffins. Makes about 48 servings. Each 1/4 cup (60 mL) serving contains: 108 calories; 4 g protein; 5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 15 g total carbohydrates (3 g sugars, 2 g fibre); 28 mg sodium Pick a plant- based protein Vegetarian and vegan athletes take note: hemp hearts are one of the best plant-based sources of complete protein. This means that they contain all nine of the essential amino acids we need to build cells and repair tissues after a tough workout. A 3 Tbsp (45 mL) serving of hemp hearts contains 10 g of muscle-building protein. Try these super seeds in a post-exercise smoothie or this Protein-Packed Granola. Gluten-free option In place of barley and rye flakes, increase gluten-free oats by 2 cups (500 mL). Alternatively, substitute barley and rye flakes with quinoa flakes. source: " Hemp Power ", alive #384, October 2014