I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I consume a greek yogurt parfait way too often (e.g. multiple times per week). Guess that’s what happens when you’re super busy during the work week and don’t have much time to cook. My favorite combo? Fage 2% greek yogurt with cinnamon stirred in, a gala apple (chilled in the fridge) and a little museli or granola to top it off. There’s also the occasional drizzle of raw agave nectar (yum).
Although granola is delicious, most store bought varieties are quite high in sugar, calories, fat. As a result, I’m always on the lookout for a lighter alternative. When I saw a blog I enjoy, The Chic Life, post an oil-free granola recipe, I knew I had to try it. Just to be sure, I crunched the numbers on the Spark Recipe calculator and this granola clocks in at decent stats (~187 calories for half a cup serving, or ~93 calories for a quarter cup). See bottom of the post for my calorie calculation.
Featuring cinnamon, almond and dates, this recipe was incredibly easy to whip up. I opted for Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free old-fashioned oats (my fave) and they worked like a dream. Per usual, I upped the cinnamon content to 1 tbsp vs 1 tsp (I can’t help it – I’m addicted!). I also didn’t have maple syrup in the house, so I used raw agave instead from Whole Foods, although Trader Joe’s also has a good raw agave that’s less expensive. I ended up baking mine for 45 minutes and that was perfect. For the full recipe, please view the original recipe here on The Chic Life.
Finished product w/ chopped dates sprinkled in!
Below are the nutritional Stats from the Spark Recipe calculator. My recipe netted about 5.5+ cups of granola, which I estimated at a half a cup serving (just divide in half for a 1/4 cup serving). If you’re strict with calorie counts, I recommend plugging in yourself on their website. I unfortunately didn’t count the exact number of dates used and estimated via google search!
Buon Appetito! For more of my healthy-ish recipes, click here!